Six Human Needs
What are the driving forces behind every decision you make?
Our actions are driven by six core human needs that run deeper than mere desires or wants. We all share these six needs. There are two dominant in your life, which are pulling the strings, pushing your buttons, shaping your decisions, and fueling your drive for success.
Certainty
The need to feel safe, in control and certain of ourselves and our environment.
Uncertainty
The need for variety, adventure and constant stimulation. Variety is the spice of life.
Significance
The need for validation, acknowledgement and being unique in some ways.
Love & Connection
The need to feel love and connected to other people, stuff, cause or faith.
Growth
The need for expansion, improvement and learning. If you’re not growing, you’re dying.
Contribution
The need to contribute with things beyond ourselves, whether family or cause.
Contribution
Love & Connection
What Are The Forces Driving Your Decisions?
Every day, we make choices and take action based on what we believe matters most. Even though we don’t always realize it, we all have our own mental filters through which we unconsciously prioritize some things over others. Do you want to know what you value the most? Whats’s really calling the shots in your life? Take this quiz to uncover your two driving forces.
A Brief Explanation:
The Six Human Needs
Certainty
We all crave some level of certainty, safety, stability, and predictability in our lives. We want to feel secure in our jobs, homes, and relationships. We seek to dodge pain and ensure that our basic needs are met. Some people chase this need for certainty by trying to control everything around them, be their projects, their teams, their entire world. They want to guarantee that things always go according to plan and that everyone hits their deadlines. But when certainty is missing, we freak out cause the thought of losing control is a major stressor. Yet, when life becomes too predictable, we get bored and lose our motivation.
Uncertainty
On the flip side, we’ve got the need for uncertainty. Yeah, it’s the total opposite of the first one. Although we crave stability, we also hunger for change, excitement, and fresh experiences. It’s variety that makes us feel alive and keeps us engaged. A lot of project managers dive into change management because it offers just the right dose of unpredictability. Projects are temporary by nature, and the uncertainty is usually manageable because there’s an end in sight, along with some idea of what comes next. But here’s the kicker: too much uncertainty freaks us out, while too little bores us to death. So, these first two needs are like slices of the same pie. Folks who crave variety tend to be risk-takers, and they might even stir up conflict just to spice things up.
Significance
Deep down, we all crave to feel important, unique, and, yeah, a little special. We want our life and work to matter, to have some kind of significance. Imagine how soul-sucking it would be to grind away on a project that no one cares about. We chase significance in all kinds of ways, some healthy, some not so much. You might aim to be a high achiever or leader because it makes you feel valuable, special, and, let's face it, needed too. This drive can show up as relentless competitiveness or being obsessed with performance. On the flip side, some people try to satisfy this need by putting others down just to lift themselves up. And then there are those of who express their uniqueness through their fashion choices or quirky hobbies, making sure the world knows they stand out.
Love & Connection
We all crave a sense of connection with those around us, a feeling of belonging to something bigger. We want to be loved, cared for, and feel close to others, whether it’s with friends, family, colleagues, or an online community. The need for love and connection is all about fitting in, wanting to belong, and blending in with those around us. In a way, it's the flip side of significance. If you're 100% connected, fully part of a team, project, or culture, you might start stepping on your need for significance and uniqueness, and vice versa. A lot of project managers wrestle with this tension as they want to be part of the team, but they also need to stand out and assert themselves as the leader.
Growth
As humans beings and part of the ever expanding Universe, we’re wired to crave growth and expansion in every corner of our lives. Many folks aim for a specific job title, financial milestone, or lifestyle, but once they hit that target, they often find themselves stuck and unfulfilled again. They’ve hit a plateau, and even though they’ve achieved their goals, there's still this nagging itch for more. Growth isn’t just about ticking off boxes, it’s an intrinsic need to keep pushing forward. We're happiest when we’re making progress, when we have something to chase that challenges us, whether that’s emotionally, spiritually, physically, financially, or intellectually. We all need that next big thing to strive for, to keep growing and expanding. After all, if we’re not growing, we’re dying.
Contribution
The sixth human need is all about making a meaningful impact and contributing to something larger than ourselves. It’s the drive to help, serve, and support causes that matter in a significant way. We all have this deep-seated urge to offer something of value, whether it’s through our community, our family, our society, or the projects we undertake. Many projects are driven by worthy goals, aiming to make the world a better place or to create positive change for others. Yet, when we're knee-deep in managing details and ticking off tasks, we often lose sight of this larger purpose. Few of us are fully aware of how meeting this need for contribution can profoundly enrich our lives and provide a deeper sense of fulfillment.