Motivation in the Workplace

Ah, motivation. That elusive muse that keeps everyone
going (in)sane. Motivation is everywhere: Why do
people fall in love? Why do people go to the gym? Why
do we buy certain things? What is motivation anyway?
Motivation is the fuel that drives people to achieve
things despite being faced by obstacles to the goal.
Motivation can come in many forms; whether financial,
emotional, physical or other, motivation is a
necessary ingredient to keep us going on. One of the
most common places where motivation is most needed is
in the workplace, where long hours of work and
difficult relationships can get us to give up, if
we're not properly motivated. What does it take to be
motivated in the workplace? Here are a few ideas:
Live in the present
According to Nancy O’Hara in her book Work from the
inside out, “We are looking for certainty… and when we
construct in our minds a vision of how things should
be…we can’t help but be disappointed, since the
reality is always different.” Eliminating expectations
should be the first step to gaining motivation. When
we desire material things, we get saddened when we
don’t get what we want when we want it—like right
away. We expect certain outcomes and when we don’t see
it materializing, we feel disappointed and ultimately,
resentful about it.
O’Hara writes, “Desire is the first cause of
disillusionment and disappointment.” She adds that the
best way to eliminate expectations would be to just
live in the present. Scott, a 30-year old supervisor
shared, “Joking around is what makes the day go by; a
long loud scream in the morning pumps me up and gets
me ready.” It sounds easy, but living day by day would
be hell if you don’t like what you do. You can only do
so much with what you have.
“You are your work”
O’Hara hit the target when she wrote that “Work is not
something that doesn’t matter, that has no merit, that
is just something to get through, to endure….” If you
find that work is something you trudge through instead
of something you breeze through, it’s time to analyze
your position. Work gives us dignity. Why are you
where you are now? Looming unemployment is not exactly
a favorable option, but working in a job that (at the
most extreme) you hate may well be just as bad.
Though money is a determining a factor, there are jobs
out there that don’t pay much but offer rich sources
for gaining experience. Instead of working for a
fast-food outlet and earning minimum wage, why not be
an intern in a company that matches your interest? It
may not pay much or you may not even be compensated at
all, but you will learn a lot, which will give you an
edge in building up your résumé. You may well find
that an impressive résumé is one of the best tools you
can use to open up bigger and better opportunities to
yourself.
Know what your plans are
A map is useful if you know the destination. Working
in a job without any definite goal or plan in mind
will make you liable to drift aimlessly. This
experience can be a waste of time that scatters energy
and creativity. Time does not stop for anybody. Before
you know it, the year would have passed and you have
nothing to show for.
Most of the people I talked with didn’t have any
semblance of a plan. Most of them stick to the here
and now. An employee in a testing company, 29-year old
Travis, confided, “I can tell you what gets me up in
the morning: [the rock band] 311 blares on my stereo,
and I lay in bed wishing I could sleep all day. Then
my kitty [cat] comes and licks my face, and I pet her
and eventually I decide [that] if I don't get out of
bed I never will, so I get out of bed and into the
shower. That's it. That's the magic that gets me to
work day in and day out.”
Some are hindered by fear: of failure, or of making a
wrong decision. “Why should I change jobs when I get
compensated well, have great insurance and I’m
familiar with what I’m doing?” asks Jenny, a 25-year
old secretary in a publishing house. Jenny has a
bachelor’s degree in English, but never had the guts
to try out in one of the school districts where she
could really do what she went to school for. Every
day, she feels like a zombie, going to work just
because she has to. Knowing the root of the problem
can help you plan where you truly want to be.
“Challenge yourself every day to find something in
your work to be grateful for.”
Artists have a more interesting take on motivation
since theirs is a struggle with creativity. Mark, a
24-year old composer simply stated, “I love music.”
Loving what you do makes for good motivation. Max,
another musician who has recently left his day job to
concentrate solely on his music told me that: “No
matter how foolish it is, you always think that you’re
the greatest composer who ever lived. It may [or may
not be] correct, but that’s your conviction.”
Gordy, a 25-year old freelance musician as well,
avowed, “If you wake up in the morning and the first
thing you think of is music, that’s what you’re meant
to do.” Yet another musician, John, added, “Friday
comes around and if you’re really into music and [in]
what you’re doing, [my] weekend is a time for people
not to bug me [so I can work on my music].”
At the core of attaining motivation, many struggle to
pre-occupy themselves with anything that will make
life a little less burdensome. Mike, a 21-year old
programmer explained, “I start talking to myself,
saying that I won't get anywhere if I don't try.
Nothing is impossible, it only requires some effort.”
Philip, a middle-aged employee in an administrative
position, summed it up, “[I get motivated in] a number
of ways, music always does it. I love to hear it and
play it. These days poverty is a big motivator. It
sucks. I am here because the schedule allows me to go
to school. Believe it or not, God motivates me a lot.
To clean up my life and do good and stuff.”