2006.05.25
Motivations
What motivates you to work, both realistically and idealistically?
I’ve been asked this question and I’m curious what you have to say on the subject. I’ll post my answers in a bit in the comments after I’ve heard from you!
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2 Responses to “Motivations”
- Uncle Roger says (May 26th, 2006 at 22:17:31 )
First, before I forget, you photograph really well! I really enjoy the different pictures of you.
What motivates me to work? As in my Job? Money. Pay. Kids need clothes and food and swim lessons and summer camp and diapers. Do you KNOW how much diapers cost? If it weren’t for the kids, I’d probably be retired, living in a small house in the Russian River area. Or maybe the Sierras (though it gets cold in the winter.) Or Canada.
What motivates me to work on stuff I work on without getting paid? Puzzles. How do I do X? Once, shortly after that spiffy toolbar OS X has came out, I spent a whole morning swim (a mile, about 40-45 minutes) figuring out an algorithm for doing something like that.
I’m also motivated by a large ROI. That’s why I’m involved with the CSC and on the board of the Young People’s Teen Musical Theatre Company. These are things that have a huge benefit to the community and yet require relatively little effort.
- Jordan says (May 28th, 2006 at 10:24:21 )
For the job I go to everyday, money motivates me. I enjoy my job more than a lot of people, but only for about twenty hours a week. I need to be paid to get in there for the rest of it.
What motivates me for those first twenty hours? I’m good at what I do, and I like that doing my job well makes my colleagues have easier lives. There’s a combine sense of accomplishment that what I produce is useful with the fact that at least other people can work less and have more fun in life if I do it well.
