Motivation problems

[Ozy_Flame]

Not that I need self-help on this topic (otherwise I wouldn't be needing to ask, I'd just help myself), but I'm having a motivation problem lately at work.

I love my job; I do social media development and media relations downtown, and I get paid pretty good to do it. I don't have to overstretch myself, and I always get my evenings free. However, lately I'm having some real issues getting motivated to 'keep up' with all that I do at work, and I just don't really feel like taking any new initiatives. And frankly, I think it's also taking a toll on my after-work life, just not being motivated to do anything besides play soccer, golf, and go out once in a while.

I keep getting this itching feeling that I need to go travel once more, or I need to at least take a vacation (I haven't had one since Feb '07). Even then, when I get back, I know I might still be unmotivated to do my job to the best of my abilities.

Does anyone have any suggestions to re-energize myself? Any books or pieces of literature I can read? Or maybe get into some sort of new hobby or something like meditation?

Thanks in advance, gents and gentiles!

[pepper24]

You sound burned out which is now affecting your job that you appear to enjoy.

You're definitely due for a long vacation. Go somewhere where you can completely relax and get away from everything. Take at least 2-3 weeks and have no contact with work during that time. A good employer will encourage this and have adequate coverage while you're gone.

[REDVAN]

How old are you, if you don't mind me asking...

[troutman]

I'm not sure these feelings ever go away - whether you are 20, 40 or 60.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

How old are you, if you don't mind me asking...

25.

Too early to be feeling this way?

[CaptainCrunch]

Way to early

But Summer is the silly season for burn out. I've found that vacations are over rated. What you need to do when you don't feel motivated is to bury yourself in your work, ask other people around you for their work. Pitch new project ideas at your boss. Put in as much unpaid back breaking overtime as possible, also weekend work. You know, work out of your slump. When you feel your right arm go numb and your heart pounding in your chest, thats just the release of the good working hormone. When you fall to the floor, try and grab a rag and polish your little piece of real estate. When the EMT's show up ask them if you can use their wireless internet for your lap top because you can get some work done on the way to the hospital.

Work Work Work.

[Dan02]

I too am suffering from motivational problems this morning, however, mine are more of the "i just got back from vacation and wish i was still there" variety. Hopefully they clear up before it's too late to bother working at all today,(or not)

[Slanter]

I have this problem too, and I was just going to make a post about it.

One of the main ways I know I'm having motivation problems is that I'm easily distracted at work. For example, I'll be sitting in front of my computer, and I'll only be able to work for short 15 minute bursts before I find myself automatically logging on the internet to come to this site, or some other site.

Like you, I was also wondering if there was some way I could train my brain to be more focused.... Like by taking meditation or Yoga classes or something. Anybody ever tried any of that?

Anyways, at least know you're not alone. I'm also 25, also really like my job, but can't stay focused!

[Bagor]

What about taking up a martial art like Taekwondo? Some way of releasing energy and refocusing yourself?

[Ozy_Flame]

Yeah, I'm wondering if this might be an ADD problem. I can't keep focused on one thing very often, I'm always thinking about doing random activities during the day. It would make sense too, because I should be focusing on getting our internal newsletter out, and all I can think about this morning is ways to bother my friend's cat when I go over to his house...

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

What you need to do when you don't feel motivated is to bury yourself in your work, ask other people around you for their work. Pitch new project ideas at your boss. Put in as much unpaid back breaking overtime as possible, also weekend work. You know, work out of your slump. When you feel your right arm go numb and your heart pounding in your chest, thats just the release of the good working hormone. When you fall to the floor, try and grab a rag and polish your little piece of real estate. When the EMT's show up ask them if you can use their wireless internet for your lap top because you can get some work done on the way to the hospital.

Work Work Work.

Nah. Maybe he just needs a good Slump Buster.

[Muta]

I'm 25 too, and am still working that entry-level role out of university (1.5 years now and only a handful of interviews since, ugh), but I minimize my motivation problems by reminding myself that I work alongside my father in a very vibrant and open-minded office, which also happens to be located in a great location (Eau Claire)... whenever I feel like I do my 15 burst of work, I then go outside for a breath of fresh air, look at the water, or go get a coffee or something.

Sometimes situations like motivation problems are solved by radically changing your environment. I.E. a move to a different location, forcing you to fend for yourself in a new environment with unfamiliar people or surroundings.

