How are you motivated

Interview Question: «What Motivates You?»

Emilie Dunphy / The Balance

When you’re applying for a job, you’ll hear a lot of interview questions—and some are trickier than others. One that’s common, but might catch you off guard, is, «What motivates you?» The interviewer is looking for insight into why and how you are motivated to achieve workplace goals and succeed at the job.

The hiring manager will also be seeking to discover whether the factors that motivate you are aligned with the company’s goals and with the role in which you would be working.

By answering in an honest but thoughtful way, you can impress your interviewer and demonstrate that you are the right person for the job.

This is a broad and open-ended question, which can make it hard to know how to answer. It can also be a challenge to figure out the best way to respond. After all, most people are motivated by many factors, including pay, prestige, making a difference, seeing results, and interacting with interesting people.

What the Interviewer Wants to Know

In asking this question, interviewers hope to figure out what makes you tick. The hiring manager wants to know what drives you to succeed. They also want to determine whether your motivators will be a fit for the job’s duties and the company’s culture.

For the hiring manager, it’s important to learn whether your motivators are inline with the job’s responsibilities. If you’re motivated by a challenging workplace, for example, you may not be the best fit for a routine data entry job.

Honest answers can help reveal what circumstances help you feel excited and enthused. (Another common variant of this interview question is, «What are you passionate about?” which also tries to determine what makes an interviewee feel excited and fulfilled.)

Providing insight into the forces that motivate you at work can be a window into your personality and work style, thereby helping your interviewers understand you as both a person and a potential employee.

There’s a big difference between the candidate who’s motivated by building teams and establishing strong relationships with coworkers, and the candidate whose best day is working independently on a report that improves the company’s bottom line. Both candidates bring with them strong advantages, and this question can help interviewers narrow their pool down to the individual who is the best fit for the position and the company.

Watch Now: 4 Ways to Answer «What Motivates You?»

How to Answer “What Motivates You?”

Take some time to research the company and the job prior to the interview. The more you know about the organizational goals of the employer, the better equipped you’ll be to respond.

It can be hard to think of a good answer for this question on the spot since it requires a bit of self-reflection. To prepare your answer, think about the jobs you have held in the past:

Whether it was a successful meeting with a client, a complex project wrangled into submission, a new skill you mastered, or anything else, keep these positive moments in mind when conceptualizing your answer.

Examples of the Best Answers

Review these sample answers and tailor your response to match your credentials to what the employer is seeking.

Example Answer #1

I’m really driven by results. I like it when I have a concrete goal to meet and enough time to figure out a strong strategy for accomplishing it. At my last job, our yearly goals were very aggressive, but I worked with my manager and the rest of my team to figure out a month-by-month strategy for meeting the year-end numbers. It was a real thrill to accomplish that.

Why It Works: This response works well because it’s focused on achievements and results. It’s positive, and it shows what the candidate has accomplished.

Example Answer #2

I’m motivated by digging into data. Give me a spreadsheet and questions, and I’m eager to figure out what’s driving the numbers. At my current position, I prepare the monthly analytics report around sales. The data from these reports help drive and determine how the company charts its next steps and makes sales goals for the following months. Being able to provide that essential information is really motivating.

Why It Works: The candidate is motivated both by data analysis and by being able to provide information to their team. This shows the interviewer that the applicant has both the hard and the soft skills required for success in the role.

Example Answer #3

I was responsible for several projects where I directed development teams and implemented repeatable processes. The teams achieved 100% on-time delivery of software products. I was motivated both by the challenge of finishing the projects ahead of schedule and by managing the teams that achieved our goals.

Why It Works: This response shows the interviewer that the applicant is motivated by several factors—management, scheduling, and teamwork—and has the ability to multitask.

Example Answer #4

I have always wanted to ensure that my company’s clients get the best customer service I can offer. I feel it’s important, both to me personally and for the company and the clients, to provide a positive customer experience. My drive to constantly develop my customer service skills is the reason I earned top sales at my company two quarters in a row.

Why It Works: With this answer, the candidate focuses on why customer service is important, how they develop their skills, as well as how they achieves positive results.

Example Answer #5

I have always been motivated by the desire to meet a deadline. Setting and reaching deadlines gives me such a sense of accomplishment. I love creating an organized schedule for completing a task and achieving my goals on time. For example, when I ran a fundraising event last year, I set multiple deadlines for a variety of tasks leading up to the event. Achieving each milestone motivated me to keep working and helped me to ensure that the event ran smoothly.

Why It Works: It always makes sense to respond in a way that shows you are motivated by your work and by accomplishing goals.

