Do you know why you do what you do? If money is the most important reason you’re doing it, I argue that your achievement of long term success and fulfilment could suffer.

Real Life Historical Evidence Confirms the Importance of Knowing Why You Do What You Do

It does not matter whether you’re in paid employment or run your own business. Being clear about your reason will often be crucial to your ability to achieve sustained long term success in your chosen vocation or profession.

I’ve read very many true stories that attest to the accuracy of the statement I made in the above paragraph. When a person is not clear about his/her reasons for engaging in an activity, any unexpected visitations of adversity can derail his/her progress with permanent effects.

In the same vein, having the wrong motives for doing what you do can also set you up for failure in the long run. For anyone who wishes to achieve high level success on a consistent basis in his/her chosen area of endeavour, my experiences and studies suggest it pays to NOT make money the major reason.

When It’s Money, Different Amounts Serve as a Threshold for Different People

If a person is competent and determined enough, s/he will eventually achieve any financial goal s/he sets her mind upon.

People like that typically become so wealthy that they get recognised by many others for it. And that sense of accomplishment naturally makes them feel on top of the world.

What happens when a person gets to the top of the world? Well, it’s likely s/he would conclude there’s nothing left to be done.

Without a disciplined mindset, the next step most people take often amounts to pressing a self-destruct button. They develop all sorts of “addictions”. A downward spiral in their fortunes gradually commences as they let sloth and indifference make them stop doing the things that made them successful.

Think about it.

When a person works hard and long for years to get wealth, fame, success, s/he is naturally likely to feel “Yeah, I earned this. Now, let me sit back and enjoy the fruits of my hard work.” If s/he has wisely taken care of generating passive income to never work again, the aspect of money may never be a problem.

When Money’s the Primary Motive, Achieving Financial Independence Can Present a Dilemma About What Else to Do!

I refer here to a person who succeeds in making more money that s/he can ever spend, for instance.

If s/he made money the primary motivation in the first place, s/he may find it hard to think of a productive way to spend his/her time from that point on. That’s why some successful people end up engaging in naughty behaviour that gets them in trouble…sometimes with the law.

The irony is however that many people don’t even get to a point where they’ve made enough money to never have to work again, before they begin to sabotage themselves with bad habits.

Not having other motives, s/he begins to lose focus. They let the euphoria of a little success make them get sloppy at what they do.

Others they relate with notice it gradually. Some may point it out. Most times however, the fact that the person feels “Yeah, now I have money, nothing else matters!” s/he will often fail to effect needed changes until it’s too late.

That’s Why It’s Better to Have Motives Superior to Money Making

If you think deeply enough about it, it’s likely you’ll be able to find a compelling and enduring reason. As far as your life’s ambition goes, it’s crucial that you KNOW why you want to achieve it. Knowing why, as Jim Rohn once said, will make it easy to know why you cannot give it up – ever!

It will also keep you interested in doing it, even after you make more money than you can ever hope to spend in life. This is the key to long term success, fulfilment and even longevity. People who have something to live for rarely see that thing as money. It is often something of much greater significance e.g. the desire to influence useful change in the lives of others.

Final Words

Many great people who amass wealth have superior motives to money making driving them. As a result, even after becoming financially secure, they keep going with the same drive right into their old ages.

I believe that is the best way to make the most of one’s self.

Have a reason for doing what you do, that transcends making money, so that even when you get rich, you’ll still find it worthwhile doing it!

This ensures the world continues to benefit from the value we provide, till we pass on. That was exactly how Nelson Mandela lived his life until his death.

And wow, what a great life he ended up having!