How to keep up the interest in job?

Question

Hi, I have been working as Software Developer for 6+ yrs. And I have worked from start ups to big companies. I always feel some elements missing in me and those are interest, passion etc. In short, I don't feel motivated while coming to work. This makes me think how my work-life balance will look like once I reach at more responsible positions. I don't want to change my field and I feel blessed as well but I think I am not working passionately for my learning, future growth, improvement, skills etc. Any pointers will be highly appreciated. Thx

Answer 1

Take a year off and try landscaping or trash pickup. Then you'll have plenty of motivation.

Seriously though... Do you like programming? Have you ever written code as a hobby? If so, there's hope. Maybe you're just bored with current assignments. If you really don't like it, and would just as soon add numbers with a calculator and pencil, or yearn to do something with your hands, fix people, etc., then maybe you're truely in the wrong job. You CAN switch direction, but you're likely already spent any free ride you're going to get, so consider your current gig as funding for whatever education you'll need for your next one. I wish you luck!

Answer 2

Well, you are reading this site, so you are demonstrating at least some sort of interest.

If you job sucks but you love to program, then it's and easy, quit you job and find a better one.

If you don't love to program, did you ever? If not, maybe you're just not destined to be a passionate developer. However, if you did enjoy it in the past, maybe you just need to do something new to re-spark your interest.

Try reading a lot of blogs; I found the ones by Joel (www.joelonspolsky.com) particulary motivating, but there's a lot out there.

Or try learning a new language and do something fun with it. Try writing a bug tracker in Ruby or a facebook clone in Python or something like that. It doesn't have to be practical or useful, it just has to be new and different. Read some old stuff from Steve Yegge (http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com) to get an idea of how much stuff is out there that you never heard of but sounds really cool.

It's a great career that can be really interesting, but it's easy to get in a rut, so you have to find stuff to keep it interesting.