Tips for Giving the Best Answer

Keep the job in mind. When preparing your answer, also think about the skills and abilities that will be the most useful for this job. Try to highlight these in your answer. For example, if you are applying to be a manager, framing an answer around relationship building and helping others succeed and meet goals might be a stronger answer than a discussion about learning new things or working with clients.

Consider the company culture. If the company emphasizes the camaraderie of its staff, for example, you might mention how achieving goals as a group motivates you. If you don’t know much about the company culture, do some research before your interview to learn as much as you can.

Share an example. You might want to include an example from your previous job to explain the kinds of projects or tasks that motivate you. For example, if you say that you are driven by results, give an example of a time you set a goal and met (or exceeded) it.

Make sure the example demonstrates a time you used your motivation to add value to an organization in some way.

For example, perhaps you saved a company money, completed a project ahead of schedule, or solved a problem for an employee. Telling a story about your achievements is always a good way to show the interviewer your accomplishments. This will help the interviewer see how your motivation can benefit the company.

When you answer this question, be honest. If you tailor your answer to exactly what you think the employer wants to hear, you will likely come off as insincere.

Giving an honest answer will also help you see if you are a good fit for the job and company.

Furthermore, keep your audience in mind. While you may be most motivated by receiving a regular paycheck, that answer is not very inspiring from an interviewer’s perspective.

What Not to Say

Don’t make it about you. When you respond, it’s best to focus on work-related motivators. Rather than saying that you like to get a paycheck every week, for example, discuss responsibilities at work that keep you interested and ready for a challenge.

Don’t ramble. Have a clear and focused response to the question. Know what motivates you, and keep your response on target so that you don’t confuse the interviewer by sharing too much information.

Keep it positive. Focus on the positive when you respond. For example, you don’t want to say that you’re motivated because you don’t want to get fired for subpar performance.

Possible Follow-Up Questions

Key Takeaways

Practice a Response: If you write out some ideas of what motivates you, it will make it easier to answer the question during the interview.

Focus on Your Achievements: Focus your response on the motivators that are the closest match to the employer’s job requirements.

Show How You’re Qualified: The interview is an opportunity to sell your qualifications to the hiring manager.

How to Best Answer «What Motivates You?» Interview Question

The recruiter asks, “What motivates you?” Hmm… Well, um, money, I guess. And fame. Oh, and that generous sick pay you offer.

Yeah, that’s not going to work! It sounds simple enough, but it’s way more of a trick interview question than you might have thought. But don’t worry. We’ll cover how to best answer the delicate what motivates you interview question, what not to say (ever), plus offer some advice on more specific situations.

This interview motivation question guide will show you:

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Why They Ask “What Motivates You?”

It’s a broad question, and there is no one right answer. However, there is a way to answer it correctly.

When an interviewer asks what keeps you motivated?, they are really asking: What drives you to succeed? What makes you tick? What energizes you? What inspires you?

This question is deeper than how it appears at face value, and your response answers more than just the base question.

Your reply to the motivation question tells them how you would fit in with the company culture.

On top of that, the interviewer gains insight into how you would be as an employee, which is crucial. After all, these interviews are designed to find the company the best possible candidate.

Pro Tip: All candidates being equal, answering this question correctly will put you on the top of the call-back list. Make sure you’ve got a great answer planned out!

This is an important question, for sure, but there are many others you need to get right, as well. Check out this article to get familiar with them: Common Job Interview Questions and Best Answers

How to Answer the “What Motivates You?” Interview Question

First, it is important to understand that when an interviewer asks what motivates you?, they are asking in the broadest, most general sense possible. Don’t assume it means what motivates you at work?, or anything more specific like that.

Think about your strengths, as these are a good place to start. What are you great at? What do you have to offer the team? Also, decide on what your interests and passions are. Do any of these overlap with your strengths? If so, this could make for a perfect answer!

Get your hands on the company values. Use them as a guide for answering the question correctly. Does this organization take pride in its staff’s problem-solving abilities and teamwork? If so, and if that matches you, then that would make for an excellent response to the what motivates you? question.

Most importantly, it is important that you be honest. You can’t make it far if you tell them you enjoy working on a team when a previous work reference would say that you shy away from teamwork.

So, without further ado, let’s check the best answers to this tricky interview question:

Good Answers to the Tricky Interview Question «What Motivates You?»

Scroll down the article to see sample answers for different positions.

Pro Tip: Almost as important as being honest in answering this question is to prepare. This is a tough interview question, and it is not one you’ll do well with if you try to respond on the spot!

As we discussed, a great place to start off with figuring out your perfect answer to the question what is your motivation? is to understand how you’d speak about your strengths. Read this article to get that right: How to Answer the «What Are Your Strengths?” Interview Question

How Not to Answer “What’s Your Motivation?”

