As we are full force into the holiday season, I want to ask, what drives you? Whether as a business owner or employee, what is it that makes you get up in the morning, head to work and want to do a good job? It’s a question that anyone can answer, and for me the answer is easy — my kids.

It might sound cliché, and I could go on about the millions of reasons why I get up every morning to do what I do, but there’s more to it than that. In all actuality, I don’t wake up every day feeling 100% ready to go. There are tired days, sick days, days when I feel like I could have done much more work, or days I get the phone call from school to come pick up my child early because they have a fever.

Eric Arnold, CEO of Planswell, put it best — “Our team has 15 kids, 4 of them are mine. We might show up after 9:00 am drop off. We often leave at 5:00 pm for dinner. We might run if school calls... but we do amazing work in between. We don't succeed despite our families... We succeed because of them.”

In my work at Farland Group, I want to do the best job possible — for myself, for the president of our company and for my co-workers, because it truly is a team effort. I also work hard in hopes that I can be a good role model for my own children. I can relate to what Eric Arnold is saying above, and knowing you sometimes have a short window of opportunity to complete certain tasks means always putting your best work forward, no matter the circumstance.

It’s important to remember that year-round, and especially during the holidays, when life has gotten hectic — which for me this year is fitting in holiday shopping, fixing a flat tire, parent-teacher conferences, gymnastics class and winter dance rehearsals and recitals — that you stay aware of what drives you to do good work in your day-to-day job.

So, what drives you?