Anyone that knows me will tell you I am a very driven person, in fact just last week a lawyer referring work to me called me hungry, which I would wholeheartedly agree with.
By and large I have a massive amount of stamina, I am reasonably healthy, I sleep and eat well enough and have the mental and physical capacity to deal with a long list of tasks in short periods of time.
In order to work at this fairly relentless pace there has to be some sort of rational (interspersed with the occasional holiday to recharge) and for most people who operate in this way it is unlikely to be only one reason.
Different things drive different people and they can differ at certain points in their lives and careers.
Over the years I have been driven by:
- Peer recognition
- Money
- Promotion prospects
- Survival
- The ability to treat myself and others
Of course sometimes it's just that I love my job! I love what I am achieving and it's just the sheer personal satisfaction of a job well done.
As we all know running a business is not always plain sailing and, when the going gets tough you will need something that inspires you and helps you navigate those rough seas. For me that is my mother who sadly died when I was only a young girl. A secretary in a typing pool at the time of her father's death she took over his Yorkshire sheet metal engineering business and went from secretary to director and owner of a heavy metal processing company. To add to the pressure all of this happened in the 1960's! In spite of all these challenges my mother didn't just survive, she thrived.
To say I have a lot of respect for her doesn't even cover it.
My relatives who knew her tell me not only do I look like her but I am, in my behaviour, very like her. This is, in my opinion no better compliment.
Age has a nasty habit of breaking down your energy reserves and it is sheer resilience then that keeps me going, though I definitely need more down time than I may have done 20 years ago.
What inspires me when I am feeling very low are the stories of others who have done so much with so little and have gone through unimaginable difficulties. It makes me think if they can do it then so can I.
Of course nothing generally matters much in the end so all the stress and worry you go through is generally of no use to anyone except the pharmaceutical companies.
So whatever keeps you going share that with those less fortunate and with less depth in their own personal bottle of drive and inspiration. We all need a little help from time to time.
One of my daughters has also recently told me I am her inspiration, a share that made my year and certainly gave my drive and inspiration banks a boost!