An year ago I wrote about how to find motivation when it’s gone on vacations. Looking back, I think I may now have a different take on the “lack of motivation” issue.
Basically, I think I was wrong. Not completely, but my idea may have been fundamentally flawed.
I quote myself:
Finding the harmonic way to connect steps 1 & 2 (finding your adrenaline fix and linking it to your job) with the second driver (your personality type) will equal to the conclusion of this post.
Once you found what makes you tick at work will enable you to switch gears as desired. You’ll feel motivated and self-empowered [...]
Those things that make you kick are still valid patches to stop the motivational bleed-out. Thing is that they are just that, temporary patches that may give you a kick every now and then, but what’s lost here is love and that is a long lasting thing.
WTF?! Love?
Wait, it’s still me here! Bear with me on this one.
What generates motivation is the love for what you do. It’s that passion what pushes you to go above and beyond the call of duty.
Think about the last boy/girlfriend you left. When love is gone, there’s usually no way back and forcing the feeling won’t make it come back. Motivation works just the same way. If what makes you love your job is gone then your mojo is gone with it.
Kind of a depressing idea, isn’t it?
It’s also a great opportunity to jump ship and start looking for fresh air somewhere else and realign your goals with what you do.
Given, during an economic recession, changing jobs -specially changing to the one that you want- may not be an option. Still, I refuse to think that job stability is more important than job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is, at the end of the day, synonym of mental health; and having a job where you are not happy can be worse than not having one at all.
When motivation’s gone on vacations it’s going on a long one and it’s not returning to the same place.
Was I wrong last year? Am I right both times? Or do you have a third theory?
Article by Fernando
The guy in charge of this blog - husband, Psychologist, former Manager, Blogger, Job Coach, Recruiter and Information Junkie. Yes, I am all that.
Fernando has written 237 awesome articles for us at FT Careers Blog
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