Though we mentioned that honesty is key, there are some times when you should just keep your honest answer to yourself. Don’t be dishonest—but keep away from the answers below (even if you’d be joking):

Money. This is the load-bearing pillar unfortunately placed in the center of a dance floor that you and your interviewer must shimmy and shake around. We all know that, in the end, your paycheck is the primary motivating factor. And that’s fine—we all need to survive, after all. But dance around it.

Friends. Telling the HR director or recruiter that you have some pals there could definitely be a motivating factor for you, but it is also one they will most likely decline you for. Employers want to know that you care about the company and the projects you’ll take on. You’ll make some friends if you are hired, teamwork is crucial, but companies don’t want work to be seen as some type of social club. Leave your friends out of it.

Perks. Similar to money, don’t give the interviewer a reason to believe that you are only interested in the company because of the perks and benefits they have to offer.

The simplest way to stay on target is to think of this question like you would when introducing yourself to a date or love interest for the first time. Sure, some of these items might be icing on the cake, but you wouldn’t want to appear shallow, would you?

Pro Tip: Fortunately, there are a lot more possible answers than ones to avoid. However, there could be others to avoid that aren’t listed above. Do your due diligence and answer as honestly as you can, and you should be just fine.

We’ve got tips and advice for all other things an interviewer might throw at you: 50+ Successful Interview Tips, Advice & Guidelines

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Sample Answers to “What Motivates You?”

You know where to look for a perfect answer, and you know some of the worst replies to avoid. Let’s look at some great answer examples to help you form your own.

What motivates you to succeed?

On an interview for a teaching position:

Well, my own baby sister inspired me to want to teach. You see, my sister has a severe learning disability, and it was, and continues to be, a struggle to help her develop educationally. However, she finally got the personal attention she needed, and I couldn’t be happier with her progress. I want to help children in the same way that my sister received help, so this is what motivates me the most to become a special education instructor.

What motivates you as an employee?

On an interview at a large company:

I absolutely love working as a part of a team. I enjoy discussing ways to move forward with teammates, and I love to respectfully debate others to ensure we are moving in the right direction. On top of that, I take pride in the work that I do, and it is humbling whenever I see a product or service being used in the real world that I was a part of.

So, what’s your motivation?

On an interview at a small library:

Literature is both a strength and a passion of mine. As a bookworm ever since I can remember, that love of reading stayed with me through university, where I ended up majoring in western literature. My passion for literature continues to this day and has no sign of letting up, so it continues to be the biggest motivating factor in my life.

What motivates you to put forth your greatest effort?

On an interview at a creative ad agency:

I really enjoy flexing my imagination and creative muscles. Art and modern design was my first true love, and my appreciation and devotion to superior artistic direction continues just as strongly now. My adoration for creativity dictates every other aspect of my life, and I’d love for it to be put to use in my career, too.

Pro Tip: Make sure you convey your enthusiasm when you talk about things that motivate you. You’d not be believed if you lack the sense of conviction during your interview!

Opposite your strengths, you may find it much more difficult to discuss your weaknesses with potential employers. But, you’ve still got to answer! Check out this post: «What Is Your Greatest Weakness?» Best Answers (6 Proven Examples)

Getting More Specific: “What Motivates You _______?”

Often, when an interviewer asks what motivates you?, they mean broadly, in general, as we mentioned in the first chapter.

However, they may get more specific, asking what motivates you to do a good job? or what motivates you in life?

Don’t get caught unawares. Here are the some perfect ways to ace these narrower queries:

What motivates you to do a good job? What motivates you to work hard?

These (and their variations) are the most common specific versions of the general one. Great answers include some formulation of a) that you love and believe in what you do, and b) that you enjoy helping people (the customers).

Also, as we mentioned earlier, remember not to say that compensation is your motivation for working hard!

What is your motivation to apply for this position?

Your body language here is just as important as the words that come out of your mouth. Be sure to show how eager and excited you are to be considered for the company as you answer. Include in your response how perfectly the job description matches your interests.

What motivates you to come to work everyday?

The interviewer here is looking for answers that show that you’ll be eager and willing to arrive at the office each day and start knocking out tasks. Make sure that your reply here includes your love of always remaining busy and productive, or perhaps your passion to perform a specific job function for the customers, for example.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

This variation is similar to the last one, but a bit broader, as the employer wants to know in general. As such, it would include what gets you energized in the morning even on days when you aren’t working.

If you like to be productive at all times, this is an easy win and a great answer to give. However, if on your off days you prefer to be lazy, frame it in a way that makes you look responsible:

I really love being productive as often as I can, including on my days off. However, I do know that my body and mind require a break every now and again, so I have to force myself to relax sometimes.

