Top 10 Motivators

There are many theories of motivation. It is a huge field, and a huge endeavor to try to boil down the list to only 10, so I have tried to identify the ones that I have observed in those around me and have experienced in my own life.

10. Money. This is a big motivator. People like to have money. Some even work at jobs in order to get money on a regular basis.

9. Altruism. Many people are motivated to help others, their community and even the world. Think of Mother Theresa and Oprah Winfrey. Some people are so altruistic that they ignore their own needs. The psychological term for this is codependent.

8. Excellence. Many people strive for excellence. Those who wish to be excellent speakers, join Toastmasters International. People who are preoccupied with excellence are called perfectionists.

7. Comfort, familiarity, habit. This can be good or bad, for example, brushing your teeth every morning is good, while overindulging in Chips Ahoy every evening is not.

6. Loyalty. This is also called social incentive. People do things for the team or the company, or their friends. It can also be called Peer Pressure or stupidity, like when a friend has a stupid idea and you go along with it.

5. Curiosity. Someone asks a question and you are intrigued, want to find out or figure it out. For example, someone asked me recently, how does Toastmasters International motivate its members? That got me to thinking about it ... and writing (and speaking) about it!

to be continued....