Ask HN: How do you stay motivated to work in long term? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How do you stay motivated to work in long term?

4 pointsthrow936 comments

I've been working as a software dev for a long time now and at start I couldn't wait to get into office to build interesting stuff. I'm now old(40s), tired and absolutely hate my job. I still enjoy writing code but the constant pressure and deadlines has taken out all the passion from the job. I did not take managerial roles because I'm simply not good at it. I will go extra lengths to help someone, but can't manage them. I don't have enough savings to just bolt off, not even close. The fact that I have to run on this hamsterwheel till I die makes me very depressed. For reasons I don't wanna mention here, I can't be without job no matter what. I used to be one of the top performers when I was young but now I'm probably in bottom 20% and constantly in fear of losing my job which would be devastating. On the side, I have been writing a chatbot for twitch and it's the only thing that gives me satisfaction. But it's not earning me any money and probably isn't my way out. I also feel betrayed...I have made so much money to the companies I worked for and all I get in return is job insecurity. this sucks!

In directionless periods of my life, talking to the right person for 20-30 minutes was sometimes what I really needed.

For you, or anybody that feels like this, schedule a phone call with me!

I don't have all the answers, but I love chatting with strangers about setting goals and learning skills :)

https://calendly.com/taylor-town/30min

Sorry to hear about it. :-( Constant pressure and passion-sucking deadlines suck!

Since you asked, here are some things that help me stay motivated at work:

- Asking myself what sucks about work, and what's interesting, at least weekly, sometimes daily (baseline attention to emotions == baseline life security system)

- Venting as needed (nice job ;-))

- Finding new ways to push back or push for the changes I need, when conditions are unreasonable; ramping up the directness & specificity in these conversations as needed

- Planning, implementing, and seeing results of process / procedural changes at work

- Arranging to try slightly different ways of working with the same people; evaluating results

- Finding numerous small & enjoyable things to do, and specifically including them as scheduled line items after work's line items

BTW, I have a friend who wrote somewhat like you do, so I was reminded of his story.

He didn't enjoy being a manager or even a normal employee, but he was good at tech & coding.

Eventually he discovered that he made a good teacher and enjoyed teaching. He was able to migrate to a career in teaching tech skills to small groups of younger students.

There was enough demand that he was even able to hire and mentor other teachers in various ways.

One of those people he hired was me, and I am always grateful for that experience.

I guess you never know what opportunities might come by.

Good luck to you--btw I see that you asked this on the anniversary of Rick Astley's birth, thus a likely sign that the winds of fortune Never Gonna Give You Up :-)

Staying motivated at work over the long term can be challenging, but here are some tips that might help:

1. Set clear and achievable goals for yourself and track your progress.

2. Find meaning and purpose in your work by connecting it to your personal values and interests.

3. Continuously learn and develop new skills to keep things fresh and interesting.

4. Cultivate positive relationships with colleagues, superiors, and customers.

5. Practice good self-care, such as exercise, sleep, and relaxation.

6. Recognize and celebrate your accomplishments, both big and small.

7. Seek feedback and engage in regular performance evaluations to get a sense of how you're doing and what areas you can improve.

Remember, motivation is a personal and dynamic experience, so it's important to experiment and find what works best for you.

As we get older motivation decreases, and it seems to require explicit effort to get motivated. Motivation derives from anticipation. If there are things about your work that please you, emotional day-dreaming about successfully completing such tasks can help provide motivation.

Clinical depression can be an important factor here. Try consulting with your doctor or a counselor. Ask for an anti-depressant prescription. I know from personal experience that can help.

Good luck!

I disagree. Motivation doesn’t diminish as one gets older, but that which motivates you may. Now retired, I’m very motivated, just on things that interest me. My last few years working, not so much. Accumulated years of bad management, boring projects, continually reinventing the wheel, etc. drains job satisfaction. Sometimes career interests change. Sometimes a new job or company is the answer.

Move to smaller firms. Stay away from large corp wonderland.

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