Hey Reader!

I have always loved school. You wouldn't believe me, if you saw the way I complain about my college classes sometimes.

When I say I love school, I don’t mean that I’ve never been frustrated with assignments or that I jump out of bed on dark winter mornings to get to class. I just mean that: on balance, I find deep satisfaction in school and it makes sense to me.

There have been a few points throughout university when I’ve felt like my love for school had been snuffed out. This semester, for example, randomized group projects brought me to levels of frustration I have not experienced before (ask my loved ones, who had to listen to my teary phone calls). But now that things have settled down a bit, I’m looking forward to my final projects with rekindled enthusiasm. Put simply, I’m intrinsically motivated.

I love Cal Newport’s books, so prepare yourself for yet another Cal reference 👉 In his book So Good, They Can’t Ignore You, he explains that intrinsic motivation at work is based on:

1. Autonomy – having some responsibility & control over how you do your work
2. Competence – feeling like you’re good at your work
3. Relatedness – feeling connected with other people

So it's really not about passion. I mean, it definitely helps that I study media & communications, a subject I enjoy.

But it's comforting to know that, no matter the subject matter, no matter the career path (to a certain extent) I can enjoy it, so I don't need to worry about finding the perfect fit for my "passions".

Anyways, going back to the topic of school. I wanted to write a list of strategies that have helped me enjoy my schoolwork, and I realized that they’re all connected to those three factors of intrinsic motivation...

⏰ Staying on top of deadlines: Some people are motivated by time pressure. I am not one of those people. When I’m working under the sound of a ticking clock, I start to resent the work. I no longer have a choice in what to spend my time on because I have to do this urgent thing, and that takes away my autonomy. When I set my own personal deadline ahead of the actual deadline, I get the motivating effect without the stress and anxiety. I work quickly, but calmly.

🤝 Choosing effective groups: When we have the rare opportunity to form our own groups for projects, I try not to squander it. It's an opportunity to ensure relatedness. I hate confrontation, but I know that a brief moment of discomfort (rejecting a group member based on past experiences working with them) will save me a lot of frustration in the long run.

🏆 Always do a good job. I just can’t bullshit assignments. When I’ve done it before, I end up not only hating the work I submit, but also hating the class. That’s why I have to remind myself—when doing assignments I don't like—if I just strive to do the best job I can, it'll give me a sense competence and I'll feel proud and satisfied in the end.

🙅‍♀️ Stop complaining. I’ve been complaining so much about frustrating group members and professors. It’s good to release those emotions, right? ...to a certain extent. I’ve finally realized that re-telling the same stories over and over just makes the anger feel fresh and changes absolutely nothing (no autonomy). All I can do is accept the conditions and do my own personal best.

*****

I hope that this advice and Cal's framework for intrinsic motivation helps you, whether you are facing frustrating work in school or in an office. As my biology teacher used to say, “life is work” (something about living organisms performing chemical reactions… I’m not sure, it was 6 years ago). So, let’s try to enjoy the work 🤗

---

This week's video

No new video this week, but I’m working on a “preparing for the New Year” video! Yes, it’s that time of year again. Respond to this email and let me know what you’re doing to get yourself organized and motivated for 2024—I’m working on the script right now and looking for more tips 👀

---

A few of my favorite things

👩‍💻 I usually prefer to study and work alone. But lately, I’ve been playing this Animal Crossing “The Office”-themed ambience video for some company. How can I not stay focused when villager Pam and Jim are typing away at their desks?

🎙️ I was bummed when Trevor Noah left the Daily Show, so I’ve been listening to his new podcast instead (as if I need yet another podcast to follow).

🪷 I'm intrigued by this Japanese self-reflection practice that focuses not on gratitude, but on what you receive from and give to others.

🚀 I’m starting a new externship this week! One of the things I’ve discovered from school projects is that I actually really enjoy doing interviews for customer research. So I signed up for another Consumer Insights externship through Paragon One (this one is a quick, three-week “lab”). You can check out all the externships here.

🎧 When I first heard ROSALÍA and Björk’s new song, I found it very odd. But by the second listen, I was hooked, and I’ve listened to it precisely 20 times this week. (By the way, who is excited for Spotify Wrapped?!)

---

❔ An exercise for you

Whatever work you are currently focusing on right now, how does it measure up against those three factors of intrinsic motivation? What adjustments can you make to increase your motivation?

1. Do you feel like you have control & responsibility over your work?
2. Do you feel like you're good at the skills that your work requires and you're being challenged?
3. Do you like the people you interact with at work?

---

​Find all editions of the newsletter here. Thank you for reading, and have a lovely week.

Lots of love,
Beatrice