Why We Lose Our Spark?
From Burnout to Breakthrough: Reclaiming Your "Why". Long-Term Fulfillment vs. Short-Term Gains
This year started with a new team, a fresh product, and a simple plan: dive in, learn everything, and crush it. By late March, I'd done exactly that. Project complete, knowledge absorbed. Mission accomplished.
Then, life intervened, as always. A personal shift. Suddenly, my focus wasn't on deliverables, but on dividends, stock markets, bonds, global trade, macroeconomics—anything but my job. For three weeks, my workday became a classroom for everything else.
The Unseen Hand of Reward
The reason for this sudden shift became starkly clear: I wasn't seeing any immediate reward from the work itself. This wasn't about the paycheck; it was about the intrinsic payoff.
Perhaps it's the nature of hyper-growth environments. At Amazon, team churn is the norm. People come and go. Finding a five-year veteran on the same team is like spotting a unicorn.
It begs the question: why invest deeply when the landscape is constantly shifting?
"The only way to do great work is to love what you do." – Steve Jobs
Yet, Amazon thrives. For 25 years, it's navigated this constant flux, outmaneuvering competitors. So, the system works. But for the individual, the question persists: "What's the benefit of relentless effort?" If I know my team will likely change, what's the long-term play?
The Mind's Deception
This internal debate led to a profound apathy. Showing up felt like an act.
Meetings became pointless.
Conversations with colleagues seemed artificial.
My work, uninspired.
The hard-working professional felt, to themself, poor in spirit.
Every minute felt like an uphill battle.
It became impossible to escape the feeling of disinterest. Then, the jolt: Is my mind playing tricks on me? This was the "Big Tech" dream, the one I’d chased. How could it now feel so… empty?
I believe we're all guilty of it. Once we have something—a healthy body, a sharp mind, a loving family—we take it for granted.
We don't apply the same intensity as someone striving for it. Our minds, it seems, are perpetually seeking the next thing. Even if I built my own company, the novelty might fade.
Beyond the Milestone
The true revelation hit me: My dream wasn't to work for big technology company FOREVER. My dream was to see myself at FAANG, but never thought about whole life.
It was a milestone, a destination, not the life journey. And there's no shame in that. My dream wasn't wrong; it was the fuel that brought me here. Without it, none of this would exist.
This echoes a concept I've explored before: the arbitrary nature of success. Define it wisely. My personal definition remains: "I’m at peace with who I am, and I’m proud of what I’m doing."
This insight immediately answered my mind's persistent question about the "benefit of hard work."
The effort I pour in today isn't for an immediate, tangible reward. It's an investment. The true reward will manifest in the future. So, I choose to be proud of what I'm doing now. I trust myself, finding peace, knowing I'm doing what's best for everyone involved.
Even on days when motivation is elusive, I persist. It’s tempting to overthink, to enact drastic change. But sometimes, the hardest, most rewarding path is simply to accept the present and lean into the work.
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” — Friedrich Nietzsche
Do you agree?
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