Quiz Your Driving Force

• Your main inner drive is certainty. You feel strongly the need to know what to expect.
• You dislike uncertainty and prefer to avoid risk. Certainty gives you peace of mind and so you can manage stress, worries and panic better.
• The familiar path is often your preference over the unfamiliar. You function better when you feel safe than when you are under high pressure or in a new situation.
• You prefer to follow your own routines and do things your way.
• Comfort is something you like, as is safety.
• Unpredictable people or situations? You might struggle with that sometimes.

Your strength

Your strength is that people know what to expect from you. You are reliable and often a safe haven.

You keep your commitments and do what you promised. Because of the need for predictability, you don't act impulsively or clumsily very quickly, such as buying something you don't actually have the money for.

You usually have things in order and are not chaotic. This gives a lot of overview and peace of mind. Certainty can also give you emotional stability and/or financial stability.

Your challenges

• Sometimes the need for certainty can lead to stagnation. To develop yourself, you have to get out of your comfort zone, and you may be reluctant to do so.
• Sometimes you are afraid to try new things. In the long run, this can leave you bored, stuck or experiencing a feeling of ''Is this it now?".
• You may want to maintain a lot of control. Over your own behaviour, but sometimes also over that of others or situations. You sometimes find it difficult to surrender to others, to situations or to the moment. You may not be as flexible or spontaneous as you would like to be.
• While keeping things the same can make you feel secure in the short term, in the long term it can sometimes make you unhappy. For example, a job that is not fun, a non-working relationship.

Questions to ask yourself

How do you see your need for security reflected in the areas of life?
In your work, your relationship, your family, your leisure, your holidays, your income, your personal development?

How do you see your need for security reflected in your behaviour?
Think over-eating or drinking alcohol to feel a sense of control, or controlling others.

In what areas does the need for security bring you a lot?
For example, in your financial situation, or emotional stability

In which areas does it bother you a lot?
Maybe you are holding back positive change, or holding on to something that doesn't help you because it feels safe.

Does this need explain friction or problems in your life?
Continuing to work somewhere when it is not fun (anymore). Staying in a negative relationship. Failing to fulfil your dream of becoming your own boss because of financial security.

Does this need rub shoulders with that of certain people around you?
Like your partner, friends or colleagues. For example, maybe you feel friction with people who actually seek variety?

Tips for development

• See where your other basic needs lie. Security is often not your only basic need, but also, for example, 'connection' or 'recognition'. Try to do something 'new' in that very area.
• Try looking for more 'uncertainty' in your life. This could be something small or big. Learn to play the piano, or volunteer somewhere, consider taking another job.
• Reflect with other people close to you about your basic need, ask them about their image of you.

• Your main inner drive is variety. You strongly feel the need for variety and excitement to feel alive.
• Keywords for you are: surprise, variety, challenge and excitement.
• You dislike certainty, routine and predictable situations. You quickly find things boring and get bored easily. You prefer the unknown way, rather than the known way. You like adventure and new situations.
• Continuous change gives you a continual excitement. It gives you a nice feeling, a sense of being alive.
• Predictable people or situations? You might struggle with that sometimes.

Your strength

Your strength is that you keep challenging yourself in new situations. This makes you flexible and spontaneous and not afraid to try something new. Others may find this very difficult, but for you it is quite normal.

You also tend to have a lot of energy, both physically and mentally. You avoid habits that make you bored. Also, your flexibility makes you easily adapt to situations with different people, different places. This usually costs you little energy and you often enjoy this.

You also tend to have many things you like and find interesting. As a result, you know about many things, and are always curious about new topics.

Your challenges

• Sometimes the need for variety can lead to restlessness. You tend to be constantly preoccupied with 'the next step' instead of being in the here and now. You also sometimes feel a bit burnt out, because you keep many balls in the air at once.
• You might not always finish what you start because you have already discovered something new. This way, you can get in your own way. To achieve goals and develop yourself, it is important not to change focus too quickly.
• The challenge is to sometimes be able to resist temptation of short-term variety to invest in longer-term results, such as work, projects or friendships.
• Sometimes the need for variety leads to patterns that don't help you, such as using alcohol for unpredictable evenings.

Questions to ask yourself

How do you see your need for variety reflected in the areas of life?
In your work, your relationship, your family, your leisure, your holidays, your income, your personal development.

How do you see your need for variety reflected in your behaviour?
Think of making impulsive choices to feel a sense of variety, or giving up too soon to start something new again.

In what areas does the need for variety bring you a lot?
For example, in your openness to new experiences.

In which areas does it bother you a lot?
Perhaps you experience little peace within yourself, or don't always finish things.

Does this need explain friction or problems in your life?
Maybe you keep starting a new relationship, even though there might be more in the offing with someone. Or you are not fulfilling your dreams because you change your focus too often.

Does this need rub shoulders with that of certain people around you?
Like your partner, friends or colleagues. They may even (unconsciously) adapt to your need for variation as well. Your need for change may lead to restlessness in others.

Tips for development

• See where your other basic needs lie. Variety is often not your only basic need, but also, for example, 'connection' or 'recognition'. Try to do something that gives you satisfaction, precisely in that other area.
• You can look at how you can open up to certainty in your life. This can be something small, like a certain routine, but these can also be big(er) things.
• Reflect with other people close to you on your outcome, ask them about their perception of you in this area.

• Your main inner drive is recognition. You feel strongly the need to be seen and to matter.
• Status, prestige and success are important to you.
• You like to be the centre of attention
• Achieving goals is important to you.
• Feeling special feels good, for example in the eyes of your partner, colleagues, boss, friends or on the terrace.
• Activities, stuff or people you feel do not contribute to getting recognition? You'd rather not spend time or money on those.

Your strength

Your strength is that you are ambitious and want to achieve something in life. You set the bar high and are driven.

You keep yourself sharp to achieve your goals. Because of the need for recognition, you don't let things slide easily.

You look at your own strengths and focus on strengthening them. For example, you want to learn something special, organise activities or have business success, so you feel like you matter.

Your challenges

• A trap is to derive your self-worth from what you achieve: what job you have, how much is in your bank account, what car you have, how big your house is. Status can start to feel like pressure because you create a pedestal you don't want to fall off. The more important something is, the worse it is when you lose it. The same goes for material things, such as money and belongings.

• You may often compare yourself to others because to feel special, you need to know how others live. This can leave you feeling frustrated and unfulfilled. After all, there is always someone with more money, a nicer job, a more social life or a nicer appearance.

• Performance anxiety sometimes leads to not allowing yourself to make mistakes because you are afraid of going off. This can get in the way of learning and development.

• A pitfall is also that you see others less because you are more concerned with being seen yourself. Sometimes your goals also come at the expense of the other person, because recognition sometimes feels more important than the other person's needs or desires.

• One pitfall is that you lose sight of things you cannot immediately acknowledge. You might enjoy nature or a walk less.

• That which makes you feel important in the short term does not always make you happy in the long term. For example, a job that is not fun or a non-working relationship.

Questions to ask yourself

How do you see your need for recognition reflected in the areas of life?
In your work, your relationship, your family, your leisure, your holidays, your income, your personal development?

How do you see your need for recognition reflected in your behaviour?
Think always wanting to be right, getting burned out because you focus too much on achieving success and not enough on relaxing and connecting with others.

In what areas does the need for recognition bring you a lot?
For example, in your financial situation, sports performance or social life.

In which areas does it bother you a lot?
The need for recognition can hold back your growth in certain areas, or you cling to something that costs you more than it brings in.

Does this need explain friction or problems in your life?
Having a job that isn't actually fun (anymore). Staying in a negative relationship. Failing to fulfil your dream of becoming your own boss because of risk of failure or financial ruin.

Does this need rub shoulders with that of certain people around you?
Like your partner, friends or colleagues. They may even (unconsciously) adapt to your need for recognition too, for example by putting themselves in the background.

Tips for development

• See where your other basic needs lie. Certainty is often not your only basic need, but also, for example, 'connection' or 'variety'. Try to do something new in that very area.
• Try practising showing vulnerability. Tell someone you find something exciting because you are not sure if you will succeed. Ask someone for honest feedback - not wanting to hear how well you are doing.
• Do something you wouldn't normally do out of your need for recognition. Did you run? Don't put it on social media, Strava and don't tell anyone. Just do it for yourself. Does someone cut you off in traffic? Smile and drop the angry hand or honk.
• Reflect with other people close to you on your basic needs, ask them about their image of you.