Dang, now I'm wishing I was somehow doing that.

[burn_baby_burn]

Everyone is different. I find that I am at my best when I am under a lot of pressure. I feed off of it. When I am not that busy is when I become lackadaisical. Ever heard the expression "the less you do, the less you feel like doing"?

Vacations are good if your getting burnt out. It sounds like you may be losing interest or becoming bored. Maybe, despite loving your job, you need a change of scenery or different responsibilities. New challenges might renew your passion or keep you motivated. Like I said though, everyone is different.

[CaptainCrunch]

I notice that the main people losing motivation in this thread are in the 25 yo old age bracket. Isn't it typical that its you damn young people with no motivation, dragging down society, and stepping all over my lawn.

In my day, there were no computer screens at work, there were pencils and papers, and every day for lunch we'd re-arrange the gravel quarry by pushing boulders up and down hills by ourselves. And motivation was never a problem because our bosses were all A type motivators who didn't care about your job enjoyment or retention, it was fire hire fire hire till they got someone that they could mold into their own image.

You punks have it easy today.

We earned out $.75 an hour.

[missdpuck]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

25.

Too early to be feeling this way?

No I don't think it's too early to feel this way. Growth is always painful and I don't think it's as age related as a lot of people assume. Tallulah Bankhead ..I don't even know what year she said this, i just know none of us were around yet...made one of my favorite quotes. It's something like "If I had it to do all over again I'd make the same mistakes, only earlier." I HATE my job and am going through similar angst, at least you like yours. I've just ordered a motivational book called Take Ten, I'll let ya know how it is. "Mind Gym: the athlete's guide to inner excellence" is full of familiar quotes, sports cliches, etc. but I actually find it very motivational for life in general. Maybe you should consider your present situation a GOOD thing. Yesterday at B&N I saw a book called Quarterlife Crisis on the sale table..isn't that a TV show too?

[COGENT]

hhhmmmm....

traveling always breaks this kind of slump for me... I guess I would say it re-inspires me. But in order to be inspired, you need to go somewhere that's inspiring.

I guess any new experience can re-inspire. I just got a new job and I feel incredible.

On a side note. If you decide to leave your job, would you give me a heads up? That industry has always interested me.

[J pold]

My motivational habits in terms of work and school are poor. I procrastinate to hell and than in the hours before something is due I work extremely hard to whatever I need too get done. It usually works out but it puts me under a lot of stress and isn’t the best method for motivation.

[JBR]

I repeat the following every morning as I walk into the office:

"If I bust my tail today, my boss will become even more better off than me. To the King go the spoils!!!"

OK, scratch that. It's bad advice.

[Muta]

On a side note, I was in a high level meeting yesterday, got bored and went on my laptop when no one was looking... came to CP, and forgot to turn off the sound.

So, in the middle of the meeting, I get this LOUD "Saaaay Something!!! Whaaaat??" from those stupid Smiley ads up top of the page. Everyone just turned to me and half of them laughed, having no idea why that happened or where that came from.

Nevertheless, I had to apologize to the 20 people in the room that it was from an Internet ad.

My motivation is now to kill the Smiley advertisements and take that 'company' down from the inside out. Death to the emoticon infidels.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

25.

Too early to be feeling this way?

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Yeah, I'm wondering if this might be an ADD problem.

I am about the same age, and have the same problems. My issue stems back from a summer where I had a pretty demanding job, and it physically and mentally tired me out. I worked 70 hour weeks, and at that job it was brutal. Not boring in the least, I had too much to do so I couldn't keep up. It really pushed me to the limits of what I could do at that time. Ever since, I have not felt challenged at all. So a lot of my motivation problems and boredom stem from not being challeneged. I would not say you are too young to feel this way, and I too have often worried if I have some mild form of ADD. I do get bored very easily when I'm not interested/challeneged.

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I notice that the main people losing motivation in this thread are in the 25 yo old age bracket. Blah blah more old person jokes...

There are people who lose motivation at any age range. I think that people in this age bracket get the reputation is because we are supposed to be the ones with motivation, ready to go go go. It is tough to go hard at something when you're not interested in it though. What do you older folk do to get the job done when you aren't interested in it at all? And don't say "how else do you pay the bills?" because there are a lot of days where it's not even worth the pay to be this bored at work!