How do you stay motivated?(bbrathwaite.wordpress.com)
bbrathwaite.wordpress.com
How do you stay motivated?
http://bbrathwaite.wordpress.com/2009/09/02/how-do-you-stay-motivated/
12 comments
Even when you are working on something you love it can be hard to stay motivated.
Too true. I get people telling me all the time that the reason I have motivational problems is because I just don't totally, wholeheartedly love what I do.
That's not true. I really do like what I do. It's just that encapsulated in every conceptual appreciation is a lot of work. I think the difference between someone who "loves what they do" vs. someone who approaches what they do rather dispassionately is that in the former case, it's only 90% drudgery/10% fun, as opposed to something more like 98%/2%.
Too true. I get people telling me all the time that the reason I have motivational problems is because I just don't totally, wholeheartedly love what I do.
That's not true. I really do like what I do. It's just that encapsulated in every conceptual appreciation is a lot of work. I think the difference between someone who "loves what they do" vs. someone who approaches what they do rather dispassionately is that in the former case, it's only 90% drudgery/10% fun, as opposed to something more like 98%/2%.
I'm motivated to do things as a means of not doing ostensibly more important things:
http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/
http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/
Sure, all of us need a break from whatever we're doing, not matter how much we love it, once in a while.
But if you find yourself asking, "How do I stay motivated?" more than once or twice per year, then you're probably in the wrong line of work.
99% of the time, loving what you're doing should be enough motivation.
But if you find yourself asking, "How do I stay motivated?" more than once or twice per year, then you're probably in the wrong line of work.
99% of the time, loving what you're doing should be enough motivation.
That's what I was trying to get at. I am always excited to be doing what I'm doing, even if it's slow going or under pressure or whatever.
How do you stay motivated? > How do you stay in love?
Wonderful turn of phrase. I'm inspired now to search around for articles about how couples keep stay in love for decades. I'm sure they use some of the same "algorithms" that people who stay in love with their work do.
Wonderful turn of phrase. I'm inspired now to search around for articles about how couples keep stay in love for decades. I'm sure they use some of the same "algorithms" that people who stay in love with their work do.
I recently left my sweet, sweet university job running a development team to start a private firm with some colleagues. We launched http://wejustquit.net for our friends and family just after the announcement. When I need a little kick in the butt, I just swing by and it scares the motivation right back to me.
If only it would try to eat me every so often, I'd work all the time.
If only it would try to eat me every so often, I'd work all the time.
I imagine it would help quite a bit to not work alone...
How do I stay motivated?
Ha! I don't.
Ha! I don't.
Modafinil
Money?
Karma points?
It's important to recognise when your motivation is dipping and switch to something else or take a break.
Too often I forget this and keep pressing on regardless - and the task takes twice time it would have if I'd just parked it for a day or two.