Did you stay or did you go?

What motivates you to make a change in your life?  Things like changing jobs or house or car (or even, dare I say it, partner!).  There is likely to be some driving force at play, but then what happens? 

Let’s say you’re not enjoying your job any more and you’re becoming increasingly grumpy.  Perhaps you and your boss don’t really see eye to eye any more or there’s no opportunity for you to do more. Whatever it is, you decide you don’t want to stay.  But where do you go?  Well that’s perhaps harder to consider.  Because, in a way, the world is your oyster.  You could go anywhere.  And now, potentially, because you can’t see where you could go, you don’t go anywhere.  You stay put.  Increasingly disliking your job more and more and more. 

What about this situation then.  Here you are, knowing that you have talents and abilities that you’re not using.  You have itchy feet because you want a job that stretches and challenges you.  So you sign up with some employment agencies and internet searches and lo and behold within a few days you have your first interview with a potential new employer and within a few weeks you are signing in at your new job, excited and thirsty for new challenges.

What’s happening here?  Well in the first instance it is that you are motivated to leave your old job.  To leave what you don’t want behind.  A ‘push’ motivation if you will.

In the second you are motivated to go to your new job.  To bring into your life what you do want.  A ‘pull’ motivation.

For us to get things done and achieve our goals it can be helpful to identify both the push and the pull forces in our situation.  Because in case you hadn’t guessed it, both of our examples can be you.  You can want to leave and be motivated to LEAVE your grumpy job AND become motivated to GO TO your exciting job.

Steve Maraboli says Every step towards your dream today is a step away from your regret tomorrow.

So today’s let’s all take a step towards our dreams.