What Keeps You Motivated??

[bee83]

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Hi Everyone,
We're coming up on Thanksgiving break, thank goodness, but even while wrapping up this rather stressful semester I find myself asking myself at times, "Is this really worth it?" I keep plugging along with determination, but it seems that the inspiration is a little hard to come by these days (for me). Am I not watching enough Animal Planet? Or am I just burnt out from some mundane vet shadowing experiences? How do you guys keep that motivational spark alive? Any tips or tricks, no matter how silly, would really make my day.
I just feel that I need something to make me sit back and say "Oh yeah, so this is why it's worth it."
Thanks 😀

 

[LoveMyHotDog]

I'm a non-trad, and I came from a Business Consulting background (bleh). The company I worked for was a Top-4, globally recognized company that bred over-achievers and top-performers. I got to work with what were considered to be the most sought after clients in what many considered an interesting field. Do you know how many people got up in the morning excited to go to work? On a team of 25, I'd say one. And he was the manager who got to work from home most of the week. We performed the same drudgery day in and day out and barely got to see any immediate gratification and I rarely felt like I made a difference.

At the end of it all, we'll be able to spend the rest of our careers doing something we love. And that one wagging tail or purr every so often is much more motivation than I ever felt working on my old project. We'll be able to support the ultimate mission directly. Think about it...you could spend the rest of your professional life working at a desk making spreadsheets. Ew.

 

[bee83]

Think about it...you could spend the rest of your professional life working at a desk making spreadsheets. Ew.

Well said. I tried an office job once and bailed after about two months.

 

[thedogisgreen]

Keep on shadowing, as you get more comfortable in the clinic, they will let you do more and more, and it will get far from mundane. It's amazing to watch the kids say goodbye to a beloved dog before an emergency surgery, and then see the joy in both the kids and the dog when a much healthier, happier animal gets to go home. Even little things, drawing blood and seeing the results, observing diagnostics, being there for animals as they recover. It gets much more exciting than the beginning shadowing where you just feel awkward and in the way... I definitely hated that part, dreaded going to the clinic for quite a while, but slowly I started working my way up and it was more than worth it. 🙂

 

[Hopefully2013]

I'm at that awkward shadowing stage too... The last vet I shadowed spoke to me maybe twice and acted like I was in the way all day. 🙄 I'm going to see if the vet I shadowed once last spring semester will let me shadow as much as possible next semester - he was nutty (day after a blizzard and he was wearing a hawaiin print shirt and shorts) but he and his techs were very informative and kept asking me if I wanted to see what they were doing and explaining it, and he let me look and the embryos through his microscope (he was doing equine embryo transfers that day).

I just remind myself that while I LOVE working at PetSmart (in the PetsHotel, no less, playing with doggies all day long), I don't want to work there for the rest of my life. One of my best friends works there with me and we keep each other on track with this even though we're different majors... One of us will be tired and go "Come on, can't we just work at PetSmart forever?" and the answer always changes... Last time she told me "No, then we'll never be able to afford horses."

If not working at PetSmart forever is the best I can think of to drive me toward what I want, then that's it. Usually I can find better reasons but if I'm having a particularly hard day, that's it.

 

[sumstorm]

I think hitting a point where it isn't so fun is just part of the growth and development phase. That is why experience is important. You want a career where the worst days aren't really that bad, the most boring days are acceptable, and the great days easily sustain you through the not so great days.

When things start to get a bit dull, it's time to kick it up a notch; start exploring. So you just did another fecal check, and didn't find anything. What could you have found? See if you can look at the vet's library and do some reading. Another dog comes in with ear mites; read up on how mites are distinguishable. Starting to get into the nitty gritty will make it less routine, and help you in the future at vet school. Having background knowledge to contextualize what you are learning can really improve recall. If you have technology at work (radiograph machine, chem analysis, etc) ask about learning to use them and start reading up. Being the expert at taking great rads can be a great way to find work if you ever have to relocate for school. And as you understand the hows and whys, it'll improve your comprehension later. I hear students say all the time 'oh, that's why we did X!' and knowing why makes it so much more interesting.

Not much help beyond that. 5 finals down, 2 to go, one in 1.5 hours and obviously I am not terribly motivated.