Cover Photo by @bartos on https://unsplash.com/photos/v9rZ3Yz6fSg
love;
compassion;
happiness;
justice;
fun; or for
any other reason.
(This story is very much a personal and collective reflection on motivation for doing things. I do not have answers, mostly because there is no one answer on the topic. Happy to hear about what motivates you to do things in the comments!)
On Doing It For The Money
There are those who do it for the money:
The year I turned 26, as the head of my own brokerage firm, I made $49 million, which really pissed me off because it was three shy of a million a week.” — Jordan Belfort
“Let me tell you something. There’s no nobility in poverty. I’ve been a poor man, and I’ve been a rich man. And I choose rich every fucking time. “— Jordan Belfort
“Listen! We’re not just doing this for the money! We’re doing this for a S*** LOAD of money!” — Bill Pullman
On Not Doing It For The Money
“I am not doing it just for the money or for you. I am doing it for me.” — Keith Richards
The real reward for doing your best work is not for the money you make but the leader you become. — Robin Sharma
For some strange reason, money has never been the object of my desires. I personally never do anything for money.
Money comes to me not because I work for it, but because I do things I care about. When I put my heart into something, I obsess over doing it right. About doing it as well as I can possibly do it.
Money, it turns out, is very much a side-effect of “success” in doing what I care about.
And I’m not the only one who thinks that.
A prime example of that is Warren Buffett. He has a 75.6 billion net worth. He’s the second richest man in the world, after Bill Gates. Warren never cared for money. Strange thing to say for the world’s most successful investor of all times and second richest person in the world. He still lives in the same house he bought in 1958 and drives the same car for years.
The world’s richest person, Bill Gates, gives a lot of his fortune to his foundation: The Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation. When he co-founded Microsoft, he didn’t do it for the money. He just believed in democratizing the use of computers for everyone, much like Steve Jobs at Apple.
If the two richest people in the world don’t care for money, why should we?
Look around you. Look at people who have found success in what they do.
Did they do it for the money?
What did they do it for?
On Doing It For Other Reasons
“Love what you do, not the love you get from doing it.” — Tablo
“It is not necessarily a money thing for me. I am passionate about fighting. Fighting is what I love to do. I will continue to do it as long as I am healthy and willing to put in the work that it takes to do.” — Conor McGregor
“I was just doing it for the lulz” — South Park
At the risk of sounding contradictory, I find that there’s no reason that’s better than another.
A lot of the times it’s circumstantial. In some situations, doing for justice or for fun may be the right approach for you. And an approach that is right for you doesn’t mean it’s right for others.
After traveling the world for a year, I came back with a sense of renewed purpose, in many areas of my life.
The overall theme was that I started appreciating doing good in the world. Not just thinking about me, but thinking about people around me, but more specifically for people “in need”.
I do it because I like to do it. I never ask for money. I never ask for anything in return.
When I do something, I consciously or unconsciously think about my motivations to do it.
The general theme for me revolves around compassion.
Conclusion
Everyone has their own personal motivations to do things they do. In business, a lot of people aim for money. Is that right? Is that wrong? It depends on perspective. I personally side with Warren Buffett and Bill Gates on this one.
What about you?
What motivates you to do what you do?
If you’re motivated by money, how is it working out for you?
If you’re not motivated by money, how is it working out for you?
Thanks for reading! :)