I figure with any job, regardless how much you love it, you will run into times when you completely lack motivation.  I’m in a job where, beyond my own personal motivation, the only real motivation is not to get fired(Peter Gibbons, 1999).  I’m at an organization where good performance is rarely met with monetary rewards and making a vertical career moves means you have to “move out to move up”.  While I have gripes with the situation, it’s my own problem and I choose to be where I am.  Beyond all of that, my own motivation is what really keeps me going; my motivation to learn and suceed.

I’m going to make an assumption that not everyone is motivated 100% of the time.  How do you combat long droughts of motivation?  Beyond that, how do you know if it’s not just a matter of motivation and you have become stagnant in a position?