Summary
Everyone is motivated to do something. The alarm waking you up in the morning isn’t blaring at the bedside for your amusement. You’ve got to get up, catch your ride to work, need to exercise, and have to get going. There is a certain amount of desire for subsistence that provides a moderate level of motivation in most people to get the basics done: Go to work, call your mom on Mother’s Day, and shower. But that’s not the level of motivation we’re seeking. We want that extra oomph of motivation that makes you care. The kind of motivation that results in an investment in your project, your coworkers, your enterprise, and your goals. The sort that results in choosing not to check your Facebook account 17 times at work. That motivation pushes you to not only want to do a good job on your presentation to impress your boss, but instead makes you feel invested in what you are doing and that it’s for a worthy purpose. This internal, or intrinsic motivation is what drives many to achieve. It is important to note, however, that in addition to intrinsic motivation, the extrinsic motivation that arises from a paycheck, benefits, etc. is also a crucial piece of the puzzle, and the intrinsic without the extrinsic is not fulfilling enough for everyone.
In order to better understand what inspires employees in the workplace, three entrepreneurs share what motivates them to get in the office everyday and put in those long hours to turn their dreams into reality.