One of my favorite books is entitled, “100 Ways to Motivate Yourself” by Steve Chandler.

People with motivation are driven to achieve.  They are motivated by a deep desire to achieve, simply for the sake of achievement.  They have a passion for the work itself.  They seek creative challenges, like to learn, and take great pride in a job well done.

People with achievement motivation display interest and energy to do things better.  They are rarely satisfied with the status quo.  They ask questions about why things are done the way they are.  They are eager to explore new approaches to their work.  Motivated people like to keep score.  They like to track progress as well as their teams and their organizations.

People with high motivation remain optimistic even when things aren’t going their way.  Self-regulation combines with achievement motivation, to overcome the frustration and depression that come after a setback or failure.

People with high levels of achievement motivation tend to be committed to their organizations.  When people love their jobs for the work itself, they often feel committed to the organizations that make that work possible.  Committed employees are likely to stay with an organization, even when pursued by headhunters or competitors.