What REALLY Motivates You in Your Life and Profession?

Plant for Profits Column, Leslie F. Halleck

Success and Mindset: What Does Your Brain Really Want?

Last week I wrote about the pressing question so many of you ask yourself and me: “Where do I start?” and discussed setting and reverse engineering goals. But what if you haven't decided what those goals should be yet? Figuring out exactly what motivates you might be the best place you can start.

Success in your horticulture business or career often comes down to you simply knowing your own mind and what does, or doesn’t authentically motivate you. Unfortunately, figuring this out is something that can take most of us a lifetime. If you’re dreaming of starting a botanical business, are already running one but the vibe or ROI is off - or you’re trying to transition your career into horticulture - I’d advise you to take a step back from all the logistical planning for a minute and have a real conversation with your mind.

Without getting too deep into the psychology of motivation or goals, we can acknowledge there are both extrinsic (external) and intrinsic (internal) sources, to put it simply. American culture, particularly, puts a big emphasis on extrinsic goals - landing that promotion or pay raise, getting the next degree, winning that trophy, losing the 10 lbs, etc. It’s reward-focused. But just like that fifth bite of cake never being as good as the first bite, rewards often offer diminishing returns, especially when they become an expectation of the effort instead of the effort being the reward itself.

I had to learn over many years that it really wasn’t the “reward” for the effort my brain was actually interested in or motivated by. Even if it appears that way to others. I’ve always been goal oriented and highly productive. That said, I like to change things up and once I’ve figured out a job or task, I’m ready to move on to something new (this is what makes me a good business flipper!) I’m always asked “how do you do so many things?” - I never really had a great answer to that question other than I just do the things I like to do. It took me reaching mid-life before I realized how my brain works and what it’s really chasing. It was really the effort all along, not the reward. I'd been tricked, and thus tricked myself, into thinking the reward was the goal. Not so.

I’m ADHD and HSP, two personality profiles that can be particularly challenging to navigate within society. What I realized, through some study into these personality types, is that all my motivation is intrinsically tied to interest. If I’m interested in something my brain latches on to it and I will hyperfocus and quickly maximize output. Sure, this has resulted in my getting “rewards” for said focus and productivity. Ultimately though, my brain likes to learn new things - it needs to learn new things. So, I’m a jump into the deep end of the pool & path of greatest resistance kind of gal because that’s what motivates and satisfies my brain. Realizing that “interest” was my primary motivator, versus reward, has been a total game changer for me and has allowed me to enjoy so much more of what I do guilt free. It's also helped me to slow down and enjoy the process, rather than trying to rush to the goal line.

If you too fall into the camp of “I’ve started a million hobbies (or businesses, or jobs) but I always abandon them and move on to something new" then I suspect your brain works similarly. Instead of beating yourself up for abandoning things once you’ve figured them out, acknowledge that it’s the learning of new things you’re interested in that may actually be your hobby, and a big motivator for your mind. This being the case, your real hobby or motivation is personal development. And how awesome is that? As far as I'm concerned, personal development is sort of the point of life.

Word of caution: Interest-based motivation can also be the reason we get so distracted by "shiny objects" and end up quickly task-switching. It's good to be mindful of a mind motivated by interest, as you may need to exert some force to keep yourself on track!

So, what’s my solution for motivating myself to do the things I’m not interested in? Well, there is NO motivating me to do anything I’m not interested in. That’s a reality I’ve had to accept and stop apologizing for, both to myself and everyone else. Instead, I’ve re-framed this reality by realizing that to make myself do things I’m not interested in, I must create structure and routine around that task and turn it into a daily habit through blunt force repetition and a choice of discipine. Otherwise, my brain will block it out and I will completely ignore it (see taxes, dishes, and laundry - ZERO interest!)

Intellectual curiosity is the stuff of life, as far as I’m concerned. It’s a powerful tool for starting or growing your business or career. Yes, setting that tangible measurable and time sensitive goal of hitting $1 Million in revenue for your business within three years is respectable; and something I always advise doing so that you can make targeted choices that align with that goal. And yes, do you get to pat yourself on the back when you hit that goal? Of course! Just remember to ask yourself if the “reward” of hitting $1 Million in sales is what will actually make you happy. Or, is it the experience and effort of getting there that’s really driving you?