What motivates you to learn new things?

The interviewer will watch your answer to this closely, as it directly relates to how ideal you are for the job. State that you enjoy learning and building up your knowledge. If relevant, tell them that learning on the job helps you grow not just professionally, but personally, as well.

What demotivates you?

Though this is the opposite question, it is just as helpful to employers, as it lets them understand if you’ll be a good fit in the company. Answer candidly, but within reason. Common successful answers include negativity, a boss or teammate that’s given up on them, and lack of focus.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here’s what it may look like:

Key Takeaway

Well, that’s it! Hopefully, you will be able to come up with a great answer if and when the interviewer springs this one upon you.

Keep these points in mind when answering the what motivates you? interview question:

Do you have any questions on how to answer what motivates you? Not sure if your interests and passions match the company values? Get at us in the comments below and we will answer your question. Thanks for reading!

How To Answer “What Motivates You?” (Interview Question)

Answering interview questions like, “what motivates you?” or “what motivates you at work?” can be tricky because they are such open-ended questions.

It’s not as difficult as it seems if you have the right method, though.

I’m going to walk you through a proven method you can use to give a great answer to explain what motivates you at work any time an interviewer asks.

Then we’ll look at multiple answer examples for “what motivates you”, so you can make sure you’re ready for your next interview.

Let’s get started…

First, Why Do They Ask This Interview Question?

There are a few reasons…

They want to get a sense of your personality and who you are as a person.

But more importantly, they want to see your resiliency, determination, etc. How you’ll handle challenges and setbacks (a tough project, or being asked to do something that isn’t quite on your job description, or having to work late, fill in for another team member, etc.)

And how you’ll handle it if the job is harder than you expected to learn and get started in. They definitely do not want to hire someone who will quit and waste their time.

So here are some guidelines when answering questions about what motivates you.

How to Answer “What Motivates You?” – Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s:

You need to show them that you’re not just coming to work for the paycheck. Because that’ll put doubt in their mind about how you’ll respond when things get tough.

It doesn’t have to be some heartfelt story about how you grandmother had an illness and you dedicated your life to finding a cure, etc.

You can say you’re motivated by solving complex technical challenges (if you’re a software engineer, etc.)

You can say you love collaborating and accomplishing big things as a part of a team, and that’s what drives you to do your best each day (only say this if the job involves teamwork).

You can say you enjoy meaningful work… creating products that change people’s lives. But only say this if the company you’re interviewing with actually has products that change lives. If they’re selling payroll software, don’t say this.

Everything you say in the interview needs to be tailored to the company. You need to think about the job they’re offering and make sure your answers fit in with that, or they won’t hire you.

You can also talk about personal interests that tie in with the job. Maybe you’re a huge fan of playing guitar but didn’t become a professional. So you’re interviewing for jobs as a music producer. Or as a guitar designer. Or a guitar teacher, etc.

Another example of this: Maybe you were an athlete in high school and college, and this is what you’re passionate about. This is a great explanation for why you’re interviewing at any job related to athletics and what motivates you each day. This could be for a job as a personal trainer, coach, physical therapist, scout, or any other sports-related job.

Don’ts:

Let’s talk about what NOT to do now.

Don’t just talk about money. Everyone comes to work for a paycheck. The interviewer knows. If they’re asking you “what motivates you?” in an interview, they want to hear something besides money.

If you seem too money-focused in your interviews, it’s probably the reason you cant find a job. The only exception is jobs that pay commission, like sales jobs.

If you’re getting a paycheck every 10 working days, there are 9 other days when something else will need to keep you motivated. That’s what they care about.

Also don’t feel like you need to make up some impressive story. Tell the truth. It can be a simple, straight-forward answer.

Being dishonest is not a good idea with this interview question.

Example Answers for “What Motivates You”

Now let’s look at some word-for-word answer examples for “what motivates you?”…

Interviewer: “What motivates you to come to work each day?”

You:

“I like challenging myself and advancing on a personal level. That’s what attracted me to Sales to begin with. It’s personally challenging, it forced me to develop new skills that I never would have attempted on my own – like cold calling somebody or starting a conversation with a complete stranger. It’s changed my confidence level and my entire life, not just my career, and this continues to keep me motivated and get me through tough days, or days where things don’t go my way.”

Remember, never mention money in your answer here! If you don’t know why, go back and re-read the article. It’s one of the most important points mentioned.

And remember one of your big goals is to show them that you’ll work hard and “stick with it”, instead of quitting if things get tough. That’s why “What motivates you?” is such a common interview question.

If you look at the answer example above, you’ll see the end of the answer is focused on showing them that I’ll stick with the work when it gets tough. You should try to do the same.

