Back when I did a lot of theatre, I studied The Method. So did a lot of actressy and actory types, which led to amusement when everyone was walking around asking, “What’s my motivation?” Answer: You don’t want to be fired, you pretentious little weasel. That’s your motivation.
Yeah, it sounds (and sometimes is) pretentious, but “What’s my motivation?” is a really powerful question. In acting, in business, and in life.
What are you trying to do?
I don’t necessarily mean what are you trying to do in your business?, or what are you trying to do to make more profit? I mean: why did you start your business? What do you want to achieve that your business gets you closer to?
Hint: it isn’t money
Well, I hope it isn’t just money. Because if your biggest reason for starting a business is to get filthy, stinking rich? You’ll never be satisfied. Because there’ll never be enough. And if your biggest reason for starting a business is to get filthy, stinking rich, I’m not sure that’s a powerful enough motivator to keep you going when the going gets tough.
Go backstage
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You want more freedom, more time, and more money. But why? Those aren’t the real things you want, are they? What you really want are what more freedom, more time, and more money will let you do, that you couldn’t do before.
What I really want is to direct
Why are you really doing this? What’s the thing that keeps you going, even when it seems impossible? When you have a goal that’s bigger than you, and bigger than your business, that can help sustain you when the forces of evil (or, um, the bad economy) get you down. For me, it’s about finding the time and freedom to change the world in ways that really excite me:
- Job skills training for people who need it, which leads to…
- Helping people find meaningful work that will sustain them.
- Finding ways to make real education more available to children (instead of the “memorize, then regurgitate factoids and be good little sheeple” that passes for education nowadays).
- Most important: showing my son (instead of telling him) that life can be lived on his own terms, instead of by following the standard party line to “success.”
That’s why I started Biznicillin. That’s why I work my ass off to make a profit. That’s why I’m here.
What about you?
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