• Your main inner drive is connection. You strongly feel the need for companionship, being with another person or others.
• You have a need to feel loved, and to love other people.
• You feel at your best when you feel like you're pulling together. Sharing is important to feel connected.
• You don't like being alone for too long or often. Being with others gives you peace and a feeling of being alive.

Your strength

Your strength is a great social ability. Perhaps you are a mood creator or someone who tries to bring others together. In a group, you might be a hub in the web. Love and friendship are important to you and you invest a lot in them. This contributes to happiness and meaning because contact is very fulfilling for people.

Trust is important to you because it is essential to really connect with each other.

You think about others and what they need, because that's how you connect. So you don't just think about what you need yourself.

Your challenges

• You may find it hard to be alone. You sometimes fear not being able to do it alone and need others to make you feel good. This can get in your way.
• Sometimes the need for connection also leads to a loss of autonomy. You then forget a little about what you want for yourself. You sacrifice yourself for the needs of others, just to stay connected. You risk seeking love and friendship too much from others and less from yourself.
• The risk is that you don't always dare to speak out or be honest. You fear rejection and not fitting in.
• Perhaps you are conflict-averse and struggle to stand up for yourself.
• Your pitfall is that your contact with others does not always occur out of genuine desire for deep connection, but out of fear of feeling rejected.
• The tendency to connect sometimes actually leads to us-side thinking, because you feel so strongly connected to 'your' group.

Questions to ask yourself

How do you see your need for connection reflected in the areas of life?
In your work, your relationship, your family, your leisure, your holidays, your income, your personal development?

How do you see your need for connection reflected in your behaviour?
Think about planning your diary full of social activities or always saying 'yes', even when it is not convenient?

In what areas does the need for connection bring you a lot?
For example, in your social life or with your family or relatives.

In which areas does it bother you a lot?
It can hold back growth and change at certain points, by you clinging to people who may not be best for you. Or you lose yourself.

Does this need rub shoulders with that of certain people around you?
Like your partner, friends or colleagues. They may even (unconsciously) adapt to your need for connection too, for example by scheduling less alone time than they need.

Tips for development

• See where your other basic needs lie. Connection is often not your only basic need, but also 'growth', for example. Try to do something new in that very area, for instance by taking a course on your own.
• Try being alone more. Practise reflecting in situations where the other person does not immediately answer your need for connection, for example, when someone does not immediately app back. What does it do to you, what feeling does it give you and are your thoughts true?
• Examine whether you are doing enough of what you want and feel.
• Reflect together with people close to you on your basic needs. Ask them about their image of you.
• Be aware that too much striving for connection sometimes causes you to avoid contradictions. And it is precisely contradictions that can lead to growth and new insights.

• Your main inner drive is growth and development. You strongly feel the need to keep developing yourself.
• Learning and getting better are key concepts for you.
• You don't like standing still. Doing the same trick over and over again? You don't like that.
• Developing yourself gives you satisfaction and a sense of truly living.
• You may be fine with days being similar (routine), as long as every day you feel like you are learning something new or getting better at something (challenge).
• People or situations that offer little challenge for you? You might struggle with that sometimes.

Your strength

Your strength is that you have a lot of drive to challenge yourself and take your life to the next level. You love learning and getting better, which helps you achieve a lot. Growth helps you feel fulfilled and give meaning to your life.

You see every day as an opportunity to become a wiser, healthier, more active, smarter or more skilled person. A chance to become a better partner, friend, parent, child, colleague, athlete, neighbour, entrepreneur.

You are independent and draw your own plan. You want to develop yourself for yourself, not for others.

You are less likely to derive your self-worth from stuff or status. You are more likely to see those as a by-product of your growth rather than an end in themselves.

Your challenges

• Sometimes the need for growth can lead to dissatisfaction. There is always another step to take or more to learn. Consciously reflecting on what you can already do and know? Celebrating successes? People with growth as a basic need sometimes forget that a bit. Just like simply enjoying yourself once in a while and being allowed to relax without a goal.

• Also, the need for growth and progress may cause you to lose connection with others. You are strongly focused on your own development and, as a result, you may find yourself on your own little island a bit often.

• You sometimes find it difficult to surrender to others or to situations where you feel like you can't move forward. This can lead to anxiety.

