Ask HN: How do you stay motivated and productive?
I don't have any motivation to do many of my tasks at work. They're all boring and frustrating. It's just a job, not a career, so there's no incentive to push through this just to get to the next level. Also, switching jobs internally or externally doesn't seem to be a likely option.
Any ideas on how to increase motivation at work?
53 comments
[ 4.5 ms ] story [ 109 ms ] threadWhat's wrong with this? You realize that if you died today your job would get posted before your obituary, don't you?
Don't let your job mean too much to you. Do the job, get paid, and find meaning, community, and fulfillment elsewhere.
It doesn't mean too much to me. But it does mean that I get a paycheck that I use to support my family. I just need to be motivated and productive enough to keep the job.
If you want to do something meaningful with your life, stop making rich assholes even richer and get the fuckers to invest in you so you can realize your own dream.
Be a fuckin' entrepreneur instead of some entrepreneur's flunky.
The only real feedback I got on why I'm off track is that I'm slow. I also agree that I'm slow. Management and I agree that I'm slow due to a high level of context switching. I brought up that maybe a new team with less switching would be better for me. They are discouraging that.
If your life feels empty and you're unhappy working for some no name company in an entry level role, do you really think being chief sr. lead back end architect at Google is going to flip everything around?
Motivation is an unfortunately difficult placeholder word when a lot of other words and descriptions could work better. Could it be that your preferred perspectives and roles are blocked by others at work, and your ability to believe in a good outcome is compromised? Just as one example. In this case it might help to reframe your role and your tools, in a way that still fits your skills. In this way, differing descriptions of the problem can sometimes offer new leverage.
Same with "boring". Can your perspective on boredom be described in a different way that highlights solutions that weren't on the table before? I have one friend who finds a lack of ideation boring, because he's a conceptualizer. I have another friend who finds a lack of physical stimulation boring.
And we would need to know, are you only temporarily comfortable ruling options out before trying them, and are you eventually going to feel more willing to allow for random unknowns and outside possibilities and try them? In such a case we could put switching jobs externally and internally both back on the mood board, which at least gives you more local control over the general process.
There's a lot of ground to cover but I hope you find yourself getting some good ideas as you ask around. Good luck and may you find yourself in an awesome new work situation.
I'm a midlevel application engineer mostly maintaining systems that move data from a legacy system into a cloud system. There's a high level of context switching and constant PRD support issues. It's a terrible environment for me, yet most other postings don't seem any better.
I haven't completely ruled out internal or external moves, but I'm tired of people saying "just leave". I have posted to a couple internal and external roles, but didn't get them (not enough "real" Android experience). I have some professional and personal things that limit some of my choices and can make the switch difficult/risky.
I am a conceptualizer. I do think it's a lack of ideation, or that the even when new ideas are presented they aren't pursued. I think I'd love a job as an architect, but that's unobtainable from my current level.
> I think I'd love a job as an architect, but that's unobtainable from my current level.
You do seem like the exact kind of person who would benefit from using an architect's tools and perspectives. Fortunately being big-picture tools in large part, they are very readily adaptable to any process you want.
IDEO design interviews and videos on YT, and lectures on systems thinking are sometimes a fun way to rekindle this type of mindset for problem-solving purposes.
(An open-ended, architectural process of designing the system that will get you into your next fulfilling position? Not everybody can do that, but based on what you wrote, you'd go to the front of my line...)
"An open-ended, architectural process of designing the system that will get you into your next fulfilling position?"
It's certainly a challenging task. There are some significant constraints in my situation. I'm tempted to just not care, let them eventually fire me, and find a low stress job like working at Lowe's. It's boring but the expectations at $11/hr f you money at the opposite end of the spectrum (as in you don't pay me enough to care).
I remember one who was a top salesman at a solar company, but totally burnt out. He had four custom houses in locations around the world; he sold them all & narrowed down his possessions into a single carry-on. Broke up with his GF and poof, his new interim life had started.
He jumped around to a few different positions (f-u-style) before eventually re-anchoring.
In a lot of cases this is something like a personal transformation process, as well, or can be described as such...
The real question is: Are you working for a tech company or a regular business that "happens to do tech".
If the latter, it's time to jump ship.
Or so it seems.
I’ve thought this for years, given how many crazy things I’ve designed and architected in my head, but never built.
