Most of what we know about motivation is wrong. Dan Pink dives into what it is that truly motivates us and how motivation has changed over the years. He states that there are two types of motivation: Intrinsic and Extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is the behavior that drives us internally, such as happiness, personal fulfillment and meaning. Extrinsic motivation is driven by external factors, such as money, recognition, or other materialistic rewards.
Intrinsic Motivation has three parts: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose. Autonomy is control over your life, your work, and how you accomplish different tasks in your life. Mastery is the ever growing pursuit of knowledge in your craft, the challenge set forth by oneself to constantly improve and be the best. Purpose is the desire to do something that actually matters and might leave a positive impact in the world.
Dan then goes on to explain how the newer age motivation what he called Motivation 2.0 is no longer extrinsically driven after a certain point. People are more likely to take lower positions or less income in order to have more control over their life. Have time flexibility to be with family, to be more in control of their work and to work on projects that actually matter to them.
Overall the book was an interesting read into how the new wave of professionals will be motivated in the workforce and how they will put more value on intrinsic aspects of a job than just a high salary. People want to make a difference, they want to feel like what they do matters, and that they themselves matter. It is a good idea to do some introspection. Does your job make you happy, do you feel like you matter, and do you think you are making a positive impact in your workplace or your world.
This was my first book in my 2022 reading list. If you want to see what else is on my list feel free to check out that blog post: https://blog.p3rishable.com/2021/12/27/10-rule-my-reading-list-for-2022/
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