To expect someone to work and work hard without motivation is like giving every kid who plays on the team the same reward no matter how they performed during the season.  It will mean nothing because there is no incentive to do your best.

So when it comes to working and holding a job, what can be done to motivate the youth of today? When I was coming out of high school in the early 70s, nearly every guy lived and worked to buy his very own car. It was the days of the Chevy Camaros, Mustang 289 Fastbacks, and Pontiac Firebirds. Taking a summer job and even working part time during the school year was a given for many because they needed money to get a car.

This motivating factor seems to have faded away today. Many teens aren’t even taking driving lessons, opting for a bus, mom or dad, a friend, or Uber to get around. It’s too expensive with insurance, getting oil changes and paying for gas, they say. Apparently, much to the dismay of a 1970s baby-boomer, cars are no longer cool. So we’ve lost that motivation.

We used to have the motivation of saving money to get married, raise a family and one day, buy a home. However, an increasing number of young people are staying single and many are also staying at home with mom and dad. This tradition and motivating factor is also disappearing.

We can bemoan the fact that these things have regressed, but let’s not miss the important point that parents, teachers, job coaches and the community as a whole needs to discover new ways of motivating our youth to work and work hard.

First, let’s look at ways we are defeating ourselves in this area. Our children will not be motivated to work if everything is given to them or done for them. Have a list of weekly chores for them to do and then stick to them. An allowance is fine up to a certain age and then it should stop. That’s when a job comes into play. Start your son or daughter with a savings account. Interest rates aren’t what they used to be years ago, but the idea of saving and seeing earnings is a great moral value to teach our kids.

As much as possible, show them at an early age how to cut the grass, vacuum the living room and wash the floors. Forget about hiring out professional services for basic home or housekeeping duties, even if you have the money for it. Save that money for college or technical training. Check out the 1984 Mel Gibson movie “The River.” It’s a great example of a family that lives and works for each other.

Since my children have grown up, I’m at a loss as to the motivations or incentives of today. All I can think of are the I-phones, video games, etc. However, we still have bicycles, dirt bikes, summer camps or other trips.

I was taken back to the 1970s recently when Thomas, a client I coach who works full-time as a therapy assistant, told me he came back from Tennessee with his first car, a Dodge Challenger with a red racing stripe down the middle.

My first car was a 1967 Ford Mustang with dual white racing stripes down the middle. I had been working at my dad’s store since I was 13 and saved up my small paychecks to lay down $775 in cash to buy that car.

While his parents helped him by trading in an older car, Thomas couldn’t have bought it without the income from his job. In his facebook post, Thomas said it best: “Finally, my first car and my dream car. So blessed to have an amazing job that helped me to afford this beast! Her name is Jazzy.”

So it is possible that two guys separated by 40 years or so can have something in common. Fast, cool cars can still rule in the hearts of men. Yes, it’s a motivating factor indeed.