One more example answer…

Interviewer: “What motivates you?”

You:

“I’ve watched multiple family members suffer through addiction, so after graduating with my degree in Psychology, I knew I wanted to work in addiction research and treatment. The impact this research can have is huge, and that keeps me motivated. Also, the field is always evolving and providing new challenges to keep me growing professionally. I love the work, and it’s what I want to continue doing throughout my career.”

Your Answer Can Get Personal, But Doesn’t Need to…

Those two example answers above got a bit personal. The first one mentions confidence and personal development goals, and the second one talks about addiction and family members.

You don’t need to get personal in your answer, though. It’s perfectly fine to say something like:

“I’ve always liked math and computers. I don’t have a personal reason, it’s just what I’m excited about doing. I can’t imagine doing something else with my career.”

So don’t feel pressure to lie or make up some personal reason when you answer “what motivates you?”

As a recruiter, I’ve spoken with a lot of GREAT job candidates who were simply motivated by one of the following:

Here’s one more sample answer for how to respond to this interview question without using any personal reasons:

“I’ve always found that I do my best work in a creative environment where I’m able to think openly, and I’ve found that working in graphic design allows me to use my creativity, which keeps me motivated and energized. At this point, I can’t imagine working in another field, and I don’t find it very difficult to come to work motivated each day, since this is what I want to be doing.”

Answering “What Motivates You” – Quick Instructions

If you follow the tips above you’ll be able to give a great answer when employers ask questions like, “what motivates you?”, “what motivates you to come to work each day?” etc.

Your answer to this question can be the difference between getting a job offer and getting rejected after the interview… so as a last step, remember to practice and get comfortable with the answer you’re going to give.

Hold Up! Before you go on an interview.

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Job Interview Question: How Have You Motivated Others?

During a job interview, interviewers want to get a better view of your personality, what motivates you, and how you behave in the workplace. The most common way for them to assess this is by asking behavioral job interview questions. An example of a behavioral interview question is ‘How have you motivated others?‘. As you can see, this question requires you to provide the interviewer with a work experience example of how you motivate others in the workplace.

Questions about motivating others are usually asked in management interviews. However, they are also frequently asked for positions in which teamwork is essential. There are several ways interviewers can ask you a similar question, such as:

In this blog, we discuss why the interviewer is asking how you have motivated others. Also, we tell you what you should focus on when answering this question. Furthermore, read more about frequently asked job interview questions here and check our job interview preparation checklist.

Why The Interviewer Is Asking How You Motivate Others?

Everybody encounters situations at work where someone needs to be motivated to do their work, whether this was a colleague or subordinate. In these situations, the interviewer wants to know how you work with different kinds of people with different personalities.

As discussed earlier on in this blog, questions such as ‘How do you motivate others?‘ are behavioral interview questions. Behavioral job interview questions focus on work situations that you experienced in the past and how you responded to them. The way you respond to these questions tells the interviewer more about your work methods and ethics.

The rationale behind behavioral questions is that by analyzing your past behavior is the best indicator to predict your future job performance. For interviewers, it’s the most pragmatic way to uncover past work experiences.

Your answer to this particular interview question should give the interviewer insight into your leadership (potential) and interpersonal style in a professional setting.

If you’re applying to a job in which you need to supervise employees, lead teams, or manage projects, you can definitely expect this interview question, just like other commonly asked interview questions.

However, you don’t have to be a manager or team leader to demonstrate your ability to motivate others. It’s always good to provide the interviewer an example in which you show that you can listen to others and provide them with words of encouragement if needed. Being a positive influence in your team or on the work floor, in general, is a great asset.

Tips For Answering Questions About How You Motivate Others

If you get asked this question you should view this as a great opportunity to convince the interviewer that you are able to motivate others. Furthermore, it’s a great opportunity to sell your skills in the form of a concrete situation that you encountered during your career.

When you’re preparing your answer on motivating others, think of the strategies that you have used in the past to effectively motivate others.

It’s essential that you show the interviewer that you understand the perspectives and needs of others in the workplace through a clear example. In addition, your focus should be on demonstrating that you are able to motivate co-workers while maintaining the skills to communicate visions and goals clearly.

Always try to relate your answer to the job requirements of the job that you’re applying for. This is because the interviewer is most likely looking for specific skills when he or she asks you this question. Examples to include in your answer can be:

Your goal

Employers look for candidates who can solve problems and be articulate enough about a solution that they can influence people to action.

Your goal is to demonstrate the skills that are necessary to succeed in the company’s work environment and being able to successfully motivate the members of your team, whether this is in general or in a management position.