• You run the risk of wanting too much and too fast. Sometimes knowledge and skills need to mature and growth takes time. Maybe you change your focus too quickly. Especially if you feel you are not developing fast enough - visibly and palpably - in a particular area. Sometimes growth is in the long term.

Questions to ask yourself

How do you see your need for growth reflected in the areas of life?
In your work, your relationship, your family, your leisure, your holidays, your income, your personal development?

How do you see your need for growth reflected in your behaviour?
Think about investing in your development, taking on new challenges or focusing on learning things.

In what areas does the need for growth bring you a lot?
For example, in your level of knowledge, financial situation, sports performance, health, skills and wisdom.

In which areas does it bother you a lot?
Your need for continuous growth may lead to restlessness or dissatisfaction. Or you may feel lonely from time to time.

Does this need explain friction or problems in your life?
For example, because you find it difficult to stay connected to people around you, especially if they don't consider growth very important. Or maybe your work offers too little challenge and this clashes with your need to develop yourself.

Does this need rub shoulders with that of certain people around you?
Like your partner, friends or colleagues. They may even (unconsciously) adapt to your need for growth too. For example, by pushing themselves to keep up with you. Or they may feel they are not growing enough in your eyes.

Tips for development

• Look at where your other basic needs lie. Growth is often not your only basic need, but also, for example, 'connection' or 'contribution'. Try doing something new in that very area without aiming for growth. (Ironically, then, of course, you will actually grow!).
• Practice enjoying small and big things, without thinking about the next step or how much growth the situation offers you. Just 'being' and having fun is good too.
• Reflect with other people close to you on your basic needs. Ask them about their image of you.

• Your main inner drive is to contribute to the greater good. You strongly feel the need to be of value for a higher purpose.
• For you, a sense of mission matters. Contributing to something bigger than yourself gives you satisfaction and meaning.
• Your motivation can express itself in many ways: teacher, leader, employee, writer, doctor, entrepreneur, volunteer. Contributing to the bigger picture can also be close to home: as a neighbour, parent, member of a community.
• You like and value the feeling of making an impact.

Your strength

Your strength is your great drive to make a difference. You have a small or big mission and are willing to give a lot to fulfil it. You want to make the world a little more beautiful, your way.

You are meaningful to others and love to help. You are a giver and don't just drop what you believe in.

Contributing to something bigger than yourself is important to feel truly fulfilled. Not everyone knows that - you do.

Your challenges

• Sometimes the need to contribute can lead to pushing yourself away. If you invest too much in a higher purpose, you sometimes forget to invest in yourself.

• While business may make you feel like contributing to something bigger in the short term, it can make you unhappy in the long term. For example, because of your loyalty to a company when you don't actually like the job itself anymore. Or a non-working relationship that you keep contributing to. Even though these give you a certain sense of contribution, couldn't change in this make you much happier?

Questions to ask yourself

How do you see your need for contributions reflected in the areas of life?
In your work, your relationship, your family, your leisure, your holidays, your income, your personal development?

How do you see your need to contribute reflected in your behaviour?
Where do you spend your time, money and energy? Are you always there for others and do you sometimes forget your own limits in the process?

In what areas does the need to contribute bring you a lot?
For example, in your relationships, at work, at home or in your community.

In what areas does it bother you?
Too much focus on contributing to the bigger picture sometimes comes at the expense of your own happiness, health, prosperity and development. Or those of others around you. Or you might take on too many responsibilities.

Does this need explain friction or problems in your life?
Keeping an unpleasant job out of loyalty, for example. Or sticking to a negative relationship.

Does this need rub shoulders with that of certain people around you?
Like your partner, friends or colleagues. Maybe you find it difficult to deal with people who have no desire at all to contribute to the bigger picture. Or others find your focus on your mission difficult, at the moment at the expense of yourself or them.

Tips for development

• See where your other basic needs lie. Contributing to the bigger picture is often not your only basic need, but also, for example, 'variety' or 'growth'. Try to do something new in that very area. Do something entirely for your own pleasure or development.
• Explore how to take your power of contribution to a new level. You may be able to achieve even more with the same investment using a different approach.
• Reflect with other people close to you about your basic needs. Ask them about their image of you.

Source: Your mind moves