Two tests of motivation

Motivation has many sources. Some do it for fame, others for fortune. And then there are those who are drawn by a love of the thing itself — by a desire to make a better product, a better experience, or a better world.

Our motivations are sometimes unclear, even to ourselves. So how can we be sure that we are doing things for the right reasons?

Two simple tests — one for fame, one for fortune — can help gauge how much each contributes to our decisions. The tests rely on our ability to imagine alternate universes in which the possibilities of fame or fortune are selectively knocked out.

Both tests start with imagining success in your endeavor, whatever that may entail: the book deal comes through; your company has a billion dollar exit; your band releases a hit song; you’re recruited to a professional sports team; your software is used by millions; your store becomes an international chain. You’ve probably performed this very exercise before, perhaps in a daydream, but do it again, now.

Having imagined success, we’ll apply the two tests, manipulating your mental image of it to tease apart the contributions of a desire for fame or fortune.

The pen name test. Just like an author can write under a pen name, transferring credit for the book to a fictional entity, in your alternate universe you can do the same, removing all traces of your name and identity from the endeavor and transferring credit for your success to a fictional or unknown entity. Your product and its name become famous, but nobody except you ever knows that you created it, not even your closest friends and family.

The volunteer test. Just as a volunteer can provide a service with the understanding that there will be no financial gain that comes of it, in your alternate universe you can do the same, agreeing beforehand that any proceeds from the endeavor will be reinvested in the endeavor and unavailable to you. The endeavor is fantastically profitable, but you see none of that wealth.

How do these alternate universes compare to what you had imagined earlier? At one extreme, the endeavor becomes worthless after the knockout. At the other, it is left unchanged. Where your visions fall between these extremes tells you something important about what motivates your actions.