Is Your Motivation in Life Transactional or Transformational?
We’re all motivated by something.
Three men were laying brick. The first was asked, “what are you doing?” He answered: Laying some brick. The second man was asked: what are you working for? He answered: for five dollars a day. The third man was asked what are you doing? He answered: I am helping to build a great cathedral. Which man are you?
— Charles Schwab
Our motivation behind anything in life is transactional or transformational.
Some of you may have heard this concept regarding different leadership styles, especially if you’ve worked in the corporate world.
There are many facets of our life. For this article, let’s focus on our work.
The reason I’m drawn to focusing on work is because we spend an enormous amount of our lifetimes doing it. We try to get good grades in high school to get into a good college. We hope a degree from a good college will guarantee us a decent job. We do internships for more experience. We network to gain more connections. We are consciously structuring our schedule to help us succeed.
Or if you’re in a creative field and the path I just described doesn’t resonate with you, I’d bet my bottom dollar you’re still working your ass off taking classes to get better at your craft, learning how to market yourself, becoming your own boss, etc;
I’m going to safely assume we all spend a lot of our time working, or thinking about work. We have to perform certain tasks for dollar bills. We have a “job” that we must show up for. This job may be your life’s passion, or maybe it’s totally soul-sucking. Or it falls somewhere in-between.
In the quote above, all three men are showing up for the same job, but they’re showing up with completely different motivations. There’s a very stark difference between who is showing up in a transactional way and who is showing up in a transformational way.
Transactional
If you show up in a transactional way to do your job, you are focused on executing your responsibilities. You do what is required of you. You check the boxes, dot your i’s and cross your t’s. You do your job because you have to. It’s your job. You show up for an external reward. Money, validation, etc; which there’s no problem with. We all like money. We all need money to survive.
Transformational
Showing up in a transformational way means you’re showing up with a deeper meaning behind why you’re here and what you want to achieve. Your goals have passion behind them. You want to have a deeper influence than just showing up to do your job. When you show up in a transformative way, you show up as your full self and you hope the work you’re doing creates positive change around you.
Our Time Here
We all get a finite amount of time here, on this planet. And we all choose to spend a good portion of it working.
The way we’re choosing to spend our days is the way we’re choosing to spend our lives.
At a very transactional level, we all work to support ourselves so we can enjoy our time while we’re not working.
But since we spend a good portion of our valuable, precious time working…. Instead of just showing up in a transactional way, how can you show up in a way that’s transformational? For you. For your own benefit of how you’re spending your time here.
What would showing up in a more transformative way look like for you? How would that feel? How would that affect the way you respond to the tasks you must complete? How would that affect the way you communicate?
We’re already all choosing to show up and work. We’re choosing to spend our cherished time working. Something we’ll never get back. So, instead of just doing what’s required of us, or just doing the basic elements of showing up to work… what would it mean to you, to show up differently this year? With a deeper vision and meaning behind what you’re doing here?
How would that impact the way you’re choosing to spend your life?
I’ve been working in the entertainment industry for over a decade. First as an actress/producer, later as a writer/voice-over artist.
I stumbled my way into success doing voice-over. The money was beyond nice. And yes, I know money doesn’t buy you happiness. But when you can earn six months of rent voicing a purebred Persian cat in a Toys R’ Us commercial, it significantly lowers your stress levels.
Voice-over has changed over the past few years. I used to record jobs with all my friends and colleagues. We’d spend a few hours goofing around, laughing our asses off and getting to know each other. In this time we produced a commercial which in return made us a ton of cash.
Now I record jobs in my boyfriend’s mom’s walk-in closet. Nuzzled between her work slacks and fluffy sweaters. It’s hilarious and I’m very grateful to have the ability to work from home.
But I often feel like I’m in this weird cube vortex. Where I have no concept of time and I’m waiting for a series of instructions from friendly, faceless clients.
Still, not a bad way to make money, but I realized what I loved about voice-over was the community. It was getting to work with a bunch of fascinating people and be a part of their creation. I loved learning about their families. I loved hearing about the bomb Cuban sandwich they made for their grandma. I loved the excitement of listening back to the finished product we all were a part of creating.
This all got swiped away because of Covid and to be completely honest, I had a pretty shitty attitude about it.
Showing up to do my voice-over auditions or jobs became completely transactional. I read the lines. I hoped I got booked because that meant I could make money. I totally lost my passion for the projects I was working on. I didn’t see the value I was providing. I related every part of my work to how much money I might make.
