Impulsive Joy

The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

While many are enjoying a summer season of winding down — you are busy with camps, planning for promotion, fall kick off training, filling “holes” (since all your volunteers are vacationing) and of course…..recruiting, recruiting, recruiting for the Fall.  If you’re lucky, you may even have a book or two on your summer reading list for the 15 minutes before drifting off to sleep.

I speak to many leaders who are reluctant to make the “big ask” for ministry. Positions become a once a month activity that involves little preparation or emotional investment.  The more you remove autonomy, purpose and the pursuit of mastery, the more you will find yourself in an endless cycle of trying to replenish all of the volunteers who decide to leave for another — more meaningful —  role.

Daniel Pink’s “DRIVE” is hopefully in your stack of summer-time, inspiring, thought provoking — want to talk to some one about what I just read — books that sit on your bedside table.  Whether you need personal motivation or want to motivate others, “DRIVE” will challenge you to think differently about what drives people to do great work.

“Effort is one of the things that gives meaning to life.  Effort means that you care about something, that something is important to you and you are willing to work for it.  It would be an impoverished existence if you were not willing to value things and commit yourself to working toward them.” Carol Dweck, Stanford University Psychology Professor

I mean, why do people volunteer to begin with?  Well, we are designed to serve one another….. and we all long to be a part of something with purpose.   It’s how we have been designed.

When you invite people to join you in the mission, what are you communicating?  Are you taking all the effort and purpose out of the position?  Or are you sitting down, face to face, and inviting someone to serve in their passions — for the greater purpose of showing kids and families who Christ is?

If you don’t have time for the book, the video will give you some great thought nuggets to noodle on.

(Please note that I did not receive any compensation for the review of this book.  I tell you about it because I believe it is a valuable addition to your personal library.)