The most effective way to convince the interviewer is by sharing a story where you successfully influenced a coworker on the right decision of a project or task. It’s important that your answer includes positive professional behavior of influence. Furthermore, it should display your critical thinking skills about problems to come to a sound solution.

How to structure your answer

Answering behavioral questions means that you need to provide the interviewer with real-life examples of your past actions in a professional work environment. The interviewer wants to get to know more about your professional behavior and how you react in certain situations. Your answers indicate to them how you are most likely to act in situations if you would face them again.

The STAR interview technique is the most efficient way to provide the interviewer with a logically structured ‘story’ of specific work experiences. STAR is an acronym that stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. Therefore, when you structure your answer on how you motivated others, always use the STAR interview technique.

Below the STAR interview technique is broken down in steps.

Situation

First, you describe the context around the situation or the specific challenge that you faced. Don’t forget to include relevant details so that the interviewer exactly understands the situation and why somebody needed to be motivated.

In the ‘task’ part of the STAR-method, you describe your responsibilities or specific role in the situation that you described earlier.

Action

The action part explains how you handled the particular situation that you’re talking about. If you were working in a team on the project don’t forget to include this.

Furthermore, explain what actions you took to motivate the person described in your situation.

Result

After you walked the interview through the situation, your task, and the actions you took, talk about the result. This means that you should highlight the outcome you reached through your actions. If you can quantify this, this is even better. For example ‘we were able to increase the sales by 20%‘. The more concrete the example in your answer is, the better.

Sample Answers To Questions About How You Motivate Others

Below we discuss a couple of example answers to explain how you motivate others. However, remember that these are just general examples and you should tailor your answers to the position that you’re applying for.

The better your answer connects to the job requirements the higher the chances of making a strong impression on the interviewer.

Sample Answer 1:

‘In my previous job, I was dependent upon the work of a colleague in our team to reach the set project goals. He was fairly new to the team and I saw that he was somewhat struggling in reaching his targets. I had a one-on-one conversation with him and asked him what I could do to help him reach his project goals.

I asked him about what motivated him and if I could help him reach his targets to make sure that we would complete our project successfully. He told me that he wished that he would get a little more recognition for the work that he put in and the input that he had to the project in general.

I explained the importance of the project and that we were working for an important client. After he expressed his thoughts I told him that I would be happy to nominate him for an employee recognition award if we would finish the project within the deadline and if the client would give us positive feedback on it. Together with the team, we finished the project in time and I nominated my colleague for the ‘Rookie of the Year’ company award which he won.’

Sample Answer 2:

‘In my previous job as a project manager, I used a range of approaches to motivate team members. This started as soon as projects were kicked-off. I delegated tasks to the team and put up a reward for important projects. For instance, if we would successfully finish a project I would take the team to the new restaurant in town.

Once the project started I would schedule weekly meetings where we would discuss the planning and progress to make sure that everybody knew the status and that we were working towards our goals. During these meetings, I would let everybody update the team of their specific progress and discuss what they might need from their teammates. This way the team was motivated to work harder in order to not let their coworkers down.

During the project, I would also check up on all team members individually to see if encountered any issues or if they had any questions. Because I’m the manager I’m responsible for the project as a whole and therefore I want to help out where I can and motivate them when needed. If the project was a success I would report the specific team members that went above and beyond for the team to the directors for a potential promotion. Of course, I would keep my promise too, and take the team out for dinner afterward.’

Job Interview Topics – Common Job Interview Questions & Answers

Below you can find a list of common job interview topics. Each link will direct you to an article regarding the specific topics that discuss commonly asked interview questions. Furthermore, each article discusses why the interviewer asks these questions and how you answer them!

What Motivates You In Life? The 6 Common Factors That Drive People

Have you ever posed this question to yourself, “What motivates me in life?”

So what motivates you and what makes you wake up each morning? What drives you and why do you go through life each day?

If you are just like every other ordinary people, you have no idea what motivates you in life: you have no idea why you wake up each morning and you have no clue what you want to do with your life.

Most people wake up each morning because they have to go to work. And the reason they get to work is that they want to get paid. They want to pay their bills and expenses.

In other words, they are working for money. This is why when they are given a choice; they choose to run away from their work. They will choose to sleep longer and sleep later when they do not have to report to the office.

Is this explaining your life? If this is the life you are living right now, you need to do something about it. Here’s a saying from Seth Godin that will awaken you:

“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.”

Most people spend a minimum of 8 hours a day in their work. And if you work because you want to make money to pay your bills, but you are not fulfilling your calling, you will never have the motivation in life.

You will feel motivated when you chase your dreams and are fulfilling your destiny, not when you chase money.

This is why Kevin Kruse once said, “Life is about making an impact, not making an income.”

