Motivation problems

[HelloHockeyFans]

I'm gonna add another vote to a nice vacation for yourself. You've been working over a year without taking a vacation from work man... book a trip, fly away and just relax. It's definitely something every one needs once in a while if they don't want to see their productivity dip, which seems to be the case for you. Also, make sure it's a relaxing vacation... as opposed to a tiring one. Go some where (alone if you must) and just lie around and enjoy the weather and women.

Another thing to do is visualize and lay out your goals explicitly. At the end of the day, we're selfish beings and there's no reason to be ashamed of that. Write down your goals (which will likely be materialistic -- again, doesn't matter) and explicitly write down when you want to achieve these things (but be realistic). If you want to buy a boat in a year, put that down on paper and plan out how much you need to put away every month to get it in a year. If it seems out of reach because of money, think to yourself how you can make more money to attain this goal. This ties into getting promoted, getting a raise, getting a bonus. Now write down how you're going to get this promotion/raise/bonus. If you want the boat bad enough, you'll get it and if you need to work harder, you'll do it.

It's not good enough to plan for something in your head. You need to write things down and come up with a realistic, but challenging plan.

Once you're working towards a physical goal that you can visualize, motivation problems should slowly disappear.

[fredr123]

I'm close to the same age as the OP and I think I can relate. Up until the last couple years, I've lived my life in four month cycles: fall semester, winter semester, summer job. It always seemed that by the end of the second month or part way into the third, I was ready for a change whether that meant starting work, starting school again or starting different classes. Change was always welcomed.

I'm all done school now and have been working year-round for a couple years. I still crave change and have even (gawd forbid) contemplated taking some more schooling to change things up. There are plenty of days when I post way too much on CP because, in large part, I just have no desire to do the work that's piling up on my desk. It seems worse in the summer months and right around February when the sun's only out for 6 hours a day to turn the gray winter sky a different shade of gray.

Why do I feel like this? Probably because I'm spoiled. I've never had to struggle to get by. Very few of us probably have. With the way the economy has been in the past decade or so, none of us have really had to bust our hump and outperform everyone else just to hold down a decent job. There's something inside me that says I'm entitled to a comfortable lifestyle. That I deserve to be happy and that if I'm neither happy nor comfortable then something's wrong. Well, for previous generations being uncomfortable and unhappy meant that you were working which meant that you were getting by and that was the point.

My job is a lot more cushy now than it was 20 years ago. Even then, nobody in my profession was snorting coal dust or cutting off their limbs with heavy equipment. Things are better now than they ever were and I STILL have the nerve to whine and complain. Us youngin's can take offence to comments from CaptainCrunch and the rest of the old guard in business but they really do have a point. I denied it for the longest time but eventually came around to accept the truth.

If you like your job, then find a way to motivate yourself. Get some different work. Challenge yourself. Play through the slump.

If you don't like your job, then find a new one. Don't complain about your situation: change it. If your world is all screwed up, rearrange it.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by fredr123

Play through the slump....

If your wold is all screwed up, rearrange it.

I am playing through my slump, in baseball and in real life

Also, how exactly can you re-arrange your wold?

I know what you are saying, good point on thinking we lose motivation because we have never experienced serious hardship. I guess the moral of the story is that having low motivation probably never killed anyone, so do what you can to liven things up!

[Old Yeller]

I think for myself (I'm 30) it has to do with not having much to do at work currently and being waaaaay too comfortable with my cushy job right now. I've started job hunting to rectify that, but I'm even approaching that somewhat half-assed... it's like my brain screams for more but my laziness is trying to drown out that brain of mine.

I'm not exactly sure how to get out of this.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

I think for myself (I'm 30) it has to do with not having much to do at work currently and being waaaaay too comfortable with my cushy job right now. I've started job hunting to rectify that, but I'm even approaching that somewhat half-assed... it's like my brain screams for more but my laziness is trying to drown out that brain of mine.

I'm not exactly sure how to get out of this.

Hand in your resignation this afternoon. That'll motivate you

Seriously, though, I know a guy who applies for different jobs every six months. He revamps his CV and starts hitting the classified ads (not really because most awesome jobs aren't advertised anyway). He kicks the tires on a few places and takes a looksee at what's out there. I'm not sure what his superiors think of this but the guy has been relatively loyal to his employer.

A couple times he shook a tree and a fantastic opportunity fell on his head.

Don't be afraid to try something new and challenge yourself.

[Crazy Flamer]

Maybe you need a change of pace. Even though you may like your job you may still be secretly wondering if there is something better out there for you. People sometimes have a way of hiding those true burning questions under a blanket of comfort and stability. It's a tough question, but one you may want to ask yourself honestly.

Are you really happy?

[Locke]

Yeah, you have to shake things up a bit.

That or develop yourself a serious vice. Nothing will get you motivated like that next fix.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by Crazy Flamer

Maybe you need a change of pace. Even though you may like your job you may still be secretly wondering if there is something better out there for you. People sometimes have a way of hiding those true burning questions under a blanket of comfort and stability. It's a tough question, but one you may want to ask yourself honestly.

Are you really happy?

"Honey, I'm giving it all up to become a mime!"

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I'm in the final stages of writing my dissertation in English, and that is a process that will test your motivation, let me tell you. You spend 4 or 5 years writing something that 6 people ever read (and that includes your mother) only to have a few letters behind your name and a remote chance at a job that pays only slightly better than the job (which is admittedly less secure and has a higher workload) than the one I have now.

Don't let your children go to grad school.

[pepper24]

Maybe you have mono?

