Maintaining motivation

Motivation is a fickle beast. Although chemists tend to be a motivated bunch, on a day-to-day basis focus waxes and wanes for everybody, sometimes in a seemingly random manner. External changes can further compel longer-term peaks and troughs in commitment. Although frustrating to a logical brain, this time of year belies the non-ideal reality. The clear spike in gym attendance at the New Year rapidly attenuates, and strong-willed scientists aren’t immune.

Although the motivation towards big dreams of societal change seems wildly different from the imperative to finish a report or a manuscript, ultimately it’s a question of perspective. Science lists ‘alignment of work culture values’ as one of its most-cited features in the employee-ranked Top 20 Employers list. Selected comments indicate that global concerns such as environmental issues can be as important to scientists as personal ones, like career progression and management support. A heartening undercurrent of knowing your research improves the world makes filing those reports a smoother process. Big picture goals make the smaller ones surmountable.