proteanmix
Plumage and Moult
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2007
- Messages
- 5,514
- Enneagram
- 1w2
Is it possible motivation is less of an issue for Js? Just curious.
Yes.
Or the illusion of motivation. Either way... Yes.
This is going to sound contradictory but my lack of motivation isn't from a lack of motivation. I have very clear goals about what I want to do with my life, I just feel overwhelmed with options. It's like looking at a mess and wondering where to start first. I know my end point, it's just picking out the right path.
I can't speak for all Ps, but if a task is mundane or routine then INFPs are going to procrastinate on it. INFPs prefer to be motivated by a sense of inspiration, love for the mission, or urgency.
INFPs need a task to have some kind of emotional content if they're going to stay on top of it. For example, INFPs will let their own routine work languish undone; but they will work tirelessly to help a friend with the friend's work, because work to aid another person is a feel-good exercise for the INFP. When it comes to the INFP's own work, an approaching deadline can actually be a boon because it inspires a sense of crisis and a crisis atmosphere may finally get the INFP to focus on the task.
INFPs pretty much need to impose organizational systems consciously and deliberately in their lives, or routine tasks won't get done and their house will be a shambles. One of the famous stereotypes of INFPs is that they hate to invite people to their homes because their homes are so messy. An INTJ acquaintance of mine once said that she could identify INFPs in the college dorms by their bedrooms: There was always a "rat's nest" of stuff piled by the bed on the bedstand or on the floor.
The other alternative for INFPs is to strip themselves of most earthly belongings to simplify life and keep clutter from overrunning their lives. And a lot of INFPs go that way (including me when I was younger). But without the accessories needed for normal socializing, that can leave them drifting outside of the mainstream and unattached to society at large.
In my case, seven years in the military accustomed me to keeping things relatively organized and clean; years of doing admin stuff taught me to organize and file paperwork and keep good records; and learning to "putter" has made it possible to keep on top of all the chores of handling a house, a yard, a couple cars, a full-time job, keeping up a social life, spending time with my wife, going out dancing a couple times a week, etc. I always felt overwhelmed by even very light routine tasks when I was younger; but nowadays I would say that I get a lot of enjoyment out of keeping on top of all the routine stuff and don't find it a burden at all.
But I would say that--in my case anyway--it's less a question of motivation and more about learning and imposing some J-oriented organizational tools (along with developing an S-oriented appreciation of the activity of "puttering"). Even nowadays, I'm not "motivated" to do routine tasks; I'm just very well-organized and have developed some good habits so that they're easy to do.
FL
This actually describes my way of doing things very accurately.