Perspectives on Escaping a 'Workplace Where Motivation Dies'

It might not be your fault that your growth has stalled

Hello, I am Akito Sarashina.

Once you get used to the job, you pretty much understand it.
You perform well.
No one points out your mistakes anymore.
Everything is going smoothly up to this point.

But it gets dangerous if you make a mistake from here on out.

When people stop being corrected, they stop investigating.
They stop learning. Their growth stalls.
People already dislike change as it is,
and then pride gets in the way,
and they start avoiding new methods.

Of course, I don't intend to blame the 'environment' for everything when people don't work.
People who slack off will slack off wherever they are.
That is a personal issue.
However—a workplace that halts growth pushes even 'normal people'
toward the side of slacking off.
That is why it is so troublesome.

Even if you increase efficiency, what increases is not your salary, but your workload

I have had this experience in the past as well.

I worked hard to improve things and get them done faster.

I reduced errors. I created systems. I saved time.

Normally, you would expect 'recognition' or 'rewards' to follow, right?

But in reality,

'Oh, if you have some free time, please do this too.'
'You're fast, so I'll ask you for the next one too.'
'You're efficient, so I'll increase your responsibilities.'

What increases is not your salary, but your workload.
It would be strange if your motivation didn't get chipped away.

When this happens, I just felt like, 'How can I keep doing this job?'
People don't stop learning because they want to slack off.


It is because there is a structure where you don't benefit even if you learn.

The 'invisible lid' shown by the flea experiment

There is a famous story.
Fleas can normally jump about 200 times their body length.
But if you put them in a jar and put a lid on it, they hit the lid many times.
Eventually, they learn that 'I can only jump this high,'
and even if you remove the lid, they stop jumping.

It's not that their ability has disappeared.
They just learned that 'it's safer not to jump.'

Fleas and humans are different, but when it comes to
sealing off one's own abilities,
it is the same.

If you challenge yourself, you get criticized.
If you voice an opinion, you are treated as a nuisance.
If you try to change things, you are told, 'Don't do unnecessary things.'
If you stay in such an environment for a long time, anyone will stop jumping.

An invisible lid forms inside your heart.

And what is troublesome as a human is that,
because the lid is invisible, it is hard to notice it.

Titles and 'your own story' also become invisible lids

Another troublesome lid is your 'title' or 'your own story.'

In any company, in any position,
people assign meaning to what they have built up
over a certain amount of time.

'I've come this far,'
'I've worked so hard to get here,'
'It would be a waste to turn back now.'

—This feeling is actually natural.
It is also proof that you have put in the effort.

However, this is where the problem arises.

The stronger your titles and achievements are,
the harder it can be to move when the environment no longer suits you.

Even if you feel something is wrong, or it's painful,
somewhere in your heart, you end up thinking this.

“I don't want to admit it now.”
“I don't want to deny the version of myself that worked here.”
“If I go somewhere else and fail, I feel like everything will have been a waste.”

That is why you cannot move.
That is why your challenges stop.

It is not that you lack ability.
It is not that your motivation has disappeared.

It is just that in trying to protect 'the self you have been until now',
you narrow your future options.

This, too, is one of those invisible lids.

And what is important starts here.

Removing the lid does not mean denying the past.
It means 'reclaiming the past as the past, while moving on to what is next'.

What you have built up to this point will not disappear.
In fact, you can take it with you as you move forward.

Do not trap 'the self of the future'
in order to protect 'the self that has come this far'.

Just by doing that, more people will be able to move forward.

So, what is the way to remove the lid?

So, what is the way to remove the lid?
I will be honest.

I don't know (´∀｀=)

Even I cannot say, 'This is the solution.'

If it were that simple,
neither you nor I would have struggled this much.

But you know,
before a lid is 'removed',there is a moment when it cracks.

That happens when you see someone else's reality.

“Oh, this person is living their life properly.”
“Even though they ran away, it wasn't the end.”
“Even though they are starting over, it is not a disgrace.”

This observation will change the rules of your brain.
From 'impossible' to 'maybe I can do this.'

There is no such thing as a complete reversal.
However,

first, just making a crack is enough.
That is the fastest way to break the frame of your assumptions.


If the country is different, the way of working and values are naturally different.
So this isn't about saying 'copy them'.

However, when you know an 'atmosphere where taking on challenges is the norm',
you realize how much invisible lids hold people back.

For example, in Australia,
it is said that many people change careers regardless of their age.
Some people re-enter university after turning 30,
and some people continue learning even if they have a family.
A culture where people don't interfere too much

makes 'challenge = normal' instead of 'challenge = special'.
And here is the main point. People don't stop because of their 'ability'.

In other words, there is an 'atmosphere where challenges are not special'.
When the environment changes, people remember that they can jump.

Before you become someone who doesn't work

Finally, if you've been feeling lately that work is boring or you don't feel like learning,
if you feel that way.

It's not that your heart is broken,
it's just giving you a proper 'signal'.

'Working hard here won't be rewarded.'
'It will hurt if you jump here.'

So, instead of forcing yourself to get motivated,
please try doubting it first.

Is this place built in a way that benefits those who take on challenges?
Is there an atmosphere where those who learn are rewarded?
If the answer is 'no', it is natural for your motivation to drop.

What you need is not more effort.
It is to be exposed to an atmosphere without lids.

Just by doing that, the lid on your heart will come off little by little.
The power to jump is still there.

[Postscript]
I am switching my NOTE posts from dailyto a pace of 2 or 3 times a week.

I thought I would try to keep it up for at least a month, though (*´Д｀*)

The reason is simple,
when you try to maintain a 'streak',
quantity tends to be prioritized over quality.
And coming up with topics is also hard.

To secure time for learning and organizing,
and for me to enjoy posting,
I will create some 'breathing room' to grow next.

People who post every day are truly amazing ('◇')ゞ

#ResignationEntry #HowToContinueNote