What Motivates Success

I am co-parent to a poodle-bichon cross dog who although very intelligent, has patterns of behavior that boggle the mind. He loves to get under to bed to nap. There is not much room between the bottom of the box spring and the floor, so he really has to struggle to get under. To get out successfully, he must lie on his side and wiggle and push with his hind legs. Nevertheless, he seldom does that. He lies under the bed and whines and barks because he is stuck. There is nothing that will motivate him to get out. Or is there? The prize has to be worthy enough.

The other day I was gone for 2 hours and my ex-mom-in-law said he started whining and barking the minute the door closed behind me and he carried on the entire time I was away. He would not  come out until the magic happened.

For him the magic is being allowed into the front yard, which he absolutely adores.   Asking him if he wanted to go outside wasn’t enough, but the sound of the kitchen door lock being undone and the door opening, had him in the front yard in a flash, without any barking or crying.  That opportunity fueled his successful departure from under the bed.

So I had to consider what motivates us as individuals? Is the motivation success alone? I think we believe that is what is motivating us and yet there are many other factors we sometimes fail to consider. They are perhaps not as exciting to think about as landing the big account, getting a promotion, having a successful business year or even developing a new idea or gadget for the business you work for.

At the best of times, these ideas carry us to push ahead, and we don’t always remember to reward our efforts. It could be something as simple as a dinner out with your partner at that fancy restaurant you have been wanting to go to. Perhaps it is building a special holiday fund for a tropical holiday next winter.

Do you take the time to reward your successes with something other than work? If not, why not?