Staying motivated

[Beat]

Hard to maintain; it comes and goes.

Discuss.

[Cimarron]

I can identify with that. Might be surprising for some, considering how people usually think of "our type", but I find myself in that same spot...

Do you think it's solely the effect of depression? (Not necessarily clinical depression, just the general feeling of being down-in-the-dumps)

[GZA]

I'm motivated because I've been miserable before and damnit I don't want to be miserable again.

[Metamorphosis]

I've noticed a similar trend with my ISTJ friend. Motivation seems to go in cycles of differing lengths.

[animenagai]

REALLY? ISTJ's can be really unmotivated? my gosh this is so interesting! please elaborate! what gets you being (un)motivated? is it mood? talking about interesting (academic) subjects? your hobbies? duty? please, DO TELL! :O

[Cimarron]

I don't know, I've been trying to analyze it myself. I used to have a lot more motivation a few years ago. I think I noticed that lack of "success"--as I define success--leads to me not being able to put forth much effort. Maybe it's because I don't see any results coming out of my efforts, so I think, "Why bother?"

Just speaking for myself, of course.

[dnivera]

Yup, happens to me all the time. We're very task-focused people who tend to get lost in the details and routine of daily tasks. It's easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees, so to speak. After getting over the challenges of a new project (say, a new job) and understanding what needs to get done, and then doing it, I quickly get bored. Work is pretty exciting at first and then gets routine.

A good way to get motivation back is to get sight of the forest again. Why are you doing this project in the first place? When I was stuck on a project, I'd go talk to a professor who would ground me again by reminding me of the goals and his vision for the project, its larger implications and possibilities for the future.

Basically, take a break from whatever you're doing, go do something else, and then come back to it. Be more P-ish. Js are good at finishing projects, while Ps are good at starting them. It's easier to lose motivation if you focus too much on the tasks.

How about motivation in life, and not just work? I guess I'd maintain it with constant reflection, self-understanding, and good relationships with other people.

[Beat]

Do you think it's solely the effect of depression? (Not necessarily clinical depression, just the general feeling of being down-in-the-dumps)
Might play a significant role. I haven't been diagnosed with depression but I'm about positive I have some sort of mild depression at least. I think when I do feel motivated is when it temporarily takes a bit of a back seat? I don't really know how depression works...

REALLY? ISTJ's can be really unmotivated? my gosh this is so interesting! please elaborate! what gets you being (un)motivated? is it mood? talking about interesting (academic) subjects? your hobbies? duty? please, DO TELL! :O
To answer your question of "can ISTJ's really be unmotivated?" -- yeah, I don't see why not. I was hoping to see if this was a significant problem for everyone or if most people here feel at least "motivated enough" most of the time.

I feel moody, but only internally. I'm usually pretty consistent with how I am on the outside and how I interact with/treat others. I feel pretty consistent in that regards.

I guess I feel demotivated when I feel like I'm in a rut, where I see a pattern of nothing changing, nothing improving and it looking like the staleness isn't going to subside anytime soon. :shrug:

[nolla]

Yup, happens to me all the time. We're very task-focused people who tend to get lost in the details and routine of daily tasks. It's easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees, so to speak. After getting over the challenges of a new project (say, a new job) and understanding what needs to get done, and then doing it, I quickly get bored. Work is pretty exciting at first and then gets routine.

I can't get motivated if I don't see the big picture. Like now, I should be looking for a job. The problem is that I don't really understand all the possibilities I have, I don't know all the jobs I am able to do, I don't know the career possibilities in these workplaces. This info is not really that easy to find out. The biggest problem is that if I send applications, there is no feedback if I don't get the job, so I can't improve myself in the art of getting a job. So I don't send the application at all. This is really starting to be a problem for me...