Worth

“If you want to improve your self-worth, stop giving other people the calculator.”
– Tim Fargo

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Small Steps

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Persistence and Goals

Michael...talent and strong determination. (Pic: Sports Illustrated)

February is Black History Month, celebrating the contributions that the African-American community have made to the history and culture of the nation.

My thoughts landed on Michael Jordan, considered one of the best basketball players of all time, and a quote by him that I came across a couple of years ago. I found it insightful and inspiring. It showed that like many high achievers, he did not let bumps and challenges deter him from his goal:

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

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Let your DNA Motivate You

(chemistrypictures.org)

Have a desire to achieve something, but somehow just not motivated to strive for it?

Welcome to the club. At one time or other, we face this situation. There are many self-help books out there that claim to help us find, regenerate or sustain this motivation. In her book Get Motivated!, motivational speaker Tamara Lowe has an interesting theory: everyone has a unique achievement pattern or what she terms as Motivational DNA. Figure out what your Motivational DNA is, and you will know what makes you get up and go after your goals .

Lowe says that her theory is grounded in eight years of research with more than 10,000 people. In the same way that your genetic DNA determines your physical attributes, Motivational DNA is a part of who you are and dictates how you are best motivated. Factors that motivate your partner or your parent may not awaken your passion or your ambition. And she emphasizes that no one motivational type is better than any other.

Lowe points out that all the motivators that she discusses in her theory inspire everyone to one degree or another, but each of us has a definite preference or tendency:

D stands for drives, the internal forces that mobilize a person to act. One can have more of a Production drive or more of a Connection drive. Producers tend to be task-oriented whereas Connectors are people-oriented.

N stands for needs, core requirements that a person must have in order to feel fulfilled. People who prefer consistency and order have a Stability need, and those stimulated by new experiences have a Variety need.

Lowe...what motivates one person may not motivate another.

A stands for awards, the kind of material or psychological currency that people want to be paid for their performance or achievement. Individuals motivated by External awards feel validated by tangible benefits like bonuses and a nice, big office. Those motivated by Internal awards need to feel good about what they are doing, and feel validated by sincere appreciation.

In her book, she has a test that will help you decode your Motivational DNA. The test is also available at her website: www.GetMotivatedBook.com

I did the test and found that among the eight motivational styles, mine is a CSI: Connection-Stability-Internal.

I find this to be quite correct. I like learning about people from all walks of life.  Like most folks, I do like the idea of having lots of money, but I think personal fulfillment and believing in what I do are more important to me. I’m not sure about being the Stability type, though. It would be more accurate to say that, though it may sound paradoxical, I need both structure and new ideas.

The CSI type is motivated by factors such as facts and information, an inspiring work environment and a sense of accomplishment. De-motivators for this type include perceived inequity and hype.

On the whole, I would say that Lowe’s Get Motivated! (published in  2009) is quite a worthwhile read. If you do take her Motivational DNA test, I hope you would share the results and your thoughts about it here.

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