I find motivation at work to adhere to certain laws. How can motivation be fostered and how is it drowned? A quick read on the aspect of variance and choice.

High demand

One might find, that in a work environment that is constantly demanding, motivation starts to dwindle. If in addition, day after day work is not only demanding but also stressful and unfulfilling, the body itself learns to dislike going to work.

You might have heard of people having anxiety attacks on Sunday evenings, when the system already knows that the same horror is going to start over again.

When the body is being taxed that heavily, motivation naturally dwindles. Of course there are techniques to uphold this and spark new motivation, like journaling and coming up with ones own agenda, but generally you’re fighting the uphill battle.

Variance and Choice

The human mechanism is not a machine, which produces a constant power output.

I’ve observed this: When I work in an environment where I have a little bit of wiggle room, I am more motivated. Not only because I’m less stressed, but also because there is room for healthy competition.

Who is walking the extra mile? How can I make myself stand out? These are questions you’re likely going to ask yourself when you are at relative ease at work and not constantly at maximum capacity.

This situation also gives you room for slack: Something I found to be a big motivator. Maybe because this month your body is extra tired, or you’re struggling personally, or whatever: You’re recently not working as hard as you used to. Maybe because you can’t at the moment. The moment I realize this has happened to me I feel a big surge of motivation. The whole system wants to do more at work, is more eager and more productive.

I found that whenever I have that little wiggle-room to even allow myself to unconsciously slack off, this is where I find the power and motivation again. Motivation through healthy competition is born in wiggle-room and slack.

Constant demand

Constant demand seems to diminish this upsurge of motivation. Motivation is not a constant. It is created again and again through motive, opportunity and personal capacity.

A person that is constantly stressed has no left-over capacity, except if that person decides to stress itself even more. This in turn becomes even more of a health issue and detrimental in the long term.

Closing thoughts

The human mechanism is not a machine, it has ups and downs. If you’re in a demanding work-environment, make sure you’re not treated like one.