Defining your DRIVE
Have you ever wondered what inspires you to work harder on some tasks than others? For years, I struggled to understand why some tasks were painful, while others were delightful. I would leave the painful tasks until last, resulting in no time to do the work properly. The end result would not reflect my true abilities, and rather than pride, I would be fuming with frustration at myself.
Finally, in my 30s, I took the time to get to know myself, to learn what I was passionate about and what drove me. In other words, I discovered what my true calling was, and how to apply this to the work I did every day. Once I knew what my calling was, what my strengths were, I was able to take off. I could see value in every project, and soon the challenge was procrastination, rather than my plate was overflowing with work and projects all connected to my passions and drive.
Discovering your drive
For me, understanding what my drive is, became akin to understanding what my purpose in this life is. I believe in a greater power who created us, entrusting us with the care of the planet and others. The energy we put out, the deeds we do, positive, and negative, will come back to us. In other words, we will get back what we put out.
I knew I was good at feeding people, caring for others, organization, and getting tasks completed. Without a true understanding of how these elements work, I felt like an overqualified mom. I couldn’t get past myself to see the value of these gifts. Once I let images go, once I stopped caring what I looked like, and embraced who I was, life got easier and my drive increased.
Well into my 40s, I no longer care that my friends always count on me for snacks, drinks, and good meals. I love the fact that I can invest in others through nourishment for bodies, minds, and emotions. Being able to host a party, cook a great meal, and listen to a friend, is the best gift I can give to myself and my friend. People don’t give enough value to the basics, we cannot function without nourishment, and when someone is skilled in offering nourishment that is a gift.
This discovery allowed me to further dive into my gifts and understand my drive. With this knowledge, I have created an incredible life and career. I have even bestowed the gift of nourishment to my child who has become known as the nurturer in her group.
Questions to Ask Yourself
On the search to discover your drive, ask yourself the following questions:
- What would others say my superpower is?
- What would I say my superpower is?
- In times of need or crisis, what skills are the first to be called upon or I think to use?
- Looking back over my life, what is a common thread throughout tasks that inspired me?
- When do I feel the most inspired? Authentic? Genuine? Safe?
- What work/tasks make me the happiest?
- When others ask for help, what parts of me do I love to give?
The answer to these questions should help you discover what your drive is, or as some call it, what your purpose in life is.
Applying your drive
Knowing what your driving force is, your purpose, will not make every task enjoyable, but it will help you see meaning in every task. For example, I don’t know a single person who enjoys doing laundry. It is tedious and never done. For me, doing my family’s laundry means I provide clean clothes for them which will allow them to conquer the day. Meeting the basic needs of my family, investing in something as small as clean laundry, means something to me, and gives this horrid task meaning.
Once you know your driving force, reframe how you see your tasks. Look for the connection, the meaning in each chore. When we look, with clear eyes, and apply our driving force to every task, the connections begin to appear, and joy can be found. Please don’t think I mean that you will become so joyous scrubbing toilets that you burst into song. The task will still be gross, but you will see the overarching larger meaning in the chore.
Using your drive to fuel your passion
Once we know what our drive is, we can apply it to our passion, and use the passion to fuel the momentum to keep us moving forward to achieve our dreams. More simply, our drive gives us purpose, our passion inspires us, our momentum allows us to see ways around challenges and obstacles, while we pursue our dreams. Each piece is integral to the other, each is dependent on the other, and achieving our dreams will not happen if one of the pieces is missing.
No matter where you are in life, stop and assess your drive. If you feel lackluster, or less than inspired, you may need to redefine your drive. Your drive won’t change so much over time, as to how you apply it will. As lessons and life happen, our understanding of ourselves and our drive will become more clear. Clarity means we can better define our drives, becoming more focused on our drive, and creating more meaning in all we do.
Sincerely,
Sara O
