Are You Making The Most Of Your Career? (VIDEO)

A few years ago, I gave seminars on the theme: Better business through personal success. These illustrated enlightened self-interest; how personal, inner motivation serves both business objectives and employee satisfaction. This view was based on my experience conducting Inner Motivation, Personal Success and Career Development training programmes for a number of organizations.

An organization thrives with a clear mission, vision and purpose for its enterprise. As an employee, you can be fulfilling your own objectives within such an organization -- not just financially but also your personal ethos and values -- the natural drive to make the most of your life.

In such an enterprise, you will be fulfilling your personal aspirations for autonomy, mastery and purpose -- the three qualities of intrinsic motivation that Dan Pink discusses in this video. As he argues here, carrot and stick motivation no longer works so well in the 21st century.

He emphasizes that there is presently a mismatch between what science knows and what business does.

Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation

We need to take much greater charge of our careers so that they can evolve to serve ourselves, and others. A truer and better life is at your doorstep. If you have not already passed over that threshold, it is a thrilling time.

Here I expand on the definitions Dan Pink explores for inner motivation, based on my own findings.

1. AUTONOMY - The urge to direct our own lives.

Who are you, deep down? Autonomy is greater engagement with your life and a sense of personal empowerment as you honour what is true for you. Greater engagement leads to greater fulfillment.

With autonomy you stop blaming yourself or others when things go wrong. You learn from mistakes. Emotionally you become more dynamic, energized and free to be fully yourself.

What are you passionate about? What fascinates you? What skills and abilities, when you use them, give you most satisfaction? How could you be more accountable for creating a working life you truly enjoy, giving the best of yourself?

Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.
Rumi

2. MASTERY - The desire to get better and better at something that matters.

If you look at small children, you can notice their curiosity to find out about their world. Lifelong learning is about curiosity and the adventure of discovery. It keeps you young. What area, or areas, would you like to master?

What matters to you? Would you like to learn a language? Develop your computer skills? Improve your ability to communicate and get on better with other people? Be able to maintain a positive focus and attitude in challenging conditions?

Explore this exercise - it only takes a few minutes. I have adapted it from one offered by Steve Little.

What does success mean to me?
I'll know I am successful when....
Success is....

1. Take 3 deep breaths to calm the mind
2. Read one of the above
3. Instantly, respond with the first thought and write it down - no "editing"
4. Repeat 3 to 5 times
5. After the final time, let the information flow spontaneously. Write a narrative about success as you experience it.

3. PURPOSE - The yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves.

Purpose answers for you the question: Why? Purpose gives you a sense of meaning from what you do.

Purpose is more than having something to get up for in the morning. It is about the feeling of excitement or keen anticipation for the day ahead. Knowing your purpose takes you from simply surviving to thriving.

Good luck is another name for tenacity of purpose.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Urge, desire and yearning are all qualities that come from within you; that naturally guide and direct you. You may need to step back from the busy-ness of your life to listen more closely to how you can make the most of your career and life. I do not recommend leaving a job for the sake of it. But give yourself the time and space to consider what you would really like to be doing, if you are not already. Then make a plan to go for it.

Do you already enjoy autonomy, mastery and purpose? Do you have a yearning to do something you have not already done? What small step could you take to bring you closer to the career of your dreams?

Please feel free to leave a comment below, or contact me at [e-mail] I love to hear, and to learn from, the discoveries you are making. Each authentic one of us has so much to give!

For updates on The New Wealth Book, click here: The New Wealth Book blog Latest post: Who You Are Makes A Difference, with an inspiring video.
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Comments

[Dr. Cara Barker - Huffpost Blogger]

Sweet Anne,

Beautiful piece, Anne, with many, many good questions to ponder. And, I just love D. Pink and the video you've given us. What a treat. Like you, Daniel is ahead of the times. Speaking of which, boy oh boy, did you 'call it' on your article re Prez. Obama a few weeks back. I've gotta run and ask myself those questions you posed with some serious/joyful contemplation.

Thanks so much for being you, and writing as you do,
Cara

[blogisti]

I thought I was doing fine until I read about the Wall Street Banksters. Now I feel like a loser. At least I know who got all that money I am missing. I want in on this new Capitalism wherein if I mess up the taxpayer has my back. What a concept!

[Ed and Deb Shapiro - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi gorgeous Anne,

I follow my heart

The heart is the king the mind is the advisers. The mind goes out into the world and explores and comes back to the heart. The heart being king leads the way.

Treasure yourself,

Ed

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Beautiful comment, Ed - thank you for generously sharing your heart and the beauty of your consciousness. I love what you say about the mind going out and the heart leading the way. How wise and comforting.

You grace these pages with your presence!

Love and warm blessings to you,
Anne

[Kari Henley - Huffpost Blogger]

HI Ann!
We are on the same wavelength! I just read Daniel Pink's "A Whole New Mind" and was totally inspired by his tips for helping recognize the importance of the creative right brain in the future of business. He is truly an innovator!
Thanks for breaking this down and digging up the video. These short segments are easy to digest, are easy to implement and feel good at the same time! I get something out of it just from reading it.
For now, we are working on Mastery of enjoying the moment. Enjoying the Autumn colors of peak fall foliage is a treat for the senses!
Take care
Kari

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Kari,

Thank yuou very much for dropping by! We are too on the same wavelength. A Whole New Mind is a super book and was very inspiring for me.

