Ask HN: How to get that fire in the belly back?

There needs to be a new law:

If the question asks “does anyone [else]”, the answer is always “yes”.

Perhaps you need to find a new pasture? Perhaps this one turned muddy. Two years is often “long enough” at any one position.

Find someone you hate and compete against them?

You've climbed another level on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and now the needs below are no longer interesting to you, they provide diminishing returns when fulfilled. Many paths are available to you now: some choose philosophy or ignorance, some choose hedonism.

> I got into the big leagues.

You sure about that? I know thats what every one says but lets face it, being a dev at FAANG is like being a chef at McDonald's. It sounds like you are taking it seriously and really trying to make your lifes best work, I bet your boss hates you and wishes you would just make the big mac as instructed.

Your mindset is trigger by your environment, change your environment the mindset will change without any effort. Trying to change your mindset in an enviornment that triggers a complacent mindset will drive you mad please don't try.

Get a job where your enthusiasim is appreciated and encouraged, stop trying to make soufflé at McDonald's.

Doing the work sans belly fire is what it means to be professional. And sure in the best cases doing the work is spark, kindling and fuel. Still the work is what matters not the fire.

But maybe what you were doing is no longer work.

Or maybe it never was.

Or maybe you have grown over two years.

Yes probably that. Good luck.

You need a compelling 'why'. What is your mission, how do you want to spend your precious time? Why do you want to do these things. This is the root of motivation.

you are at a FAANG making good money. lots of people can’t get a FAANG job despite being highly qualified. others can’t for other reasons.

The other comments here have mainly added what I had wanted to stay. Particularly what ironlake said about climbing to another level fo Maslow's hierarchy of needs. So I will approach this question from a different point of view. On the aspect of motivation: It seems like the reasons you had for pushing were externally focused (going to get into the big leagues). But what motivates you internally? Why chase those habits? Those habits existed to serve you at a different point in your life. Ask yourself why you feel the need to chase the same you as back then. You can sustain a roaring fire for only a short term, perhaps you need to look for habits that can sustain embers that burn for much longer.

The other thing I want to state is that complacency and ungratefulness are not feelings. They are thoughts. Perhaps you are feeling insecure (I am no longer improving my skills) or feeling bored (I have nothing more to learn here). Note that the phrases in the parentheses are thoughts and not feelings. It's all too common for us to substitute feeling when we really mean thinking. Similarly,we fool ourselves into thinking that our rational thought precedes our feelings; it does not. Your cerebral cortex activates after your Limbic. You feel things first, and then your cerebral cortex uses your past experiences to attempt to provide context (loosely speaking).

So I'd really ask you, why those feelings are and how you've processed them? Often if we're externally focused, we dull our interospective awareness.

The buzzwordy solution to this is do mindfulness meditation! Honestly though, you don't need to meditate. Just do things that you're able to practice being mindful.