Why You Do What you Do – Keith Ferrazzi

“Remember Why You Do What You Do

I once had an interesting conversation with a woman on a flight to Minneapolis. We were both flying for business reasons, so we talked shop at first. Then the conversation took a more philosophical turn. We were talking about what motivated people to go into work every day, whatever it is they do. I asked her what motivated her personally.

‘It’s just what you have to do,’ was her first, resigned answer. It clearly came from the part of her that was tired from a hectic day on the road.

Then she went to ‘the pay is good,’ ‘I enjoy the work’…. Fill in ten more blanks. Finally, she dug deeper, to the root of what got her up and out the door every morning: Her children.

It was a poignant moment as the woman, in the midst of all the chaos of her busy executive lifestyle, suddenly remembered the real reason she endured the long days, the business trips, and the pains of work: her two daughters. Having realized that, she left the flight in a much better mood than she boarded it.

Point is, when your motivation flags, re-engaging with the root of what drives you is a great way to give yourself new energy. So ask yourself, why do you do what you do? .

A second tip: Use that energy not just to get through the day, but to find a way to do it all better.”

Source = Keith Ferrazzi – Newsletter – http://www.ferrazzigreenlight.com

Ferrazzi on Facebook

This recent email note sent out by Keith Ferrazzi, author the book Never Eat Alone, speaks to social networking and doing a bit of homework before you meet with new people:

“While there’s no substitute for a warm smile, firm handshake and face-to-face conversation, social networking sites such as Facebook can be useful tools for building relationships. They are great for finding and reconnecting with friends – and they give you easy access to all their friends. The sites can also be direct leads for business deals and new hires. An old friend recently e-mailed me on Facebook just when I needed help and now we are working on an exciting small project together. Social networking sites can also serve as valuable research tools. Profiles have photos and list job history, activities, favorite things, etc. I always advocate doing your homework before meeting new people, and what a great way to figure out personal holiday presents for clients and co-workers. If you want to know what music I’m listening to, find out what workout places I recommend and see some recent photos of me with a certain presidential candidate, please check out my profile on Facebook. Once you have a profile, type my name into the search box and then add me as your friend. Let’s connect!” *To join Keith’s blog conversation around this tip, click here.

Keith makes a good point. Use the technology in a manner that makes the face-to-face interactions easier. Makes me think back to this post…