Enjoying the moment - how wonderful and what a special Mastery to claim.

May your week ahead be exquisitely blessed with many rich moments!

With much love to you,
Anne

[balancedsolution]

PROBABLY NOT>

Whatever Career you are in..your superiors want MORE and MORE and MORE from you!

It's never enough.......

How can you feel you are satisified with your career when the pressure cooker is boiling your insides?

Whether you be a teacher, a cop, a salesman, a banker, a business owner, a farmer, a fast food worker....­guaranteed you feel pressure to do more with less.

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

think big, and think (dan) pink: those superiors may not have gotten the message yet.

Why don't you tell them?

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Dear balancedsolution

Thank you very much for your comment. I am sure there are many others who feel just the same as you. So, I understand your point of view.

Many of us have grown up with the belief that to get more, we have to do more. The drive for "more" is very human.

However, I think we might have to decide for ourselves what "more" we really want and make choices accordingly. There are ways of working "smarter" rather than "harder" to achieve some of the mores. Mores might be good time with the family; a less stressful life; fun.

Richard Semler was (maybe still is) a successful business owner in Brazil. ( http://www.co-intelligence.org/S-Semco.html ) He put himself under so much pressure that his doctors gave him only 6 months to live if he kept up the same pressure on himself. He, out of necessity, radically transformed how he ran his company. He got out of the pressure cooker. You could too, if you wished.

There may be times when we really do not feel we have any choices. But the truth is that we do.

I hope that you may find a good way to be satisfied with your career.

With warmest regards,
Anne

[Dr. Judith Rich - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Miss Anne,

I want to acknowledge you not only for this post, which is spot on, as usual, but also for your post of a couple weeks ago on Why Barack Obama has your vote as a spiritual warrior. Followed by the Nobel Peace Prize, I'd say you called it even before the committee had voted. What else is a spiritual warrior but a warrior for peace?

I also love your personal blog. Great job! I didn't know you were working on a book. I hope you'll include your process here on the HuffPo. Thanks for linking to my site too!

Thank you for always being tuned in to the zeitgeist of the time and for consistently bringing forward the awareness that we are infinitely capable of realizing our greatness.

Can't wait to hear more about the book!

Much love to you dear sister,
Judith

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Hello Dearest Judith,

What joy to see you here again! Thank you. I was and am still excited that my Spiritual Warrior has been honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize. To me, he has already earned it. The rest will be icing on the cake and my sense is that he has much more to contribute. We are so fortunate for his presence in our world. One of my Possible Dreams is one day to meet him.

Yes, I am working on a book - it has its own timing - a bit like the articles I write here. They show up when they are ready. I am learning to cooperate with the process. I will certainly update here when I have developments to report. Working title is The New Wealth Book - which also reflects part of my present learning curve.

We are so infinitely capable of realizing our greatness. Each single one of us - no-one is excluded.

Do we not live in the most wonder-full world?

Much love and many blessings to you, dear Sister,
Anne

[Jason Mannino - Huffpost Blogger]

I recently saw this video for the first time and so happy to see it again. Thanks so much for sharing this. I feel strongly (which is why I do what I do) that when people coming into alignment with their purpose, mission etc. significantly serves humanity.

Thanks so much for sharing that insight here.

Take care!
Jason

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Jason,

Thank you very much for dropping by.

Serving humanity - YES! I so agree with you. After all, surely what is what gives our lives greatest satisfaction and meaning.

I love that you are supporting your clients on this track.

With love and blessings to you,
Anne

[DiogenesOfAlaska]

Excellent. I can only agree with Dan Pink: it's a matter of UnLearning an obsolete management ideology.

If you think about it, when was it ever plausible that the interlocking of autonomy, mastery and purpose, which every child knows and values, should suddenly lose its force and cease functioning just because some simplistic management guru has a story about carrots and sticks to tell?

But it's even better than that: we now ARE smarter than we were when we made the experiment of believing that management hype of yesterday. Because now we know that it all depends on the task at hand. So the case is indeed closed.

And yes, of course it also explains the financial crisis: because the simplistic belief in carrots and sticks is what drives decision making in financial institutions down the drain.

If they want to stick to carrots and sticks, they must simplify their business. Because trying to run highly complex business with simplistic incentives is a recipe for disaster. As simple as that.

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

So good to hear from you, DOA, as ever! Fortunately we are an evolving human "race" - although I like to think "community" because we are learning to work together and appreciate each other so much more.

I love appreciate because it means to me "add value". That to me is what living is about - adding value, through our experiences and understanding.

And I do appreciate your contribution to the discussion. Carrots and sticks just are not the healthiest option we have available for an enjoyable and productive life.

Thank you for participating - you are always very welcome.

With love and blessings to you,
Anne

[Eli Davidson - Huffpost Blogger]

I love Mr. Pink's work. Thank you for sharing this terrific video.

What a great column! One can't have career success without a level of personal success.
Here is my column.

Give The What They Want: 5 Tips To Avoid Sexual Harassment.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eli-davidson/give-them-what-they-want_b_314766.html

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Eli Davidson,
www.elidavidson.com

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/todd-greene/lettermans-stupid-human-t_b_312838.html

[Anne Naylor - Huffpost Blogger]

Hi Eli,

Thanks so much for commenting. Dan Pink has a new book on the subject coming out in late December this year.

I have just sent my thoughts to your post!

Love and blessings to you,
Anne