Self-motivation is self-overcoming. It would be better to find joy in one's work. Five tips from Marion Lemper-Pychlau. Motivation is the desire to do something. If you enter the term into Google, you will see approximately 335 million results. This is always revealing because it highlights what is in demand. The obvious does not need to be emphasized! Therefore, if we are so intensively concerned with motivation in the working world, this fact indicates a blatant lack. We often lack the right motivation. Then we have to motivate ourselves. Countless gurus eagerly explain to us how to do it. Self-motivation is a ubiquitous demand that we impose on ourselves as well as on our employers or our customers. Our salvation seems to lie in the art of self-motivation. It promises happiness and success. THE QUESTIONABLE ART OF SELF-MOTIVATION Self-motivation always involves self-overcoming. The inner resistances are broken, the inner feelings of reluctance are overcome. One pulls oneself together, tries to convince oneself of the necessity of the action, and always denies that part of oneself that resists the pending task. Self-motivation means self-violation. In addition, disciplined functioning requires a lot of energy. Discipline consumes glucose, just like a muscle. That is why willpower is eventually exhausted like a muscle. Then nothing works anymore. Moreover, the energy devoted to willpower cannot benefit the work. Therefore, we should know very precisely which tasks are worth this price. Self-motivation can only make sense in specific situations. The best would be if we could feel more joy in our work. Enjoying work means "I enjoy what I do," making any self-overcoming unnecessary. The only question is how joy can be generated when there are good reasons for feelings of reluctance. But once you start focusing your attention on all the possibilities for joyful work, you will quickly find: #1 PLAYING CHESS One common trigger for feelings of reluctance is other people. "The main reason for stress is daily contact with idiots," Einstein is said to have stated. For example, consultants may encounter clients who test their patience and goodwill. This can often be exhausting and unsatisfying. Alternatively, one could approach the meeting with an unpleasant counterpart like a game of chess: then strategic thinking is at the forefront. This approach makes one emotionally less sensitive and directs the mind towards helpful strategies rather than one's own feelings. At the same time, one optimizes the chances of success. Interaction with the disliked counterpart becomes a game where one can score points. It is exciting and challenging. Laborious self-overcoming becomes unnecessary. #2 BEING MINDFUL Mindfulness is a proven recipe for feeling alive. Unfortunately, we all tend to let our thoughts wander. But no one can truly feel alive if their attention is not in the here and now. What would happen if we were to conduct every conversation with the utmost presence in the future?
- We would be alert and could actually absorb what the other person is saying. Consultations would be much more effective.
- We would gain a deeper understanding of people and things. This would make targeted action easier.
- The other person would feel noticed, which would be a significant deposit in the relationship account. This not only wins sympathy and trust but often also further orders.
- Everyday life would be much more exciting and full of interesting observations.
#3 USING WORK FOR IDENTITY FORMATION What could make us happier at work than pride in our own achievements? There is a very simple recipe for this: "Always act as the person you want to be!" Whoever heeds this advice will inevitably develop into the best person they can be. Regardless of what is happening around them, they maintain self-respect with everything they do. This creates a natural dignity that is expressed in composure and self-confidence. #4 CHOOSING THE RIGHT FOCUS What the mind focuses on will grow. It gains an increasingly larger representation in thoughts and feelings. Anyone who is so careless as to concentrate on their dissatisfaction should know this. We can choose what we want to focus on. Negative content drains, positive content inspires. Choosing the right focus has nothing to do with glossing over things but is intelligent psychohygiene. Negative circumstances should only receive as much attention as absolutely necessary. #5 SEEKING CHALLENGES Routine is comfortable and indispensable, but also dangerous. It turns us into thoughtless automatons. A reliable method to feel more alive is to seek new challenges. Then we are alert, feel invigorated, and also have the opportunity to learn and grow. Learning processes have always been rewarded by nature with feelings of happiness because they contribute to survival. Happiness always has the quality of "nonetheless." Those who make themselves dependent on the working conditions around them, who wait for them to be perfect, will not be able to experience joy at work. It comes down to enjoying daily activities, even though there are so many reasons against it. Every day offers opportunities for happy experiences, and it would be a shame to let these opportunities pass by unused.
