Tenuous Motivation: When The Work Loses Its Meaning
This is post 2/5 on the warning signs that your work might be affecting your mental health, using the acronym VTECH:
V - Void Filling
T - Tenuous Motivation
E - Easing Out
C - Craving Perfection
H - Hyperactive MindRemember the early days of your career in tech?
Remember the early days of your career?
Those were heady times when you loved solving problems, learning new technologies, and launching new products and features. But somewhere along the way, that spark dimmed and projects started to feel more like tasks.
You Are Not Alone:
The tech industry markets itself as endlessly exciting and innovative, which makes your lack of motivation feel like a personal failure. Everyone around you seems passionate and energized, but:
It's exhausting to feel obligated to care about something you don't
and
lonely to struggle with motivation when everyone else appears fine.
Trust the Experts:
The ideal state is when your work provides you with intrinsic motivation through:
Choice - control over how and where you work.
Connection - you believe in the company and product.
Competence - you are recognized for your skills accomplishments
Motivational research shows that tech professionals often see a decrease in motivation when extrinsic rewards (like money or status) no longer compensate for the absence of intrinsic satisfaction.
The loss of motivation is not a character flaw but an important signal that something needs to change.
Changes You Can Make:
Conduct an honest self-reflection and ask yourself:
What aspects of my work still make me happy, if any?
What would need to change for this role to feel meaningful again?
What have I always wanted to pursue?
Start by exploring whether small changes—a new project, different team, or shifted focus area—can rekindle your interest. If your current role feels irredeemably misaligned with your values, begin exploring new positions, companies, or even career paths.
The Payoff:
When you consciously align where you work, how you work, and the work you do with your personal values, you'll discover work that feels purposeful again.
This will lead to increased energy, greater satisfaction, and a sense of agency over your career. Your productivity and creativity will flourish when your work aligns with what you genuinely care about.
