Motivation

We are most motivated to do what we love to do. That’s why it’s important to find out what you love to do and figure out how you can turn it into a career. The most successful people agree that they “love” their jobs. What we find when we look at these individuals is that they love their jobs, because they have honed their skills and these are the skills required to succeed in their careers. Trump’s success as a developer required him to do all the things CEOs do, but his industry had a place for the theatrical. His sales skills and judgement are good and he is authentic.  Trump has successfully transitioned to becoming President of the US, because all of the skills he developed and likes to do by building his own companies are also needed in the President’s job.

 

I started a Rock Band in 1957 and played guitar and sang 3 nights a week through my high school years and joined a Blues Band in 1961 and played bass guitar and sang 6 nights a week through my college years. After I graduated in 1965 and started my career, I worked weekends in Jazz Trios until 1975 as a bass player and singer. In my 17 year music career I was able to play bass with Chuck Berry and met lots of good singers and musicians.

 

The question about motivation is best illustrated by Bonnie Bramlett.  I worked with Bonnie Bramlett in the Blues Band from 1962 to 1965 at the “Livingroom” a popular nightclub on Gaslight Square in St. Louis. Bonnie had a Tina Turner style and was a natural entertainer. She told me that all she ever wanted to do was to be a singer and keep doing what she was doing.  She couldn’t imagine doing anything else.  She loved it and wanted to make her career as a singer. She did just that. She is a great entertainer and is a big success. You can google Bonnie Bramlett on the internet. Bonnie scored in the “love it” and “good at it” box on the 9 box grid.

 

I was good enough at it to play with the pros, but could take it or leave it.  I was more interested in business issues and curious to know how businesses worked and motivated to fix what was broken, so I went to college and then went to work on my career. My band jobs did give me an outlet and a break from my career activities and it gave me balance and some recreation and additional income. Playing music was never a job to me, it was too much fun. I had the same attitude with my career, it was also too much fun.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader