The downsides of self-motivation

When you enter "motivation" into Google, you get 397,000,000 results.

It seems that we are very preoccupied with this topic, and that alone is suspicious. Because the obvious does not need to be made a topic. So where a lot is said about motivation, one can assume that it is lacking. Where there is a lack of motivation, one must then motivate oneself. And that is precisely the critical point. There are five reasons why we should avoid self-motivation as much as possible:

1. It costs us a lot of energy when we have to motivate ourselves to do something for which we feel no inclination. Willpower, like muscle power, consumes a lot of glucose. In the end, we are exhausted. In technical terms, this is called ego depletion.
2. Those who constantly motivate themselves for work use up their energy for it, leaving less for the actual work. Self-motivation has a performance-reducing effect.
3. With every act of self-motivation, we work against ourselves. We suppress inner reluctance, break inner resistance. Seen in this light, every act of self-motivation is also an act of self-violation.
4. Those who motivate themselves overcome themselves now in order to receive a reward later. For example, someone who takes on an unpleasant task may hope to stand out positively and be promoted later. However, this is not guaranteed. Self-motivation is therefore an uncertain investment in the future.
5. At the same time, the focus is always on the future. Self-motivation entails that we do not enjoy the here and now, but expect the good for later. Countless employees pull themselves together during working hours and look forward to the end of the day when they have finished work. This is exactly the opposite of a fulfilled life.

For these reasons, I am convinced that we should only motivate ourselves very consciously and sparingly. Self-motivation is by no means suitable as a basis for everyday work. We need something else for that. For me, the alternative is to learn how to skillfully use work for our happiness. I rely on joy in work – more on that another time... [Article, Marion Lemper-Pychlau] To the profile of Top100 Speaker Marion Lemper-Pychlau