Money is the means to an end. Most people thought that all they want is money, but money is not the end product that they want.

In fact, what we truly want are feelings.

People want to drive a bigger and more luxurious car because they want to feel good and prestigious. They want to look good, and they want to feel a sense of accomplishment.

So what they want is not the money. They only need the money to buy the car that they desire.

Therefore, if you chase money blindly, you may end up rich, but you may not feel fulfilled deep within.

This is why Stephen Covey said, “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.”

You do not want to end up wasting your life chasing things that you don’t want. What you truly want to pursue in life are the deep meanings that lie within your heart.

Here’s another quote from Stephen Covey:

“Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.”

So motivation should come from within, not from outside. It is not the physical things or money that will motivate you; it is the feeling of ownership, the feeling of proud and the sense of accomplishment that drives you.

The Desire to Avoid Pain and Gain Pleasure

In one of my previous articles, I have mentioned and talked about the desire to avoid pain and to gain pleasure.

Why do you do what you do in life? You do something because you want to gain pleasure or to avoid pain.

Think about it, why do you read this right now? Maybe you want to avoid the pain you feel while working or you feel bored; that’s why you read this.

Or perhaps you feel pleasurable reading this right now. You feel pleasurable and motivated when you read articles like this.

Everything we do, we do because of these two forces, pain, and pleasure.

When you see a beautiful lady, and you would like to friend with her, what would you do? Would you dare to approach her? Or would you just do nothing?

When the pleasure of getting to know her is greater than the pain of getting rejected, you will go ahead and approach the lady.

On the other hand, if the pain of being rejected is greater than the pleasure to know her, you will never approach her.

That means, if you are not working on your dreams or taking action on your goals, it is simply because working on what you want is painful to you.

If it is pleasurable, you would have done it already.

Yes, if you procrastinate on your goals, it is because doing the work/taking action toward your goals makes you feel pain. Perhaps, your goals are not what you truly want. That’s why you feel the pain. Learn how to end procrastination here.

People love to watch movies and surf Facebook; they feel pleasurable doing it, and that’s why they are doing it all the time.

When you are not taking action on your goals or you procrastinate on your dreams, it is either the pain for taking action is greater than the pleasure of achieving them, or the pain of not achieving your goals is just not strong enough.

A lot of people put off working on their goals. They feel pain taking action, and they feel pleasurable doing something else like watching TV.

However, after some time, their pain of not accomplishing their goals will become greater, and that forces them into taking action.

Do you know why some people put things off until the last minute now? Pain VS pleasure.

You are driven by these two twin forces in life. Hence, learn to master these forces and use them to empower your success.

Now that you know pain and pleasure are the two forces that make you do what you do. So, how can you use them to motivate you in life?

“Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.”

6 Common Factors that Motivate People in Life

At this point, we already knew that what we truly want to accomplish in life always have something to do with our inner self.

However, let’s just look at things in the big picture what motivates people in life as of now…

1. Money and Rewards

Do I need to say more? As I have explained above, most people thought that what they want in life are monies and the next shiny objects, but what they never realized is that the physical things that they want are just the means to an end.

What they truly after is the feeling of owning the items.

Thus, if you are chasing for money and the rewards, think twice. What do you truly want? Is it the money? Or is it the feeling?

When you understand what you truly after, you will value the journey more. You will appreciate the progress and process more because those are what truly counts, not the end result.

This is why people said that success is a journey, not a destination.

It is your hard work and the effort that you poured in that make you who you are today. It is the journey that shapes you into the person you want to be, not the physical items.

Money is just the reward you get when you win the game, but what makes you win the game is the progress.

So focus on the progress and not the end result. What you have gone through is more important than what you have achieved in the end.

The key to success is really this: to become the right person worthy of the success you desire.

When you grow into the person with the right mindsets, habits, characters, attitudes, and traits, success will come to you.

2. Desire to be the Best

Some people just cannot accept to be number two in their lives. They fight hard and they work hard because they hate to lose.

People such as Donald Trump and Usain Bolt are good examples. They just hate losing.

Why do you think Muhammad Ali works so hard? This is because he desires to be the champion.

“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’”

And because their desire to be the best is so strong that they are willing to go all out and give all their best to achieve the number one status.

They sacrifice their time and work hard every single day to become the best. Are you willing to do that?

Are you willing to sacrifice your weekend or your nighttime to work on your dreams? Are you willing to wake up at 5am each morning so that you can have a head-start than others?

When your desire to become the best in what you do is strong, you will do most things to become the champion in your field. You don’t even want to accept being #2.

Being #2 will make you feel like losing. Thus, you will motivate yourself to work hard, train, and take massive action to achieve the first position in what you do.

