Motivation, or lack of? Waste of a career?

[TheAngryDog]

Sorry if wrong section.

Before anyone else says it, I know that I only have myself to blame.

Does anyone else suffer, or has suffered, with a distinct lack of motivation? It is a problem that I have had all of my working life, and as such I am now pretty much playing catch up. I started working with in "IT" in 1997, and by now I should be doing something more than monitoring servers on a shift basis.

Even now, while I want to further my career, improve my skills, get certified and increase my earning power, I cannot seem to find the effort or the motivation to do so. I have 6 to 12 hours most days to bury my head in things, yet always choose not to. It doesn't help that I am not sure where to start, but that in itself is no excuse. I feel like I am stuck in a 17 year rut.

I know that motivation is a personal thing, what motivates you may not motivate me, and I have my motivation right there above this paragraph, yet I still do not do anything about it. Maybe I am too late with it, there are 5 year old's passing MS exams, knowing more than me, and that I should accept that I will always just be someone who does a job, when they could've had a career?

If anyone has been through this in their career, how did you get out of it?

Thanks.

[TheAngryDog]

GlenMH said:

Well done on taking the first step: recognising that you have got a problem and starting to think about making changes.

It is likely that the key reason that you don't do anything about it is that you don't plan to do anything about it. And yet more shifts drift by with no progress!

If you want to do it yourself, there are lots of resources on t'interweb on how to identify the way forward.

Alternatively, paying for advice and help focuses the mind on making progress to keep the cost down. Both rog007 and I are active in this field.

If you have more detailed questions, then happy to help!

Thank you. I think I've always known I'v had this issue, but have never wanted to accept it and just thought that I'll eventually do something about it.

I go home on Thursday morning after 6 night shifts. Its a 140 mile drive and I feel that I will be a little tired when I get home, and will have a lot of house work to catch up on. My plan is to start building some servers up on Friday in the 6 hours I will have. I have made an agreement with a colleague at work that whoever hasn't done the required work by Tuesday, they're buying the pizza! Small things, but small steps are the way forward at first.

This is the other thing, I do not know what questions to ask of someone like yourself or rog007, and that has always been an issue for me as well I think. I like to think I am pretty intelligent, everyone I work with etc says I am, so they cannot all be wrong?

rog007 said:

Your experiences are not unique, so take some heart from that. What you do next to change things is where many differ. Your motivation to write this post could be recognised as a positive step. Another small gesture, such as getting yourself booked in for a haircut/new suit/anything else of that nature could also help. Then mapping out where you'd really like to be in 5 years and how you may get there could also be a good step. Seeking advice from a professional may also add value if you need an external stimulus. Good luck!

It is good to know that I am not on my own. I hope that this is the first step, and I can use it as my starting point. Hahahaha, the hair cut option would be difficult, perhaps I can have some hair drawn on my head
I actually do not know where I want to be in 5 years, I thought I did but the realisation of it is that I do not. I do like management and have done it before, but it is a difficult role to get into when your experience of it is years ago. I know that I do not want to do support for the rest of my life!

Stuart70 said:

Mtfu Jfdi

Meant in jest, but really like all goals they succeed only because
A) you really want them
B) you work out how to get there (in realistic terms)
C) take one step at a time to get there

Always useful to find a mentor / someone to talk to who is at or above where you want to be.
People tend to like the compliment inherent in the request.
That person will not tell you how to get there, but for the price of a coffee/beer, they might help you think through the challenges on the path and help keep you motivated?

A couple of thoughts anyway...

Cheers

Stuart

You're 100% correct though, MTFU and taking responsibility for my career, as no one else will. I do not know many people in my industry on a personal level, and the people I work with are all mainly at the main level I am. The people who are more skilled than I am have little time to spare.

jonah35 said:

Most people are like you, that's why most earn average wages. Some people are motivated that's why they tend to earn more.

You are normal so don't worry.

I completely agree.

