If you’ve lost your Motivation… this’ll help
Photo by Justin Luebke
From time to time I hear this –almost un-permissible– phrase from my friends and clients:
“I’ve lost my motivation”
...or Drive ...or Passion
I notice that it’s usually the more self-aware and emotionally connected people that utter it. It takes a willingness to be vulnerable. It takes humility. It’s a hard thing to admit!
But yet it seems only natural that we’ll lose our motivation from time to time. We can’t maintain high energy, drive, clarity and commitment all the time.
How comfortable would you be to acknowledge that perhaps you’ve lost your Motivation?
How comfortable would you be to admit that you are feeling Baffled or Fed-up or Depleted or Discouraged or Anxious or Fragile or just Stuck?
Getting a sense that you’ve lost motivation whether for a small project, a whole aspect of your role or, dare I say it…, for life is a problem!
The good news is that we are born problem solvers.
The bad news is that some motivation problems are gnarly, complex and near-impossible to solve solo (unless you’re dedicated, motivated [sic] and have a lot of time and patience).
Daniel Pink, a law grad and journalist put together a remarkable piece of work on Motivation.
Like a good lawyer, he reviews all the evidence and builds his case. And like a good journalist, he delivers it. (His TED talk and Book are well worth a look).
I must say that having worked with motivation for decades (both mine and that of my clients) I believe Daniel has nailed it! Well, how could he not…? He basically digested all the scholarly texts on the subject. A lot of which are highly respected and diligently researched pieces of work by professors that have puzzled-on and experimented-with motivation for years. Dan then brought the main themes together into one model:
There are 3 main books/philosophies on motivation and I agree with Dan that you get a robust lens if you look at motivation through all three simultaneously. Motivation, of course, is not one thing!
To cut this short and give you the answer to the puzzle of motivation:
Autonomy — you need freedom in your life and work
Mastery — you need to have the experience of getting good at something you value. And then continually getting better at it
Purpose — you need to work towards something you believe in, something that’s bigger than yourself
Now. if you’re lacking motivation… run your situation through this:
Do you have enough freedom in your work / role / job?
Do you believe that you are good at ‘something’? And, that you get to use or do regularly in your role? And, are you getting better at it?
Are you making a difference in a way that feels important and authentic to you?
Hopefully, this little exercise will point to an answer and a solution will arise.
But if not and you still can’t see the wood for the trees or you’re short on time then by all means reach out to me.
If you are ever feeling suicidal call Samaritans on: 116 123! A friend of mine volunteers for Samaritans and has been answering the phone for years, he’s a truly amazing person as I imagine everyone who answers the phone is. They take 10,000 calls a day so you won’t be ‘bothering’ them… They are highly trained and want to help!
If your motivation problem is less intense (and I really hope that’s the case) and it’s work-related then I can help, feel free to contact me. We’ll figure things out together and get you firing on all cylinders sooner than you might imagine.
As a Business Coach I help Founders* and those in Career Transition unlock problems and increase self-mastery so that they are confident in their direction and leadership.
Through Career and Business Coaching, I help people who want to disrupt the(ir) status quo.