4 Movies That Will Motivate You at Work
“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Confucius said this 2500 years ago, and it seems like this piece of advice hasn’t lost any of it’s relevance. Do you like your job? Do you need more motivation at work? Perhaps the movies mentioned below can help you.
Don’t forget that professional and personal development tend to go hand-in-hand. We generally spend around 40 hours a week working. Many people far exceed that. So it’s logical to think that motivation is vital to maintain this rhythm, but motivation isn’t easy to maintain for such a long time.
No matter how much you try to separate your work life from your personal life, if you have serious problems at work, they’re going to infiltrate into other areas of your life. But if you find the right profession and the necessary motivation, your development will benefit in many ways. Having a job where you can feel comfortable and unleash all your talents and abilities can be the best kind of motivation.
Movies to motivate you at work
There’s no doubt that film is an incredible art. On top of providing entertainment, some movies also make us feel good and happy. The movies featured in today’s list certainly can, and they’re all related to work in some way.
Jerry Maguire (1996) – directed by Cameron Crowe
Jerry Maguire, played by Tom Cruise, thinks he has it all. He’s a successful sports agent who represents elite athletes, and his life is perfect until everything comes crashing down and he has to start again from the beginning.
Sometimes, there’s nothing more encouraging than starting over. You might think you’re at the top and everything is wonderful, but when you start a personal project from the bottom, whatever the reason is, you gain different levels of satisfaction from each achievement you make, however small it is. It all depends on the effort you put in, which makes the achievement even more laudable and enjoyable.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) – directed by Gabriele Muccino
Believing in something and having a dream is the first step towards success. So thought Chris Gardner, a real-life character played by Will Smith in the movie. It isn’t easy to suffer hardships in front of your small child in order to get ahead, but Gardner’s capacity for sacrifice and hard work under such difficult circumstances led him to fulfill his purpose.
Success can be economical, personal, emotional, etc. What’s important is that you have a clear idea of what you want. In this movie, you see a man with a clear vision of his future, fighting against all odds to make it a reality. Nothing and no one could stop him, despite the fact that there were times when the easiest thing would have been to throw in the towel.
“What is acquired with more work is loved more.”
-Aristotle-
The Social Network (2010) – directed by David Fincher
This popular film is based on the real-life success story of Mark Zuckerberg, the famous creator of Facebook. It follows his steps from developing the social network in his Harvard University dormitory to the subsequent copyright lawsuit.
This might not be an example of a legitimate way to achieve success, but one thing is for certain: Zuckerberg wanted to take on a challenge, and he played all the chords until he struck the right one. If you want to start something new and need motivation, maybe this movie is it.
Erin Brockovich (2000) – directed by Steven Soderbergh
We’re going to focus once again on a movie based on real events. This one tells the story of Erin Brockovich, a single, unemployed woman with children. In the end, not only does she find a job, but she also finds another reason to live.
Erin Brockovich is a legal aide, played by Julia Roberts, who finds a reason to turn her job into a way to help others. Committed to social justice causes, Brockovich fights for what she thinks is right against all odds. And along the way, she has to overcome all kinds of pitfalls and stumbles.
“Happy is he who enjoys the pleasures of work without being a slave to it.”
-Benito Pérez Galdos-
An important detail about the movies that we’ve described here is that they’re all based on true stories about real people like Mark Zuckerberg, Chris Gardner, and Erin Brockovich who are still doing work that they like. So ask yourself, does your job motivate you? Maybe one of these movies will help you find or clarify your professional path. Remember that if you believe in yourself, and with effort and imagination, nothing can stop you.