Nathan Lasnoski

We are all motivated by that which we value the highest. What (or who) is the "pearl of great price" that you will do anything for? Don't follow the temptation to make your work the sole motivator for your definition of success. I highly recommend the play The Death of a Salesman as a lesson in centering in the wrong motivations. Seek to have your motivation in the good, the true, and the beautiful and the goal of becoming the best version of yourself.

I've gone through several "burnout-in-place-and-recover" cycles in my career. I agree that acknowledging the signs and being able to surface the concerns to someone you care about is critical. Don't suffer in silence. Be able to talk about it and be vulnerable. In order for that to happen, you need a person that you can be vulnerable with. Cultivate a relationship where that is possible proactively so you have the outlet to engage in a shared experience of recovering your joy.

Remember why you engaged in the project in the first place. The "why" question motivates all of us. Are you making incremental progress toward that goal? Are you able to favorably compare this month against last month? Work toward the why and measure your progress. We'll all fall into funks and we'll all struggle to stay motivated. If the reason wasn't worth it in the first place, it's hard to get back up. Also remember that the ultimate "why" is what is being created in you for a bigger purpose. Work has value because YOU do it. Whether it is sweeping the floors or building a skyscraper. Take joy that YOU are present in the work being done.

There are some great tools, such as Microsoft Viva Engage, Energage, and Qualtrics that responsibly provide analytics about employee engagement and apply cleaver AI capabilities to enable improvement. Start with understanding the data from tools such as these and then non-defensively looking at opportunities for improvement.

Lots of good answers here, but I'd start with a desire to understand the WHY question, not just the what and the how. A desire to seek the truth in all things and solid intentionality. We all seek to work with a person who can inspire and engage. Everything else is just skills we build.

Ask AI... ha. :) In all seriousness, start with looking for other credible sources, people, and assets that can help you. In the reverse, all of us need to remember that the rising tide floats all boats. We are all better off when we are all better off.