Motivation flagging

[KentPhilip]

I tend to find that I start contracts full of energy, but after a few months that energy flags, I get bored, my productivity goes down, and I leave (or contract is not renewed).

I think this is fairly common among contractors (yes?). But yet there are often cases of permies (not all of them) who are able to keep their energies up continuously over what seems like years.

At my current client, who I have been with for 18 months, I've just been whinged at by such a permie for "attracting complaints from people behind me that I'm spending too much time surfing the internet". Well that allegation is true - I am spending too much time online, and the reason is that I have been bored with many aspects of the work for some months now, and web surfing is a kind of avoidance activity. As well as having other interests outside work that I am much more enthusiastic about (no not UKIP related).

Now obviously the correct thing for me to do is to get out of that contract. And reluctantly I think I'll do this. But I feel instinctively that it is a bad idea to leave a currently running contract. Bad karma.
I think the reason they have not canned me already is that they are having difficulty finding a suitable replacement.

I guess my question is what causes low motivation, and why is it that some permies can keep on going like a duracell battery rabbit that lasts for ever?


Maybe it's cos I'm a retard...

[barrydidit]

Permies have bonus and promotion to chase. You need a target from each 6 month stint, be it a holiday, new car or a weekend with an enthusiastic hooker.

And you need to MTFU, obviously.

[Ebenezer]

Er, this is why I'm a contractor rather than a permanent employee - because every six months you get a free option to bail out and do something else, with no hard feelings on either side.

[BrilloPad]

You need motivational flogging. Try cojak.

[The Spartan]

I start full of energy and finish with the same vigour, simply put I love what I do and this motivates me daily. I am handsomely rewarded for what I do and in turn I show that I more than worth what they're paying the permies here are often amazed by energy and ability. OK so I'll surf the net now and again but not to a noticeable extent I'm sure others do too but ultimately you're there to fulfil a role so crack on with it

And as barrydidit said "MTFU"

[I just need to test it]

Somehow eighteen months seems a long, long time.

That sounds ridiculous, I know, but I feel there is a mental conditioning where contracts become as gratifying as quick sex. You've pulled, you've got a couple of invoices paid, you don't really want to stay and talk, so it's time to make your excuses and scarper with a quick "I will call you".

My lowest point is just after I've signed an extension, and that virtual trapdoor slams down on my fingers.

Can you try using this free time to set yourself some objectives. Contractors I have worked with who had lots of free time have done the following:

- studied for a degree
- written a book
- learned Spanish

so the projects don't necessarily need to be work-related if you can get away with it.

[psychocandy]

Im similar but not as bad as you. :-)

I tend to start roles dead keen and excited to get things going. But then usually after some time I tend to find if you;re there a while you get bogged down in the politics, permie stuff etc and just think - why am I bothering? time to get new contract then.

As for the surfing thing - I am amazed sometimes that some permies tend to spend all day on the web but if a contractor is on for 5 mins someone notices.

[mudskipper]

I start full of energy and finish with the same vigour, simply put I love what I do and this motivates me daily. I am handsomely rewarded for what I do and in turn I show that I more than worth what they're paying the permies here are often amazed by energy and ability. OK so I'll surf the net now and again but not to a noticeable extent I'm sure others do too but ultimately you're there to fulfil a role so crack on with it

And as barrydidit said "MTFU"

Hang round here for a bit - we'll soon knock that youthful enthusiasm out of you.

[The Spartan]

Hang round here for a bit - we'll soon knock that youthful enthusiasm out of you.

I guess I'm just wired wrong, I have a permanent smile on my face and I'm always cheery. The permies here are always commenting on how happy I am but that could be because they're a miserable bunch

[JRCT]

I tend to find the opposite. I come into a contract and it takes a while to get going because I need to get up to speed with the products, the interenal rules & regs, the set up etc etc. Then I have to work out what I'm actually going to do and by the time it comes to end of contract or renewal, I'm the in-house expert and I know everything and I'm buzzing.

I had a contract not renewed because of budget and I was gutted because there was so much work I wanted to do and I know that it wouldn't have been done right by the permies I left behind.