Our life in the outside world starts, of course, when we are born – a rude awakening from the warmth, comfort and security of the womb to the harsh clinical realities of a hospital room. Babies are utterly helpless and need to be looked after, needing food, comfort, warmth and all the other things from the lower end of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

1. What motivates us during life
Different things motivate different people. In this article we will explore what
can motivate us as individuals and we will start by examining the priorities of
different life stages which heavily can influence each of us.
Motivation at different life stages
Hope
Our life in the outside world starts, of course, when we are born – a rude
awakening from the warmth, comfort and security of the womb to the harsh
clinical realities of a hospital room. Babies are utterly helpless and need to be
looked after, needing food, comfort, warmth and all the other things from the
lower end of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
The baby depends upon mother and father for everything and – at least in a
loving and caring family – all those needs are met: food, warmth and love.
At some stage however the baby,
perhaps around 18 months, when he or she begins to become aware that they
are separate individuals from their parents, begins to realise that they need
the care of these adults and without them they cannot survive. There is a
battle between wanting to develop their independence whilst also being
anxious not to jeopardise the relationship as they need to ensure their safety
continues. The original unconditional love for the baby begins to have
conditions attached around their behaviour.
Exploration
The priorities as a child are to learn and explore and to develop increasing
independence, testing it out whilst always ensuring that the parents are still
there and supportive. Some of the things that the child learns are how to
behave, what to believe and what makes mum and dad happy and unhappy.
The natural instincts slowly start to become modified to fit the acceptable
parameters.
The desire to please, to become accepted by others, by modifying instinctive
behaviour becomes set down in early life and dominates motivation for some
time to come. In childhood years this may be about pleasing parents by being

2. a “good boy” or “good girl”, working hard in school and sticking to the rules.
Uncertainty
Emerging as teenagers, there is a huge change physically and emotionally and
an increasing need to feel independent and a desire to find an identity. The
need for acceptance becomes more about acceptance by peers and friends,
rather than parents. Yet there is a tension between acceptance by the group
on the one hand and finding a separate identity on the other. It is striking what
teenagers choose to wear and what music they listen to, there is some
individuality in taste, but also a great deal of conformity. So clothes are
usually jeans and a t-shirt with whatever variation the fashion industry is
driving at the time and music taste is popular music rather than classical, jazz
or anything else that is not mainstream.
Establishment
At the end of formal education, the 20s and 30s are dominated by
establishing ourselves as independent from our parents and acquiring all that
we need for adult life. This includes moving out of the family home if that’s
affordable, finding a way of earning a living, finding a partner to share life with,
maybe locating to a new area and finding new friends. Having children is also a
priority, although increasingly this is deferred so that people can establish
themselves in their careers.
This involves ensuring that the employee is accepted now by colleagues and
bosses, rather than just parents and friends. A new set of expectations arrive
and a new level of conditioning is acquired, as the employee progresses at
work, getting promotions and new jobs along the way. In our hectic pressurised
society, the work part of our lives can dominate all others.
There comes a point where all the lower levels of Maslow’s hierarchy are
basically sorted. Consider the family with two young children, where both
parents work, living in their own home with cars, holidays and all that goes with
an affluent middle class Western lifestyle.
Broadening
The next stage is when all these initial goals and needs have been fulfilled –
the career, the house, the spouse, the kids – all acquired. At some point in
mid-life there may be a change in outlook, perhaps triggered by a significant
birthday, a questioning about the job or career, a relationship breakdown or
redundancy for example. All of these could trigger deep reflection, a
broadening of outlook and a desire for more meaning or maybe a new
direction. It is what is often described as a “mid-life crisis”, although it does
not need to be a crisis or a single event.
Reflection
The next life stage is older age, probably linked to retirement. The priorities of
life may change again and usually work plays less of a part, a new purpose
and meaning may be needed.
Read more at:
http://dor.academy/en/what-motivates-us-during-life/