Today I watched a great TED Talk video. It was titled “The Suprisinging Science of Motivation”. The speaker in the video (Dan Pink) explained how incentivising people to do creative-based tasks does not work. Having an incentive to fulfill a certain task is proven to numb creativity.
This point was backed up using the data from the “candle problem”.
Subjects were asked how to attach a candle to a wall using these objects:
a box matches, a box of thumbtacks, and a candle.
Many people that attempted the test tacked the candle to the wall, and others tried melting the candle wax to use as an adhesive to stick the candle to the wall. Close but no cigar!
The correct solution is shown below:
The solution is to empty the box of thumbtacks, put the candle into the box, use the thumbtacks to nail the box to the wall.
You can watch the video here:
This got me thinking about affiliate marketing…
Affiliate marketing is such a creative job. You need to come up with unique sales angles, ad copy, design, hunt for the perfect demographic, the works. If you are extremely focused on making or losing money, could that harm your chances of being a successful affiliate marketer? I dunno…
I can only speak for myself, but I can honestly say that I didn’t come into this industry for the money. I came here for the stimulation. I came here for the creative outlet. I came here for the competition. I came here to play the game. Being paid was just the reward for playing the game well.
Are you in it purely for the money? Or is there something else that attracts you? If you are in it purely for the money, have you been successful?
Yes I am purely in it for the money and yes I am quite successful.
Don't see what was so hard about the candle problem, would've figured it out in probably 2 seconds.
Maybe you are just a special person haha.
I think dino meant to say that he figured out how to respond to your post within 2 seconds.
i think dino is a dinosaur
Ive always been a believer in doing something you are passionate about and fruits will follow. Im super passionate about marketing and psychology its so great you get rewarded with money instead of school grades or a pat on the back.
Agreed 100%… mark zuckerberg certainly wldnt have grown fb to the behemoth that it is today if he was focused on the $
Yep and Google spawned from a university research project.
money is just a secondary motivation…the greatest strenght comes from real passion
Dino is another younger tool version of profit addiction.
Well to clarify for most of you trolls and noobs, the greatest strengths don't come from any motivators. Not everyone can achieve what others can. Sure people may tell you that you can, and lead you on to wrong paths, but the reality is you've either developed or have been born with these talents/creative mind that allows you to think outside the box and become an affiliate marketer for instance, since I definitely consider the profession something that is unusual or different to the mainstream jobs out there.
Second what motivates me, is yes money, but essentially it is what money can achieve. With money, you don't have to work your entire life, you don't have to slave away 8 hours a day for someone else, you can get what you want, you can help others out, etc… Hope you guys get enlightened by this, if not, oh well better for me and Mr. Green
Enough talk, back to trolling the interwebz.
Shut up.
I’m surprised no one has called out this dino character yet.
You are the real noob and troll. You still have your mothers milk mustache on your lips. Instead learning and taking advise from veterans and seasoned pros you are running around on blogs and posting your nonsense BS replies. You have a lot to learn lil boy.
I'm money motivated!
this is so true. esp if you have partners that do rev share.
If you like this kind of stuff watch Dan Ariely's TED videos about irrational decisions. But to answer the question, money is a result and should not be the goal.
Do what you love and do it the best of your ability and money will follow. It just so happens that we love marketing and it happens to be insanely lucrative!
Wise words dude. Sick will check out the video!
I do it for the unicorns
CEOs are focused on the $. Entrepreneurs, innovators, and legends have alternative motives for their success.
I'm in it for the money and well, I'm nowhere close to where I want to be. Could this be the reason? Maybe, maybe not.
At first sight, this might sound like a stupid question, but…how did/do you find out what you love to do? I haven't found something yet where I could say "wow, this is so great I'd want to do it for the next n years in my life!".
When I started waking up constantly at 7.30am without an alarm clock because I was excited to get my day started. I knew internet marketing was a good fit for me.
Haha, I remember the same feelings when I still had profitable campaigns! But then came a long, dry period where I realized how demotivating and unstable aff marketing can be.
When you throw lots of campaigns against the wall, you (or at least I) don't wake up anymore in the morning like "wow, I'm so excited to get back to my campaigns!" but rather like "I feel insecure and doubtful, all my shit failed and it demotivates me – am I just too stupid to make it work?".
Did you encounter the same and if so, how did you fight through this?
I never got to the point were I had failure after failure for an extended period. However there were some
hard times, where my motivation to get things to work were low. At that point I would try get have a mini detox. By either staying away from my computer for a day, or going away for the weekend, have a mini holiday. Anything to make me feel refreshed.
Some people might also be 'in the game' to learn the process of making money. So while acquiring money for the sake of having it may not be a wise idea, acquiring money while learning the process to better yourself and help others would definitely be.
Well, Its really true !!
The more we chase money the more it runs away from us. When we leave it and chase something else then money starts chasing us
PS: You guys forgot Youtube too.. Youtube was also started just to share some vids!
Regards
~Sam~
Mr. Green's blog is amazing. Too amazing for the average person to comprehend is amazingness.
[...] – Is It Easier To Make Money When You Aren’t Focused On The Money? (Mr. Green) [...]
Interesting analysis you made from the video but motivation rather it be for money or for what ever reason is an important factor in making money or Products or business work and prosper take the true story of Chris Gardner you know from the movie The Pursuit of Happiness, his motivation was simple he wanted and needed to make money.
But then again I guess it depends on why you are motivated and just how motivated you are for example if have a fairly comfortable life and are motivated to making money you might not be as motivated as the guy who has nothing and not only wants to make money or more money but needs to make more to survive or keep his/her kids or give them shelter/food ect…
What Dino says is very true it is very important that you actually have some sort of talent in the field that you decide to work in, not that you can not learn to be successful but it definitely helps if you like what you do have passion and Motivation for what ever reason
By the way I am Miguel this is my first post here I have been online since the 80's but am just now looking into affiliate marketing Nice site Mr. Green
I just love TedTalks!
Lorenze, i think you should check this one is from RSAorg… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc&fe…
Answers most of questions on work ethnics and motivations. happy holidays!
Watched all of them already
. Those are all brilliant.
… on why I love what I do; "The megalomaniac pleasure of creation produces a type of elation which cannot be compared to that experienced of other mortals" – Edmund Berger
I wouldn't do it if the money was not involved as well though
.
If you enjoyed the Pinker video – think you will love this..
Jon Jandai – Life is easy. Why do we make it so hard?
http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxDoiSuthep-Jon-…
Cheers! Bookmarked it.
I see it as a big game where the points are kept by money
I think we're all in it for the money… AT FIRST, but then you forget about that and the constant learning, the working from home experience (noone telling you what to do, making you're own salary and hours) , the competition , all the intangible things are what get me excited.
IM has really changed my life for the better. I quit smoking, I don't waste time and I learn what it takes to be a successful person in IM and as a general person. Those are the valuable things that come with this discipline that I really enjoy. But I don't think I'd be in the first place if there wasn't an incredible money incentive.
Everyone loves money and work for money but some people work for passion or hobby. If you work for your passion that will ultimately pay you money. Do learn how to earn money but help others also. I am earning money doing some online jobs and distance learning courses has helped in enhancing my skills to get online jobs.
I liked the video you have shared.