Motivation Articles, Essays, Tips and Advice

You’ve heard the phrase, “Do what you love, the money will follow.” I’m certainly a fan of this premise (also the title of a book by Marsha Sinetar). However, in my very first month of coaching real clients more than 10 years ago, I recall thinking- “Boy, if taken too naively, this could lead to disaster or be cruel. What if you love 17th century poetry?”

I don’t want to be a wet blanket on anyone’s passions, but you might not be able to feed your cats with this. (The relentless optimist in me is screaming, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. He could be a college professor or something!” but you get my point.)

To serve my clients well, I was compelled to develop a grounded, four-point model for fulfillment and true prosperity.

The four basic questions:

1) What do you Love?
2) What are your Gifts?
3) What does the World Need?
4) What are others willing to pay for?

The core question becomes, “How do I create work in today’s market that allows me to tap into my passions and share my gifts in a way that serves a need and generates income?”

In essence, this is about your true work in the world. In some cases your true work (or passionate vocation) may not be the means to paying your mortgage. Your passions and gifts may express as volunteer endeavors or as part of a work-life portfolio.

I have asked people “What would you love to do?” in various ways a gazillion times by now. When listening to their responses it’s important to highlight the distinction between what may entertain and amuse the ego and what would engage and arouse one’s true spirit. As you explore livelihood possibilities, ask yourself what you are sincerely feeding– ego or spirit?

Over the years, this has evolved into “The Passion Matrix, fully loaded” with Values, Purpose, Fulfillment Factors and Environmental Trends in the mix. For this article, let’s stick with the four basic quadrants.

On your own paper (or screen), draw a vertical line and horizontal line to create four quadrants and label them as follows:

1. upper left:
“PASSIONS”
What you love
(And/or what gives you a fire in the belly, authentic interests, etc.)

2. upper right:
“GIFTS”
Your Gifts, Talents, Tools, Resources
(Hard and soft skills, strengths, knowledge, expertise, etc.)

3. lower left:
“WHO & NEEDS”
WHO are you drawn to serve (or have pay you?) What do they need?
(What the market demands…now… in the future? What the customer/team/ community needs…)

4. lower right:
“PROFIT”
What others are willing to pay for

This is not brand new information, right? The magic happens in part because of the order in which you ask and answer these four questions. Cultural norms tempt us to start in the fourth corner- what we’ve always been paid to do, what opportunities exist already and so on.

I’ve seen clients at all levels of management and income still gravitate to that lower right box, including a CEO fundamentally asking, “What company out there needs a new senior executive?” This ingrained pattern is backwards.

You really want to start in the upper left quadrant with “What are my passions?” Playing with this process can open up possibilities you had not considered and give you a launching pad infused with your natural enthusiasm and strengths.

Even if statistics indicate that your passion isn’t popular, when your heart is in something, you are more likely to flourish, including putting in the extra effort to make it pay off financially. I must say that this is more about true prosperity than dollars. At this stage of exploring right livelihood scenarios, don’t let money be the tail that wags the dog.

I am one example of someone who makes less money (than what I’d probably earn if I had stayed in my former work,) yet I am enjoying a much richer life. Of course, you get to choose what matters, what prosperity is for you and how the math works out.

In real life, it’s not easy to answer questions like “What are your passions?” So, cut yourself some slack here. I continue to develop various “back door” questions and games to help clients with this discovery  process and livelihood possibilities.

The four quadrants come in handy for energizing strategic planning for your business or team (e.g. starting with What are we truly passionate about?) getting ready for compelling presentations and so on.

For now I hope this model plants some seeds for you to discover and expand your soul satisfying options for engaging in the world. Yes can pay attention to your callings and pay your bills.
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Named one of 50 top coaches in America, Marian Baker is a master certified coach, author and speaker. Her book, “Wake Up Inspired - Fuel Healthier Success and Love the Life You’re Meant to Lead” has earned 5-star reviews, Book of the Year (ForeWord) and Independent Publisher Awards. She’s coached and led workshops with hundreds of clients from business and personal growth communities since 1996. Marian has been featured on ABC-TV, Ladies Home Journal, Health Magazine and other media. She loves this work and falls asleep grateful in Chicago. For more resources, and discussion about healthy, meaningful success, including a Free Starter Kit: “7 Keys for Healthier Success and Loving Your Life,” visit WakeUpInspired.com

*brought to you by GetMotivation.com

In 1970, Stephen Stills sang a song reminding us that if we can’t be with the one we love, we should love the one we’re with.

