Why Your Motivation is Too Important to Leave to Someone Else

Have you ever thought or heard statements like these?

  • “My manager can’t motivate me.”
  • “I don’t feel motivated at work.”
  • “My job is demotivating.”

If these resonate with you, you’re not alone. It’s natural not to feel motivated every single day. However, the key point is this: Your motivation is your responsibility.

While it’s true that your manager can play a significant role in creating a motivating work environment, the core of your motivation comes from within. To take control of your motivation, you need to understand what drives you, how it influences your work, and why it matters.

Understanding What Truly Motivates You

How can you take charge of your motivation if you don’t know what truly drives you? This is where self-awareness becomes essential. To feel motivated, you must understand your own Needs and Talents. These are your key motivational drivers and will help you connect your work to what energizes you.

For example, after completing a Motivation Factor assessment, you might discover that your top need is Respect. But what does “Respect” mean for you personally in the context of your job?

Here are a few reflective questions to help you dig deeper:

  • “What does respect mean to me in my job?”
  • “In what situations at work do I feel respected?”
  • “When do I feel my need for respect is being compromised?”

Similarly, if your top talent is Communication, consider:

  • “When do I feel I’m truly using my communication skills?”
  • “How can I apply my communication talent more in the tasks my team is working on?”

By challenging yourself with these questions, you can actively bring your Needs and Talents into play at work.

Take Ownership of Your Motivation

Motivation isn’t just about feeling good—it’s about ensuring that your Needs are met and your Talents are being utilized. For instance, imagine Caroline, a marketing expert, who feels demotivated because her boss makes decisions in her area of expertise without seeking her input. This situation would violate her need for Respect and diminish her motivation. On top of that, if Caroline’s communication talents aren’t being leveraged in important projects, her sense of contribution would likely suffer.

In this case, Caroline can reflect on her needs and talents, and have a meaningful conversation with her manager about how to better align her role with what drives her.

When you’re motivated—when time flies and you’re immersed in your work—it’s because your needs are being met and you’re using your talents. For Caroline, that might mean being acknowledged as a key contributor and taking the lead in communicating within her team.

What’s Next?

At Motivation Factor, we help you identify and understand your Needs and Talents. Knowing these allows you to take control of your motivation, build awareness of what drives you, and ultimately increase your job satisfaction.

If you find yourself feeling demotivated, it’s often because your needs aren’t being met, or your talents are underutilized. By gaining insight into what motivates you, you can start shaping your work environment and conversations to better meet your personal drivers. And when that happens, you’ll find motivation no longer something that’s dependent on external factors but something you have control over.

So, take that first step. Identify your Needs and Talents, and start owning your motivation today.


Motivation Factor® enables you to identify what to pursue and where to focus your energy so you can boost your motivation.

Imagine if you knew exactly what motivates you and your staff. Motivation Factor helps to verbalize your vision – and provides you with the tools and structure to work professionally with your motivation and/or your employees’ motivation.

Motivation and research

Recent brain research tells us that our motivation is rooted in our individual needs and talents. When it comes to personal change and the development processes, it is essential to focus on what drives you towards the goal, and it is equally important to know what to avoid in order to stay motivated. With this knowledge, you can maintain determination and focus along with motivation and willingness to adapt. Learn more about Motivation Factor tools and programs here.

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