No, it is not about cars. I just finished reading Drive from Daniel Pink. I quite liked it as it is mainly focus in the daily working life. And you can find a summary at the end of the book of each chapter. Plus specific advises for different circumstances.
The books is about what is motivation, what motivate us, etc. Funny enough, again, there is a reference to “Thinking fast and slow” as a proof that we are not as rational as we think making decisions. As well there are a lot of references to “flow” from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Quite interesting and central to the book too.
Initially our motivations are survival and reproduction like any other animal. That heavily changed with the Industrial revolution and the move to a workforce based in offices were the motivation was based on carrot/stick policies. That works for repetitive tasks but not for creative ones.
And I feel identified about that. I am looking for that motivation, drive in myself. I want to enjoy my job, want to learn, want to see things happening due to my actions. And I dont want a massive salary, neither bonuses as it would be more a burden that a help. Just a decent salary (I am not going to become rich working) so you can remove the money from the table and focus in what is really fulfilling. But most of the work environments are not like this. Although the books shows some punctual places where they have applied a different approach and have produced results. This one is quite radical and motivating
As well, another thing I discovered in the book, it is the term B companies. Several links about it: definition1 definition2 example1 example2
So they are for profit-companies but with some soul. Really like it. And to be honest, as a consumer, want to support that. Even maybe one day work in one of those or even set up one (related to IT, but have no idea)
The author says the new motivation/drive for this century is based on your personality. If you are not influenced much for external things, then your drive is based on: autonomy, mastery and purpose.
If your goal is external things: money, promotions, power, sex, etc. Maybe you will not have enough.
You want to take responsibility if you want to give your best so you need to have the voice to choose how, when , with whom to achieve that. You want to master your task, that’s never a quick path, but slow and sometimes hard, but that makes it worth it. And finally, you want to see a meaning for all that.
You have those 3 ingredients in your life (and they are not going to come to your), you are in a fulfilling trip.