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[INTP] INTPs, Motivation Issues?

AphroditeGoneAwry

failure to thrive
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Feb 20, 2009
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I'd like to think that is true for me, but I seem to have had more motivation to follow through in my younger days ... particularly in my 20's. Perhaps it has to do with energy levels and my environment at that time. My present environment makes it very easy to become complacent and just drift. I have no problems with follow through at work, paying bills, etc. ... but the rest of my life could use an energy boost. Then again, maybe I'm just trying to fit in too much.

i can relate to this a lot. i was extremely motivated and driven in my 20's to achieve my many goals, and did. then i my 30's i reveled in those achievements and exploited them. then i started getting burned out and now i feel too like i am almost complacent and drifting.......almost becoming so relativistic that i can feel like nothing has meaning at times. maybe motivation is very age related? or maybe not.
 

Fluffywolf

Nips away your dignity
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Darn, hope that won't be true for me. :)
 

Nighthawk

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i can relate to this a lot. i was extremely motivated and driven in my 20's to achieve my many goals, and did. then i my 30's i reveled in those achievements and exploited them. then i started getting burned out and now i feel too like i am almost complacent and drifting.......almost becoming so relativistic that i can feel like nothing has meaning at times. maybe motivation is very age related? or maybe not.

Wow ... that describes me in a nutshell. My 20's and early 30's were filled with achievements. The rest of my 30's exploited them ... and my 40's have consisted of drifting without finding any real meaning. Nowadays I just punch the clock and collect a paycheck. Still trying to recapture my muse. I believe the internet coming of age has contributed to my drifting more ... as it is so easy to just go online (forums, games, blogs, etc.) and zone out. Back in the day, I was forced to find more productive things as an outlet.
 

Nighthawk

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Darn, hope that won't be true for me. :)

No worries ... you can fight it successfully. The main trick is to find something that energizes you. Corporate Amerika tends to drain the soul. If I were younger and less adverse to risk, I'd plow into a startup or start my own venture. I've had fun with that in the past. Also (and I hate to say this), INTPs sometimes benefit from having a structured goal ahead of them ... like a degree, certification, or project. Those have all helped me in the past, even though I rebelled at first.
 

Fluffywolf

Nips away your dignity
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I'll keep that in mind. My rebellious era has since past. Calmed down the last few years.

I mostly feel 'invincible' when it comes to work load nowadays. I started to turn J on and off remarkably easy, gets easier everytime. I just hope that sticks. Can't use a burnout with the work I do. :D
 

Nighthawk

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I mostly feel 'invincible' when it comes to work load nowadays. I started to turn J on and off remarkably easy, gets easier everytime. I just hope that sticks. Can't use a burnout with the work I do. :D

My years in the military provided me with a very handy "J switch" that I can turn on when needed. It does take effort, but I'm glad I have that tool available. I have had burnout at work over the years, but that was mostly when my job (helpdesk) was not in keeping with my type or career (software engineering). My present job is pure software development, so I usually have something that keeps me engaged.
 

AphroditeGoneAwry

failure to thrive
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Wow ... that describes me in a nutshell. My 20's and early 30's were filled with achievements. The rest of my 30's exploited them ... and my 40's have consisted of drifting without finding any real meaning. Nowadays I just punch the clock and collect a paycheck. Still trying to recapture my muse. I believe the internet coming of age has contributed to my drifting more ... as it is so easy to just go online (forums, games, blogs, etc.) and zone out. Back in the day, I was forced to find more productive things as an outlet.

plus, as an intp programmer i'm sure you really get sick of the same old stuff day in and day out. my guy has several programming sidelines and ideas that keep him busy. (he's ixtp--i dunno--he's a fu$%^&* enigma to me)
 

Nighthawk

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plus, as an intp programmer i'm sure you really get sick of the same old stuff day in and day out. my guy has several programming sidelines and ideas that keep him busy. (he's ixtp--i dunno--he's a fu$%^&* enigma to me)

You're absolutely correct. The same thing day in and day out does get old very fast. It has cost me a couple of jobs in the past (quitting before I get fired ;) ) I'm fortunate that the present job allows me to mix things up a bit. I do enjoy my sidelines as well and I hope to be pursuing some again here really soon. IXTP seems to be a good fit for a programmer. I've seen both types succeed at it.
 

Kangol

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May 26, 2009
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It may have been said already, but here are what I believe to be reasons, or things pointing to underlying reasons, of a lack of motivation:

1) Fear of failure: The old theme of fear preventing action, and then someone points out that the surest way to fail is to not try, and somehow magically things are alright. Sometimes, it is not. Sometimes, there is still not enough motivation, and that leads me to

2) Immediacy: Much of the training I have received in school followed the procedure of: Get task, Solve task, Get graded, Next task. There's always been someone to tell me what to do, it was up to me to do it, and move on. This was good since I didn't have too much difficulty solving problems, and it was in fact fun in retrospect. Then came working at a job, which also involves a similar train of action. However, as a student, free time can be spent on whatever, whereas being in the work force means some of that free time has to be spent on other duties. Through this procedure, most motivation is directed towards small, daily tasks just to get through the day and onto the next. If there's no need for something to get done today, it often gets pushed aside for other tasks of seemingly higher priority.


The INTP source of motivation, I believe, comes from creating solutions to problems, and when most of the problems are kept to schooling or jobs, it's difficult to find motivation outside of those areas. At least with school, there is more free time and there's a greater emphasis on expanding one's interests.

I'm not sure if it's laziness, but I find myself "needing" a lot of resting time, time spent either reading, watching tv, or napping, to feel ready to take on the rest of the day.
 

Nighthawk

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I'm not sure if it's laziness, but I find myself "needing" a lot of resting time, time spent either reading, watching tv, or napping, to feel ready to take on the rest of the day.

Same here. I always thought it was just because I was getting old. Perhaps there is hope for me.
 

Kangol

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Same here. I always thought it was just because I was getting old. Perhaps there is hope for me.

That or I'm getting old :(

:newwink:

edit: I am 24 years old, and aside from the lack of motivation, ready to take on the world.
 

Alwar

The Architect
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Jun 19, 2009
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I am highly motivated when it comes to learning the things that I want to learn. But not motivated much at all to use it as a symbol of status or to acquire wealth. I think people expect you to use all that effort for those reasons and find it confusing when people may do it just because they love doing it even if it doesn't lead to what they perceive as value.
 

Nighthawk

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That or I'm getting old :(

:newwink:

edit: I am 24 years old, and aside from the lack of motivation, ready to take on the world.

47 here ... still ready to take on the world ... or parts of it, anyway. ;)
 
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