Foliage said:

Some people, like you are just meant to do the mundane jobs so others can earn the big money and move up the ladder. Just do your hours, sit back and know that you are good at your job because you have been doing it for years, you are dependable and when the guys who are 10 years younger than you want an answer you'll be the guy to ask, to put in their presentation and give you no credit.




Or maybe? maybe? I don't know maybe your not that guy?

That has hit a nerve (in a good way). I don't like that summation and it annoys me that I will be that guy. I don't want to be that guy.

[TheAngryDog]

oldbanger said:

TheAngryDog said:

Sorry if wrong section.

Before anyone else says it, I know that I only have myself to blame.

Does anyone else suffer, or has suffered, with a distinct lack of motivation? It is a problem that I have had all of my working life, and as such I am now pretty much playing catch up. I started working with in "IT" in 1997, and by now I should be doing something more than monitoring servers on a shift basis.

Even now, while I want to further my career, improve my skills, get certified and increase my earning power, I cannot seem to find the effort or the motivation to do so. I have 6 to 12 hours most days to bury my head in things, yet always choose not to. It doesn't help that I am not sure where to start, but that in itself is no excuse. I feel like I am stuck in a 17 year rut.

I know that motivation is a personal thing, what motivates you may not motivate me, and I have my motivation right there above this paragraph, yet I still do not do anything about it. Maybe I am too late with it, there are 5 year old's passing MS exams, knowing more than me, and that I should accept that I will always just be someone who does a job, when they could've had a career?

If anyone has been through this in their career, how did you get out of it?

Thanks.

Beating yourself up over a list of shoulds is IMHO a waste of energy and will sap your motivation. It's never too late to make changes. My experience is that is however easier to aim to reach positive outcomes than to aim to avoid negative ones. So deciding what you do want, even if a it's a small or basic goal, will help. And don't be afraid of going for a few quick wins to get you moving. So what if everyone has a MS cert these days? I got an MTA certification a few months ago, a beginners cert, but it got me back into the swing of things all the same.

Also don't underestimate how physically and mentally draining long term night work can be. You may need to consider things like daylight lamps or supplements if you're on nights for extended periods. You may have 6 hours a day outside work which "ought" to be used productively, but managing/recovering from jet lag from shift work is going to eat into that time.

It is one of my failings that I am quite hard on myself.

I have re-started watching some CBT Nuggets tonight, though I do not think I am taking much in right now, but I plan to re-watch them and then make notes (which I am really bad at, as I never what I should make notes of!).

Since August the 13th, I've done 15 day shifts, and 29 night shifts. I have 1 more tomorrow, then 4 more night shifts next week, before I do 2 and a half day shifts with a 2 week break. I plan to use my 2 weeks productively.

I need some direction I think on where to start. I think someone who has done what I am doing successfully advising me of what to do revision etc wise would suit me, as then I could use that as a start and then make my own way from there. I guess for me it is the initial first part. Does that make sense?

[TheAngryDog]

Well more fool me, I still haven't done too much about it.

Recent operation aside, I struggle to do anything off my own back. I have realised it doesn't limit itself to learning, its pretty much most things....

I've applied for jobs closer to home, hopefully someone will take me on, perhaps it'll give me a kick to do something, especially if;

1) I feel valued
2) Aren't set up to fail like I am currently
3) Get some actual training from my company as well as doing it myself.

Let's see eh.

[TheAngryDog]

DervVW said:

I think we are peas in a pod...
I too work sts - I too look after servers (as with other IT services)
I too feel like I am going no where.
I lack the motivation to move on. There are courses that can done at work but Ironically the IT equiptment we have as shift workers can not access these courses. You can't use your own Laptop either. And I have asked about an alternative but not really pushed, because like you I lack motivation.

I have spells where its quiet and I could do these courses.

But I don't know what I want to do, I have a family a home that needs plenty of time, a house that needs plenty of DIY, the cash flow in life is pretty low so leaving is tough as to move internally (assuming I could find something) would mean the loss of a 35% shift allowance. Stuggling to find a job outside that I could both do and earn similar money.

PM if you want to chat - I think we are on the same page!

The bonus for me is that our desktops will let you do online courses, but we tend to be so busy that we dont get the chance to do it, so we have to do it in our own time, and I arent motivated enough and have other things I need to do as well at home. Its a no win situation for me.

We are allowed to take in / use our own laptops at weekends / nights, but see above.

Wow, 35% Shift allowance! I dont even get a shift allowance! Well not officially on my pay slip anyway.

I know what you mean, it is hard moving and finding something else when you're not trained etc. Plus losing that money would be a lot! I wouldn't lost mine (the only benefit of not being on shift allowance). If I was I'd have taken a pay cut when I moved internally for this role.

Jonathan27 said:

It may sound odd, but are you certain that you want to move up the career ladder? It often feels like we are supposed to strive for a higher paid more senior job, but there is nothing wrong with finding the level at which you are happy and staying there. If you genuinely, deep down wanted to move up, you probably would have found the motivation by now.

I have done management before and I enjoyed it. I was quite happy with peoples issues, supporting them in their development, giving them help with their work etc. I found aspects of it challenging, but rewarding. My colleagues who I managed seemed to enjoy my management as well as I didnt micro manage them. Ironically as I was the only one who didnt micro manage, when there was a company reshuffle I got moved out of management, as did the other male manager, so we had an all female management team. I guess my style wasnt what management wanted.

toon10 said:

Like you I qualified in 1997 and got stuck in a rut developing software. Like most things, doing the same thing time and time again sapped motivation. I don't know what the opportunities are like at your work but I started to volunteer to work on projects outside of IT.

Our company ran a change management program so I went on that and got to do more people orientated stuff (which I prefer over coding.) I also went on a lean 6 sigma yellow belt course and went on to project manage a customer services project.

I was still coding but found myself enjoying working on other things and found I had quite a flair for getting the most out of people. That gave me the jump start I needed in IT and went into management and now a business analyst role colaborating with people in a region and not just the UK. Had my company not opened up these opportunities I dare say I'd still be in a rut coding away. It's worth maybe chatting to your boss and asking if there's scope to spend a bit of time helping out on other projects.

Nice, sounds like you found the motivation to make a change. Sadly in my company there is nothing else I can do. The main company is based in Ireland, we are a small satellite office. My only progression is to a day based role which I cant do as it means being in the office 5 days a week rather than 4 on 4 off, and I have no intention of being away from home more than I am now (though I am working from home at the moment while I recover from my op). There are no management roles and I cannot move over to the professional team as I lack the qualifications, experience, training etc. Plus they do not take people on in that team often, and it would be day based, and I'd have to travel all over the country.

Sharted said:

Spot on!

I've done both and realised that there is some sense in doing either.

I suppose the problem for the OP is that he fells that he has never experienced the climb up the greasy pole so cannot compare experiences.

I have been upto management and enjoyed it. I just want to do more than I am now. I dont want to be doing the same thing in 20 years time.

[TheAngryDog]

DervVW said:

I think we are peas in a pod...
I too work sts - I too look after servers (as with other IT services)
I too feel like I am going no where.
I lack the motivation to move on. There are courses that can done at work but Ironically the IT equiptment we have as shift workers can not access these courses. You can't use your own Laptop either. And I have asked about an alternative but not really pushed, because like you I lack motivation.

I have spells where its quiet and I could do these courses.

But I don't know what I want to do, I have a family a home that needs plenty of time, a house that needs plenty of DIY, the cash flow in life is pretty low so leaving is tough as to move internally (assuming I could find something) would mean the loss of a 35% shift allowance. Stuggling to find a job outside that I could both do and earn similar money.

PM if you want to chat - I think we are on the same page!

Sent you a mail btw

[TheAngryDog]

I didn't go to uni so a masters wouldnt be possible I don't think?

I want to stay in IT, I can't think of anything else that i could do, but I'd like to manage in some way shape or form.

I'd love to be earning near 6 figures. I'd be happy with £35k right now!

[TheAngryDog]

I was never interested in going to uni when I left school. I went straight into an NVQ and have worked ever since.

I am however considering a change of career of sorts, and looking at trainee Project Management roles.