But just as I found out with programming, I have a feeling it’s a lot more boring when applied to “real world” problems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss5Ndz0tn9o
Then do the bare minimum as quickly as possible so you have time to plan and do what's necessary to change your situation.
If the situation/conditions are different now and you are not happy or your expectations are not fulfilling: Time for change ?
It's not a good practice for all-encompassing stuff like the job overall, but for specific dreaded projects it tends to work well!
The other thing you might like to check out is Cal Newport's book "So Good They Can't Ignore You." His premise is basically that all jobs suck and are just jobs, and how you train yourself to "enjoy" them is to become the expert at the processes and things you do and do them so well that you end up enjoying the work for the sheer satisfaction of it. I don't know if I'm explaining that part well but basically you kind of learn to enjoy the frustration parts by learning to master them.
When all else fails, become friends with your coworkers and now you have friends at work to bond with and that makes it enjoyable!
I've hit this before. The environment on this current team doesn't really allow me to become an expert. I'll add that book to my list though. Thanks!
In reality I don't think I'm that intelligent, maybe the upper half of the normal range, if that. It's just that you don't meet many people in finance IT who are also into culturing mushrooms, beekeeping, creating Android apps, etc.
Sure, all jobs suck, but I’d be a hell of a lot more content in some, than others.
If you don't want to do that, I would advise concentrating on improving everything that isn't your job instead.
Spend quality time with you r family. Exercise regularly. Eat healthy. Reconnect with old friends, or make new ones. Do some creative hobby from time to time. Sleep enough hours.
Those things compound. It will be much easier to endure those boring tasks at work if the rest of your life is enjoyable.
And you might find it easier to find a different job once you're have a more positive mindset.
The worst that can happen is that you feel better and your work situation doesn't change.
Why is that?
I haven't seen many jobs that are interesting or even pay the same (most require a pay cut since I would be starting over). I applied to one recently, but I guess I don't have enough real Android experience.
Since you are paying with your life, I can only highly encourage you to reconsider your conclusions.
Since to you your life is different in one crucial regard to everyone else's (it's yours) I dare say you are the prime candidate to realize it.
I know this might not be an option though. So some things that help me to do tasks that I hate doing is to break things up. Set a small goal, accomplish that, and then take a break. Go for a quick walk or grab a snack or read something. Rinse and repeat. Slow and steady wins the race. Eventually the larger task is done. And while you're doing the smaller task, try not to get distracted. Manage your distractions and just let yourself get distracted in your breaks. You can take a lot of breaks lol.
I also find that doing random things to make myself happy let's me enjoy my time working a little more. Like having some nice snacks at my desk, or wearing really comfy clothing, or listening to good music. Then I'm not just wishing I could be done, because at least I'm eating these snacks.
I've been here. It sucks. I really would suggest trying to find a job you like doing a little more. Good luck!
I've been looking for other jobs, but I have quite a few constraints.
I've tried the snack thing. I think it's not a great strategy health wise (put on 15 lbs in 2 months). When we were in the office I would walk to the vending machine... more expensive, same outcome.
- within an hour - seems more interesting than the current one - pays at least 90% of the current one
I was miserable. I lost what little confidence I had in my coding abilities, because for months, I didn’t write any code, just doing maintenance work.
Some people adapt and they succeed in doing their tasks well, even if they are shit tasks. Most people need some amount of creativity and interest to produce anything useful.
Adapt or quit. I’d vote for quitting, but just find another job first, before quitting
Productivity comes and goes. If I feel good, I'm productive naturally. If I've got a reason to be motivated, I'll be productive. Otherwise I might not be that great.
I have standards which are above what others, including managers, expect of me. I don't communicate these to anyone, in fact I don't have them written down. These are so internalized that I get anxious about failing them, in the same way I might about a deadline. This is where I get my motivation.
Motivation is fickle. The longer I've fallen back onto standards and motivation the greater the chance of slipping the standards. When that happens, the motivation evaporates.
If I feel good, I'm productive naturally. How much energy do I have? Energy comes from sleeping, eating, and exercising. If I'm doing those three things well, I don't have to worry about productivity at all.
None of this was set up with 'productivity' in mind. I really don't care about it. My 'standards' influence but don't include productivity. I sleep, eat, and exercise not because I work better but because I feel better.
Obsessing over 'productivity' feels like a mental health trap to me, like money.
I'm already at a minimum cash outflow. I basically gave up many hobbies for ones that are cheaper or free. My friends actually make jokes about how cheap I am.