This is the drive that motivates most athletes and champions in the world. Their desire to win is strong and they work hard for it. How about you?

3. Helping the Others

Some people are motivated by helping others. They want to see changes in people’s lives and they want to fight for a better future for the world.

These are philanthropists, and they are willing to give up a huge portion of their wealth to make the world a better place.

In 2010, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett announced the Giving Pledge campaign to recruit and inspire wealthy people of the world to give a majority of their wealth to philanthropy.

These are the people who are motivated and driven to help others and to make the world a better place. They are inspired to change other people’s lives, just like Mother Teresa.

While not everyone is driven to help others, but if you are, it will be good news. Use your drive to help others and making a positive impact in the world to motivate you to achieve greater success in life.

You just need to understand what motivates you in life so that you can channel your energy through the right platform and achieve greater success in life.

4. Power and Fame

There is another group of people who are motivated by power and fame. Politicians are a great example here.

These are the people who inspired to become the leader and they are driven to achieve greater power and fame in life.

They want to lead and bring their company, their organization, their people and their nation to a greater height.

What about you? Do you chase for power and fame? Do you start your business to achieve what you want or because you feel good in leading your team?

You have to know what you truly desire deep within yourself. When you know what motivates you, you can then set yourself up to win in the right platform.

5. Recognition

Recognition is another factor that makes certain people motivated. They want to prove that either they are right or someone is wrong.

They want the recognition from themselves or others. Do you know how Lee Iacocca achieved his recognition through reviving Chrysler in the 80s?

It is said that Ford Motors fired Lee and he felt so angry that he wanted to build a company to rival Ford. As a result, he joined Chrysler, which was in trouble at that time.

Lee then led Chrysler to become a great automobile company again. Although Chrysler went bankrupt in 2009, it has truly shown that Lee Iacocca’s drive for recognition and to prove himself was a strong force to achieving success in life.

There was another similar story from Thomas Watson, who used to work for a company called NCR. Tom Watson was fired there and he wanted to prove his ex-company was wrong.

After that, Tom Watson joined a smaller company called CTR and grew it to become what was known as IBM today. He has led IBM for 40 years and has turned it into one of the leading technology companies in the world.

So are you desire to be recognized? Do you want to prove to yourself that you can do it? Or prove that someone is wrong?

6. The Passion

The final factor that motivates most people in life is passion. Why do you think most successful people are successful? Why do you think they are willing to wake up early and work harder than ordinary people? The answer is that they are passionate about what they do.

Think about it, there are times when you feel so motivated for something that you are willing to sacrifice your leisure time for it.

Maybe it is your favorite sport? Maybe it is when you got the chance to travel somewhere you love?

Whatever the reason, I believe that you understand the power of passion. When you are so passionate about something, you will think about it all the time. You will be willing to wake up early and sacrifice your sleep for it.

This is why passion is important because it can drive you each day to achieve what you want in life.

Sadly, most people never develop their passion for their work. They work like a zombie without feeling any passion. They make sure they are not the first one to reach the office and not the last one to leave.

No wonder most people are just plain ordinary.

If you want to achieve great success in life, you need to stop being ordinary and start thinking about being extraordinary.

How To Channel Your Motivation For Success

So now you understand what motivates people to achieve what they want in life. You know why people do what they do and how you can make use of the power of pain and pleasure to drive yourself.

What you can do right now is to identify what drives you. From the 6 factors above, which one do you think can drive you the most?

Sometimes you may be driven by a few factors together, but there will be a dominant one. So, find out the one that motivates you the most.

And when you know what motivates you in life, all you need to do is to enhance the factor and create an intention for it.

For example, if you are motivated because you want to prove yourself right, write down your reason for it and review it daily.

You want to create a reminder for yourself so that you will be reminded by what motivates you.

Steve Jobs used to have a portrait of Albert Einstein in his house. He wanted to remind himself of his vision and to use technology and design to change the world. Thus, whenever he saw the portrait and recalled his vision, he directs himself to the right path.

You can do the same by creating the intention of what motivates you.

Here’s a guide to help you find out why you have no motivation:

Conclusion

Motivation is important. No matter what kind of success you want to produce in your life, be it in your career, relationship, or finance, you need the motivation to act.

This is why Zig Ziglar said that motivation is like bathing, you have to do it every day. Without motivation, you will never have the drive to take action. And without action, you can never reach your goals and live your dreams.

Hi there, this is Shawn. I inspire people to achieve their goals and dreams and to reach for higher success in life. If you want to learn more about me, kindly go to the About page. By the way, have you downloaded your FREE copy of The 90-90-1 Rule? Don’t forget to do so. Cheers. 🙂