In my previous article I explained how, currently, 90% of people are working within a Reward motivation concept. In order to survive and succeed within the fast pace changes we are now facing a Reward motivation alone will no longer be enough. A Change motivation, the ability to be motivated by change itself, will be the one that wins the prize.
So, what’s the trick to moving from just a Reward motivation mind-set to a Change motivation mind-set?
How to move to a change motivation mindset
For me it was brought about by the train crash. I lost everything I had built up in my life up until that point and yet I can say, in many ways, that train crash is the best thing to have happened to me precisely because it made me re-evaluate what my motivation was going to be.
Before the train crash I was considered a successful businesswoman. I had my own company, I was earning what was termed a high net worth income, I went on 5-star holidays, I was able to change my car to the latest model every year, Champagne was my drink of choice. I had my life all planned out. There were new ideas in the pipeline and my motivation, which was to make money, was definitely working back then.
Then, in the blink of an eye in those few minutes, the train crash tore to shreds all the plans I had. I lost my company, I lost my marriage, I lost my health. I ended up in a coma for three weeks and when I awoke I found that my whole life had changed. It would never be the same again.
I realised pretty quickly that I was going to have to adapt and adapt quickly to my altered circumstances. If I wanted to survive and continue into a future I had to alter my reasoning behind my very existence, my motivation.
And that is when my motivation changed. It changed from a money or Reward motivation into a Change motivation.
I wouldn’t want any of you have to go through something as traumatic as a train crash to find this out, so I’ll explain as simply as I can.
Firstly, you have to understand the concept behind why we become motivated and that, at the moment, most adopt the Reward motivation way of working. Once you get that, the second step is acceptance.
Acceptance that change motivation is natural
You need to truly accept, to the very marrow of your being, that change is totally and perfectly normal. Change is our status quo.
Change is one of the few guarantees we can rely on will happen, as has been proven when we look back over our history, and it will always shape our future.
Furthermore, it is going to happen whether we like it or not so the intelligent thing is to accept it.
Once you have really accepted change the next step is to embrace change.
Welcome it. Expect it. Look for it.
Turn your attention to welcoming change when it happens. Go out and look for it. You should begin to encourage it in yourself at home and at work and also encourage it in other people around you.
And when you find that you’ve hit a hiatus? If you get to the stage where you think ‘this is quite smooth sailing’ your Change motivation should push you into deliberately creating change because that’s how you leap forward.
You should even, as I found, look forward to change and you’ll spot and enjoy the new opportunities it will present because the negative aspects (fear, worry, anxiety, stress) diminish to imperceptible levels.
You’ll also find when you’re encouraging this embracing and accepting attitude towards change you’ll adapt quicker and adapting quicker puts you several steps ahead of your competition.
Ever since I’ve adopted this Change motivation my new life, my second chance if you will, has opened up in surprising, unexpected, but ultimately rewarding pathways. The Change motivation mentality has led me back to success again but has also opened up avenues to new opportunities and potential which I have learned to exploit.
You too can steal a march on exploiting change for your own benefit. Embrace the Change motivation.