Slip slidin’ away
Slip slidin’ away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you’re slip slidin’ away
“Slip Slidin’ Away” is a 1977 song written and recorded by Paul Simon that first appeared on his compilation album Greatest Hits, Etc. The song was originally recorded for Simon’s 1975 album Still Crazy After All These Years, but the song did not make it onto the final cut of the album. It released as a single in October 1977 and became a major hit, peaking at No. 5 on the pop charts. While COIVID-19 was not a thing in the late 70’s, I think this song captures how many of us feel these days about the uncertainly of our lives as we continue through this pandemic. It’s like our lives are a bit slippery and we are sliding all over the place.
As we all continue to try and find our footing in what seems to be an ever changing “new normal”, many of us may find ourselves struggling with keeping up our motivation level – both professionally and personally. In our prior normal times, many of us used our social interactions at the office and outside the office as the de-facto motor for our actions. We fed off the interpersonal and social cues and gravitated towards actions that resulted in those cues being positive. However, in our current socially distanced and shelter in place environment, those types of cues are less frequent and filtered by distance. If like me, you find yourself stopping to take a deeper dive into ourselves to figure out our true inner drive in an attempt to better understand what makes our internal clock tick.
Years ago, I read a book appropriately enough titled What Makes You Tick: How Successful People Do It and What You Can Learn from Them. Long title, but a fairly easy read.
The book goes through 40+ interviews of successful people across a wide spectrum, pulling out the personality traits that are at the core of their success. The book groups these successful individuals into 4 general types: Natural Born Leaders, Independence Seekers, Visionaries, Do-Gooders. Each of those in a group exhibited certain common traits – including motivational traits. I thought it would be good to highlight a few of those motivational traits for each group.
The Natural Born Leader – these are the people that expect to succeed and know they will. They thrive on taking on the big challenges and moving up the proverbial ladder faster than anyone else. The common motivational traits seen most often in Natural Born Leaders are:
- Strive to be the absolute best in anything they do (if you ain’t first, you’re last)
- Strive for original achievement (being the first to do something)
- Enjoyment of working in large complex organizations where there are multiple opportunities to succeed.
The Independence Seeker – these are the people that live life on their own terms. They are inspired and challenged by specific projects rather than obtaining a higher position. They set challenging goals, but change them frequently. The common motivational traits seen most often in Independence Seekers are:
- Preference for reaching goals over achieving perfection.
- A desire for recognition that they made things happen
The Visionary – these are the people that see things others do not. They are typically singularly focused, relentless and innovative. They look not at what we are doing, but what we could be doing. They believe in the art of the possible. The common motivational traits seen most often in Visionaries are:
- Relentless drive towards pursuit of their vision, even when presented with setbacks
- Inner satisfaction achieved from personal fulfillment, not public recognition.
The Do-Gooders – these are people focused on working towards the greater good and helping other people. Their management style is built on personal contact and connections. Their personal goals are often intertwined with the goals of their organization. The common motivational traits seen most often in Do-Gooders are:
- Willingness to sacrifice self-interest for the greater good and social change
- A drive to be the best, never compromising on quality or effort.
While I am not suggesting that any of us will fit neatly into any one of these groups – we are after all unique complex beings – I do think each of us probably gravitate to one or more of the motivational traits. As turbulent as these times are, this a good time to reflect on what motivates you; create your own personal definitions of success anchored in those motivations; look for situations to leverage your definitions of success; and continuously reflect on your success and alter those definitions over time.
Listen to your internal clock – it is the one motivational beacon we always have with us. It will lead us to our destination – both professionally and personally.
Robert Not Bob 