What motivates us to do the things we do? Why do we get up in the morning? Why do we set our sights on one thing over another?
Are we motivated by money? Are we motivated by our peers, by wanting to look good and impress them? Are we simply motivated by the love of our craft? How powerful are each of these motivators?
Lately, I’ve gained some mental clarity on the topic of motivation and just how powerful some motivators are over others. It came to me while rock climbing.
For a while, my motivation to climb was to be the best amongst my peers and to be viewed as a “good” climber. However, as my circle of climbing friends grew and I met more of the community, it became abundantly clear that there would always be someone better than me. My motivation went down following this realization. Why?
I was motivated by others’ views of me. Things that were out of my control. Things I had no power over. The realization that no matter how much work I put in to be the best, I’d fall short sent my motivation crashing down.
Then I read this book about learning to climb using intrinsic motivation and dedication to the craft of climbing. Focusing on being the best you can be. Putting all of your energy not into focusing on how others will perceive you but on how well you can place your feet on holds, how delicately you can flow from one hold to the next, and how easy you can make climbing look.
In a sense, it became an art form. Something I could dedicate myself to in a way where I no longer cared about outcomes and only cared about the effort and care I put into my practice.
The same holds true for software engineering. I’m still trying to get out of the headspace that salary is not the end-all-be-all and that there are better motivators out there for the work that we do. It’s tough, though. Our society puts a lot of stake in monetary achievement. However, this is not a great motivator. At some point, things get stagnant, or you top out of your salary potential, and then what?
Lately, I’ve been watching a lot of ThePrimeagen on YouTube, and he frequently talks about programming for the love of programming and the devotion to the craft. Everything else doesn’t matter. And he’s right, at least if you’re looking for long-term sustainability in this field. Most other motivators do not have the same level of power, in my opinion.
So if you’re feeling a bit stagnant lately, perhaps have another look at what currently motivates you. It’s possible that reexamining your motivators will provide some insight into why you are where you are right now. Perhaps you’ll find a new thing to set your sights on, and hopefully, it comes from somewhere within.