Confucius once said, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."
In his widely popular TED talk, behavioral economist Dan Ariely poses the question of what motivates us to work. It's a question almost as proverbial as what it means to be happy.
The inquiry of what motivates those of us in the workforce is a question that has recently been in my thoughts. As a matter of fact, I am sure that it is on the mind of many young professionals early in their career. This question directly correlates back to Covey's habit of being proactive. By taking initiative in life and realizing that one's decisions are primarily the determining factor for effectiveness in one's life is at the core of this principle. Taking initiative gives one a sense of purpose, which Ariely concludes is what motivates us to work. For many, it's not money or joy alone that get us out of bed in the morning and into our desk chairs.
Recently, I met a prospective donor who informed me that a son of a friend of hers is considering attending the university that I work for. I was informed that the mother of the son would contact me in a few days to request a tour of the campus. However, instead of waiting for a call that may never have come, I was proactive in calling them. This assured that the relationship building would begin. By being proactive and calling the mother, I made the prospective student and his mother feel special. People really do like to feel special.
Being proactive made me feel that I was doing my job well, and that feeling has encouraged me to get ahead of the curve yet again. I will proactively follow up with the mother and son to see if there is anything further that I could assist them with. In turn, this shows the prospective donor that the university is proactive and takes care of their students.
In his widely popular TED talk, behavioral economist Dan Ariely poses the question of what motivates us to work. It's a question almost as proverbial as what it means to be happy.
The inquiry of what motivates those of us in the workforce is a question that has recently been in my thoughts. As a matter of fact, I am sure that it is on the mind of many young professionals early in their career. This question directly correlates back to Covey's habit of being proactive. By taking initiative in life and realizing that one's decisions are primarily the determining factor for effectiveness in one's life is at the core of this principle. Taking initiative gives one a sense of purpose, which Ariely concludes is what motivates us to work. For many, it's not money or joy alone that get us out of bed in the morning and into our desk chairs.
Recently, I met a prospective donor who informed me that a son of a friend of hers is considering attending the university that I work for. I was informed that the mother of the son would contact me in a few days to request a tour of the campus. However, instead of waiting for a call that may never have come, I was proactive in calling them. This assured that the relationship building would begin. By being proactive and calling the mother, I made the prospective student and his mother feel special. People really do like to feel special.
Being proactive made me feel that I was doing my job well, and that feeling has encouraged me to get ahead of the curve yet again. I will proactively follow up with the mother and son to see if there is anything further that I could assist them with. In turn, this shows the prospective donor that the university is proactive and takes care of their students.
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