For someone who has never willingly participated in any sports, I am constantly in awe of professional athletes. Their determination, focus, vision, planning and preparation are of constant inspiration to me.

I surprisingly found myself following the documentary of Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. before their highly televised match on May 5th 2007. I had never before watched a boxing match and knew little of the boxers themselves. The unwavering focus of Mayweather in particular was astounding – constant training at all hours of the day, no distractions that would negatively impact on training, and a support team to help him eat, sleep and breathe boxing. While it may have appeared extreme, these conditions were self-imposed and self-rewarded.

When at work, do you ever find yourself thinking any of the following?

- I just don't know what I'm supposed to do.

- It doesn't really matter whether I do this or not

- My boss is not human

- My co-workers are impossible to work with.

- This place is the pits.

- I'm only in it for the money

If you answered yes to any of these statements – and I'm almost certain you did – you have most likely fallen prey to low motivation.

Motivation is that inner drive and sense of purpose and value that keeps us committed to achieving a desired outcome.

To outsource or not to outsource, is a question which many businesses are faced with today. The choice to outsource by a business is a crucial one which must be carefully researched before a decision is made. According to Weatherly, “outsourcing is an accepted management tool for restructuring and refocusing the way an organization does business.” (see note 1) When deciding on outsourcing, a business should first weigh the advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing.