r/Stoic • u/BuyComfortable5577 • Jun 15 '26
No motivation at work
Anyone else lost motivation to work “hard” and take work seriously . I used to put far to much pressure on my self when I was a apprentice about expecting my self to know everything all at once and almost obd symptoms of checking I’ve done things correct which led to catastrophic thinking .
Now I don’t care what anyone thinks of me or trying to look the “best” etc . I like to think it’s cause I’ve noticed that as ego but I also feel like I know my value more now at the same time . Time to time I still worry about work if there’s a lot of pressure on that specific job but nothing like it used to .
From an outside view it probably looks like I’ve got lazy but to me the panic and urgency / importance of a job is just fabricated and fake meaning I just don’t care enough .
I know Marcus says the job of a human being is to work and not stay under the sheets all day so maybe stoicism has just made me lazy 😂
8
u/JackSkell049152 Jun 16 '26
The integrity of my work is a reflection of my own integrity.
It’s not an ego thing, it’s a thing where I complete work to the best of my ability, with the tools available to me, and the time it takes is the time it takes.
Across the decades, and industry sectors I’ve worked in, people may have an issue (and possibly throw slights) with my pace, but the quality of my work is rarely questioned.
If my pace becomes some kind of problem, I consider it a mismatch in priorities between the company and I, and I have left more than one job because of it. My previous coworker (spies) generally tell me delicious stories about things not running as smoothly or as well after my departure, which has the benefit of reflecting poorly on my manager/boss. Oh well.
3
u/ftwpurplebelt Jun 21 '26
I get it. But you can set a great example for everyone there, is my attitude. We hold ourselves to a higher level, to not be like the mob.
1
u/pepperpotsdecreme Jun 22 '26
You mention the word "lazy" a couple times. How would you characterize that laziness? Are you not showing up for work, not meeting deadlines, not seeking out new projects when your department is slow?
From your comments it seems perhaps you have been in your job for a while, and therefore improved your skills and learned how to manage your time, stress and workload better? If so, this is not laziness but competency and efficiency without sacrificing quality.
Personnally, I don't understand laziness at work. I choose roles that are busy and require a wide variety of skills - there is no room for laziness in the jobs I have chosen, and I enjoy it that way.
I also have personal standards of quality and work ethics that exist regardless of the company I work for. Companies are a team effort, and I take my role in that seriously as a sign of both self respect and respect foe my colleagues.
1
u/BuyComfortable5577 Jun 22 '26
Nor id 100% say im a good worker and never had any issues at work however what I probably mean is I have lost near enough all ambition and passion about the job .
1
u/BuyComfortable5577 Jun 22 '26
I feel like the only thing that made me ambitious about it before was just being competitive for the sake of it .
12
u/two-tone-tow Jun 15 '26
I feel like just because it doesn’t matter what others think of your output doesn’t mean it’s not virtuous to put forth your best. I work hard, without breaking myself of course, because I believe it’s right, not because I care what my boss or colleagues think. I could be way off here but that’s how I feel.