What Chuck Does

trifecta+

I found the following in an archive of old material…

tri·fec·ta (trī-fěk’tə)
n. A system of betting in which the bettor must pick the first three winners in the correct sequence. Also called triple.

Looking for the Trifecta Drives

Picking winners is not limited to horse racing. We pick winners all the time, from the top teams in your favorite sports to the best looking fruit at the supermarket. In this case, I’m talking about the motivating factors that propels one to succeed in one’s career. I call it the trifecta.

Interestingly there are more than three driving factors, all of which I will explain here.

The first motivating factor in one’s career is personal interest. I don’t mean personal interest in the sense that you obtain benefits or compensation but rather that you are interested in your particular job/career. Ideally what this looks like is, if one were to take up profession in one’s hobby of choice, i.e. make one’s hobby into one’s career.

The derivative of personal interest, is being good at what you do. This can also be defined as competitive advantage or having a particular skill that is particular and/or difficult to replicate but they are not as befitting of what I am about to describe. The real driving factor of being good at what you do is a personal gratification from excelling at a particular arena of choice. Personal pride and even one’s personal identity can possibly be tied into one’s career thus propelling this motivating factor.

Next is social responsibility and social productivity. I use these terms interchangeably and while they are not the same thing, they describe the willingness and desire to create something to give back to society. This is a long-term driving force that pushes one to create a legacy and make a difference in the world that one is proud of and can take to the grave. It is a driving force that grows stronger and more important to individuals over time (as they grow older).

Our last and perhaps least important driving force is the desire to make money. The reason it is the least important of the driving forces is because it is not sustainable over the long-term, which is to say it is not an important enough reason to stay in a particular profession or career. Without at least one additional driving force, the individual will experience a short-lived career. It is however often one of the most important preliminary reasons for choosing a profession.

The implication of the combination of the above forces is a more fulfilling career and hopefully a more meaningful life. It is hopefully the equation that allows one to self-activate and become something greater than they already are. While I am sure the above equation is overly simple, it serves as a good rule of thumb when considering what kind of career to pursue.