Adrian Gostick - What Motivates Me: Put Your Passions to Work

The Sculptor Who Could See Through Rock

E veryone was a critic in Florence in 1504.

After young Michelangelo unveiled his latest statueof Biblical hero Davidlocal artists complained that there were flaws: the right hand was a touch too big, the neck a little long, the left shin oversized, and something about the left buttock was not quite right.

Piero Soderini, head of the powerful Florentine Republic, informed Michelangelo that Davids nose was too large. The irascible artist nodded and climbed back up his ladder with marble dust hidden in his hand. He then appeared to chisel on the offending proboscis, but in reality was simply letting the dust fall to the ground. Soderini examined the unchanged nose and announced it was much improved and far more life-like.

Despite the objections of the naysayers, twenty-nine-year-old Michelangelo knew he had created a masterpiece. Indeed, five hundred years later the statue remains one of the most recognizable pieces of art in the world. And yet the artist didnt credit his great achievement to his understanding of anatomy, rare for a renaissance artist, or even his skill with a chisel. No, Michelangelo believed his unique genius was in seeing possibility where others only saw a secondhand, mishandled piece of rock.

He said, In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison [it].

There is a lesson in this story for many in the working world. If we want to be happily engaged in our work and performing at our fullest potential, weve got to look inside ourselves, to understand what truly motivates us. We cant rely on what others think we should be doing, or be enslaved by preordained notions of chasing money or prestige or power. All of us host a unique blend of motivators, core drivers that should guide us in sculpting the work life thats right for us.

Far too many people are casting about in confusion for what would make them more successful and happier at work. Far too many able, intelligent people know theyre not as productive or motivated as they could be from day to day, while some are actually demotivatedwith aspects of their work that are in direct opposition to what drives them. Thats not good for individuals, and its certainly not good for their managers or organizations either.

Turn the mirror upon yourself: most days at work, are you doing what truly motivates you? Or back up: Before now, have you taken the time to reflect on what fuels your fire on the job, what matters most to you? What are you doing, exactly, on those days when you are excited and energized in your work, when you have that proverbial skip in your step? Only when we identify those unique drivers can we begin to chip away what constrains us and unleash our full potential, our best ideas, and our productive power. Only then can we silence the critics around us and realize happiness is not about any preconceived notion of what should be meaningful, impressive, or logical to you. Its about aligning the work you do every day with what motivates you.

It would be hard to overstate how important meaningful work is to human beingswork that provides a sense of fulfillment and empowerment. Those who have found deeper meaning in their careers find their days much more energizing and satisfying, and count their employment as one of their greatest sources of joy and pride. Sonya Lyubomirsky, professor of psychology at the University of California, has conducted numerous workplace studies showing that when people are more fulfilled on the job, they not only produce higher quality work and a greater output, but also generally earn higher incomes. Those most satisfied with their work are also much more likely to be happier with their lives overall. For her book