It is a timeless message, one that echoes through the literature and songs of virtually every spiritual tradition - from love your enemies to love is all you need. And in these days of division and polarization, it’s a message we need to remember and heed.

There is an analogous message in the world of work. I am a big believer in finding and doing work you love to do. But I’m also realistic enough to know it’s not always possible for people to find, or to create, their “dream jobs.”

And I know from the daily personal experience of managing the Values Coach corporation that even for those of us who are fortunate enough to love our work, there’s still an awful lot of work that must be done which is very difficult to love. But that work must be done in order to earn the right to do the work you do love.

And this is where Stephen Stills’ message applies to us in our everyday work. If you can’t be doing the work you love, then love the work you do. Do it for yourself and your own happiness. Do it so you don’t drag home bitterness and resentment at the end of each day to inflict upon your family. Do it so you don’t infect your coworkers with your negativity. Do it because a country full of disengaged workers will not compete in a global economy against countries where workers are engaged.

The Gallup poll shows that the current percentage employees who are truly engaged with their work is only 29%. According to Gallup, fully 54% of workers are not engaged (i.e. they are just going through the motions, sleepwalking their way through each day), while an appalling 17% of employees are actively disengaged (these are the ones who actively seek to undermine their organizations - and in the process threaten the security of their own jobs and those of coworkers).

I understand the excuses someone might give for not making the effort to put love into their work. Sure, you might think you’re underpaid - love the work anyway. Sure, the CEO might be overpaid - don’t do it for him or her, do it for yourself, for your family and for your coworkers.

Some 2,500 years ago, a very wise man named Ecclesiastes discovered, after a lifetime of searching, that the secret to a fulfilled life is this: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. If you can’t be doing the work you love, love the work that’s been put before your hand to be done.
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Joe Tye is president of Paradox 21 Inc., which provides corporate training and culture change initiatives based on a proprietary curriculum of The Twelve Core Action Values of Personal Leadership Effectiveness. He is also the author of several books and audio programs on personal, career, and business success, and a popular motivational speaker.
Visit www.JoeTye.com

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To-do lists are effective time-management tools – but only if they’re easy to use. Here are 6 strategies for making your to-do lists work hard for you.

1. Keep it simple - Whether you use a computer-based to-do list or a paper tablet, it must be simple. If it’s too complex, you won’t use it … guaranteed. That’s why I keep my to-do lists on paper.

I use a 5″ x 7″ tablet. I list “major” tasks to be accomplished, with big sub-steps underneath each one. For example, “Edit Golden Thread” is a major task. “Main article,” Quick Tip,” and “Introduction” are big sub-steps.

Note: A major task is not necessarily one that takes a long time.

2. Limit yourself - Small paper tablets work well, because there’s a limit to how much you can write on a page. I stick to a maximum of 10 tasks, all of which can be accomplished within a week of when I list them.

3. Set a due date – and stick to it. Due dates help prioritize what you do and when. Do not work on tasks in the order in which you write them down. Jot down the due date beside each one, and do them in the order of their deadlines.

4. Use a dark marker to reinforce your feeling of accomplishment - Cross off sub-steps as you complete them with a regular pen. Use a dark marker to cross off the major tasks. Boy, does it feel good!

5. Redo the list every workday - Do it when you start your day (or the evening before). This gives you a clear idea of what you have to do right now, and what needs to be done before the end of the day.

6. Add “pop-ups” to your list - When something pops up during the day that has to be attended to (such as an important phone call), add it to your to-do list – even if you’ve already done it.

To-do lists not only tell you what you have to do, you can use them to track your productivity and see if you’re using your time well.
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This article appears courtesy of the American Writers & Artists Inc. (AWAI) — the world’s leading publisher of homestudy programs designed to provide members with financial security, independence, and freedom. The company’s flagship, AWAI’s Accelerated Program for Six-Figure Copywriting, teaches people a skill that allows them to leave their current 9-to-5 job, and start living a “retired lifestyle,” working whenever they want, wherever they want, while still making a six-figure income. Learn more about the “Six Figure Copywriting program“.