[bigtmac19]

Originally Posted by 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.

Ha Ha, this made me laugh, that sort of happened to me at work yesterday, only clients in the waiting room heard it, I did not realize my sound was turned up either. How embarrassing!

[red sky]

I actually can relate to this OP entirely however I am going to go grab a coffee before I go any further with this post...

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

I think for myself (I'm 30) it has to do with not having much to do at work currently and being waaaaay too comfortable with my cushy job right now. I've started job hunting to rectify that, but I'm even approaching that somewhat half-assed... it's like my brain screams for more but my laziness is trying to drown out that brain of mine.

I'm not exactly sure how to get out of this.

This is my problem too... have all these things in my head that I want to do (international travel, start a business, find ways to quickly payoff my debt), I yell at myself for not doing them, but I'm just too damn lazy. And to add to it, I have a job that is incredibly low-responsibility for such a good paying job, and every time I try to apply for another job, I realize it's alot more work and less pay - even though it's career-related.

[4X4]

I have major problems staying focused. My job requires me to be in and out of the office all day. Whenever I'm at the office (or at home like right now) I'm half surfing CP and half doing my job. I'll read a thread, then make a phone call, then post in the thread, then my phone will ring, then research something, then read more CP, then make another call.

I was pretty behind with a couple of my projects so I played with the idea of a voluntary temporary ban from CP, but I managed to get things back on track without it.

Seriously, this site is like crack. Curbing my CP addiction is easily as hard as quitting smoking.

I guess my post is sort of relevant to this thread?

[nieuwy-89]

After reading the thread its obvious this is a common problem. We all get bored with our jobs. Humans were not meant to sit in an office and focus on paperwork or computer screens for 8 hours a day.


Anyway, some things that have worked for me and other people I know:

• Re-arrange your workspace (office or cubicle) so your computer screen and back face the door. The lack of privacy will help keep you focussed on work, and less comfortable surfing the net.
• Start each day by writing a to-do list - with the goal of accomplishing everything on the list by the end of the day. Make it realisitic, and throw a variety of tasks in if you can.
• Take short breaks every hour or so (5-10 minutes) - go for a glass of water, cup of coffee, or even a short walk outside the office.
• Have your IT department block CalgaryPuck !! (just kidding - that would be crazy)

[Locke]

Originally Posted by nieuwy-89

After reading the thread its obvious this is a common problem. We all get bored with our jobs. Humans were not meant to sit in an office and focus on paperwork or computer screens for 8 hours a day.



Anyway, some things that have worked for me and other people I know:

• Re-arrange your workspace (office or cubicle) so your computer screen and back face the door. The lack of privacy will help keep you focussed on work, and less comfortable surfing the net.
• Start each day by writing a to-do list - with the goal of accomplishing everything on the list by the end of the day. Make it realisitic, and throw a variety of tasks in if you can.
• Take short breaks every hour or so (5-10 minutes) - go for a glass of water, cup of coffee, or even a short walk outside the office.
• Have your IT department block CalgaryPuck !! (just kidding - that would be crazy)

CP is just keeping Calgary's economic growth within reasonable norms. If we werent on CP, we'd be working and then the expected work rate in the future would just keep increasing at an unhindered rate.

Done be hatin'.

Although, I bet if employers around town united to try and expunge the CP scourge they probably wouldnt be too happy with the sheer amount of work not being done.

[Cowboy89]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_life_crisis

Sounds like a "Quarter Life Crisis." I'm 24 and have been out of University and into the "Real World" in a "real job" for two and a half years now and had many of the same feelings and thoughts as you at some point over the past couple of years. Once I read further into the subject I started to feel better about some things and eventually I got back into a groove. Take a vacation to clear the mind it certainly could help.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_life_crisis

Sounds like a "Quarter Life Crisis." I'm 24 and have been out of University and into the "Real World" in a "real job" for two and a half years now and had many of the same feelings and thoughts as you at some point over the past couple of years. Once I read further into the subject I started to feel better about some things and eventually I got back into a groove. Take a vacation to clear the mind it certainly could help.

Wow, I think this is exactly it. I like my job but I'm not stimulated by the work very much (hence a lack of initiative), I long to go back to school, and ever since I finished college, the "real world" just isn't that appealing right now, even though I'm making about a bajillion times more money than I was before.

I kind of feel like "this is it; this is the first day of the rest of my life." Somehow I'm not understanding what other people seem to be so successful at.

A "quarter life crisis"........hmmm....

[nieuwy-89]

Originally Posted by Locke

Although, I bet if employers around town united to try and expunge the CP scourge they probably wouldnt be too happy with the sheer amount of work not being done.

A friend's father who owns a fairly large business was complaining once about his employees and internet use. The way he saw it - if half his employees are spending even 10 minutes a day on the internet - it worked out to dozens of full-time equivalent staff.

I'm sure the real numbers in terms of lost time/productivity across North America would be staggering.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by nieuwy-89

A friend's father who owns a fairly large business was complaining once about his employees and internet use. The way he saw it - if half his employees are spending even 10 minutes a day on the internet - it worked out to dozens of full-time equivalent staff.

I'm sure the real numbers in terms of lost time/productivity across North America would be staggering.

That's like saying if you save 5 minutes a day on your commute you could save over a day in a year. That type of number crunching sounds good but it actually means very little in actual case work IMO.

I went through the same thing a few years ago at that age where you start thinking, is this what I am going to be doing when I am 60? Two words ... BRA ZIL combine them and they equal the happiest place on planet mofo earth.