Your Job: For Love or Money?

Why do you do what you do? Because you love it? Or because you've been successful and make a good salary and, well, it would be a darn shame to give it all up to write poetry for a living? This quiz, adapted from one by researcher Teresa Amabile, will help you determine whether you lean more toward internal motivators -- doing something for love, genuine interest, and satisfaction -- or external motivators -- doing things because some outside factor, like salary, influences you.

Answer yes or no to the following statements:

• Is your response, "Bring it on, baby," when you're faced with a difficult problem?
• Do you prefer to figure out work challenges by yourself?
• Are you happy when you've had a new experience, even if you failed at a new project?
• Do you feel ambivalent about whether you get recognized for your accomplishments?
• Does work feel more like recess than work?
• Are you able to offer up new ideas and not care what others think -- of the ideas or of you?

Results: The more you answer yes to these questions, the more likely it is that you're motivated by internal factors. Good work. Literally. But if your answers are littered with no's, maybe it's time to look for another job or at least revisit your motivation.

Ever get caught up in office politics? Learn how they work and how to play in this article at our partner site, HowStuffWorks.com.