I was bitter. I was depressed. I had no idea why I was even showing up anymore. And my bank account and booking ratio reflected it. I needed a serious motivation and mindset shift, and I needed it fast.
That’s when I was introduced to the concept of transactional vs. transformational. Voice-over is a huge part of my life and is currently a non-negotiable. I needed to keep showing up in order to survive.
I pondered how I can make this very transactional profession into something that’s transformational. I spend most of my week doing it, which means I spend most of my life doing it. How can I show up with a different meaning/purpose?
I began focusing on the producers and clients I was working with. This team of people put so much energy and effort into every single word in the script. They share their valuable creativity with one another and go through endless rounds of notes and rejection. Hoping the final product is something they’re proud of.
How can I make this session an enjoyable experience for them? How can I decrease their stress levels and make sure they get what they want and more? I also think about the people who will listen to this project. How can I be in service to them during the session? Whether it be to make them laugh or help highlight their own vulnerability. How can I do my best to give them an emotional experience?
I also ask myself what experience I want to have. I believe this should be a shared experience between all of us. How can I be fully present in this moment and show up as my full self? Ready to work. Ready to play.
This may seem like such a small and silly example, but by viewing my voice-over work this way, I was happier and re-discovered my purpose. An added bonus, my booking ratio skyrocketed again.
I’ve adopted this way of thinking into so many areas of my life, and the impact is unbelievable.
Below are three ways to introduce a more transformational state of mind into your life and from there let it motivate your actions.
1. Accept Your Non-Negotiables and Utilize Your Other Time Wisely
Voice-over is a non-negotiable in my life right now. As are certain responsibilities I have to my family that I choose to honor. There’s some adulting that’s unavoidable and time-consuming.
Everything else is for me. All my other minutes are for me to spend how I want. All the other money that’s not for my bills or for my future self is for me.
I decided to take a life-coaching certification course. It is time and money that I’m spending in a transformational way. Not only for my life, but also all the people I’ve been able to help and will continue to help. Yes, it’s a business that supports me financially. But I approach every session with a client as I do a voice over session. I focus on how can I support them, listen to them, be present with them and provide a safe space for them to grow. I take away so much from these sessions as well. My clients have made a profound impact on my life, and I learn and grow alongside every one of them.
In the time that’s available to you and not already dedicated to something important, how can you do something transformational with that time? How can you grow your heart, expand your mind and help others?
2. Every Single Day Start With Some Reflection
Even if it’s just five minutes. Dedicate some time for you to reflect on the day you’re looking forward too. Take in your schedule and question your motivation for why each thing is on there. Is there anything on your schedule you’re preparing to just show up for a paycheck, networking opportunity or validation?
How can you view these activities in a more transformational way? How can you show up differently for yourself and those you’ll be sharing space with?
I do morning pages and a quick mediation on the Shine app. The App asks what’s one thing I’m going to do to take care of myself today. It’s a great reminder that in order to be mindful throughout your day, you need to prioritize yourself.
Whether it’s taking a walk in the middle of the day, calling your mom, or stopping work at 6 pm. Mindfully remember to take care of yourself and give back to yourself. This will give you the ability to tap into your transformational lens as you move through your day.
3. Monitor What You Intake — It Directly Reflects Your Output.
This can be the news you read, Instagram accounts you scroll through or conversations you have. What you’re ingesting affects you and affects your output.
Is the content you’re consuming making you question yourself, making you compare yourself to others or go into a victim mentality? If so, it’s changing your energy and that will affect the work you do and how you’re showing up for yourself.
Are you spending too much time with people who don’t build you up, support your mission, or respect your values? This will affect how you view yourself and the world around you.
What we take in affects what we put out. Be conscious about the books you’re reading. The shows you’re watching. The people you share time with. Notice how your mood and energy changes based on what you intake. Does it change how you see yourself and the world in a positive or negative way?
Invite in things that inspire you, lift you up and motivate you to be more transformational with your time.
Take-Away
How can you show up in a transformational way in your work?
How can you show up in a transformational way in your life?
If you were a man laying brick, instead of showing up for $5 a day, can you show up to build a cathedral?
Read on…
Maddie is a writer, voice-over artist and a soon-to-be certified life coach. Self-declared boxed wine aficionado. She’d love to hear all your thoughts at [email protected]
