Sunday, February 20, 2011

What Motivates You? - Discover Your GRIT

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? : Discover your GRIT

from the article: How to Tap into What Really Motivates You
By Daniel H. Pink
O, The Oprah Magazine | From the January 2010 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

The most effective incentive on the planet? It's not a pile of cash, praise or gold stars. There's a far more powerful motivation, says Daniel H. Pink, the guy who turned Oprah on to the power of right-brain thinking, and he's not talking about denial or punishment, either. Scientists are discovering a far more powerful third drive. To tap into it, you need to develop three things: a sense of mastery, autonomy and purpose. Here's how...


Discover Your Reservoir of Grit

The thirst for mastery is akin to the thirst for water. It keeps the soul alive. So what is the best way to cultivate a sense to accomplishment? An interesting answer recently came from a group of researchers studying new cadets at West Point to understand why some students dropped out. All the recruits were talented, but the successful students shared a certain quality: grit. Everyone has a reservoir of grit, though you can't tap it for a random endeavor. (There's a reason Dara Torres didn't become an accountant. As a kid, she was willing to swim 2000 yards at 5 a.m.—not balance her mom's checkbook.) To figure out where your reservoir of grit is, ask yourself: "What would I do for free?" Or: "What I'd really like to be doing now is ________." The answers point you toward areas where you'll naturally persevere—and improve.

This story is part of O's Live Your Best Year Toolkit

MY THOUGHTS

without looking at the dictionary, i've always associated 'grit' with sand and stones. actually it also means being tough, having courage that is difficult to subdue. in other words, if we want to put a finger to what motivates us, we will have to find out those things were we seem to be unstoppable. something useful that you love doing without being told to do so? and when you do it, you don't feel tired and time seems to just speed by?

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