Work Motivation and Fulfillment: What Really Keeps Us Going?
Last week, in a cafe, I overheard two women talking about returning to work after the summer holidays.
One of them said: “How’s your motivation to work? I don’t have any, but then again, hardly anyone feels like ‘yay, back to work.’”
The other replied: “Yeah, I feel the same. And changing jobs doesn’t make it better.”
That stopped me. For many reasons.
First of all, I realized I don’t feel that way. I am motivated. And I know I’m not the only one. Many women in my network come back from holidays genuinely motivated and even excited to return.
Also, I do believe changing jobs can make it better.
So, where does the difference come from? Why is my reality so different from those women who are not motivated?
Because motivation isn’t something I hope or wait for. I have created and built it. And beyond motivation, I feel fulfilled, because my work reflects now who I truly am.
The Deeper Drivers of Work Motivation
Research shows that motivation is not random. It strengthens when certain elements are present in our work:
Purpose: Feeling that your work connects to something meaningful.
Purpose is one of the most fundamental human needs, and when work feel meaningful and is connected to the purpose of your life, motivation grows.
Growth & Mastery: Using your strengths, learning, and evolving.
Studies show that when women work from their strengths, their energy rises, learning curves accelerate, and they thrive.
Values & Connection: Belonging to a culture where you feel safe and supported.
Psychological safety (being free to speak up and be yourself) is one of the strongest predictors of motivation at work.
Autonomy: Having ownership and freedom to shape how you work.
Autonomy doesn’t mean working without structure; it means being trusted.
Clarity & Feedback: Clear goals, progress, and fair recognition.
Money matters, but as we all know, on its own, it rarely sustains motivation. Fairness and feedback are just as essential for keeping motivation alive.
Beyond Motivation: Fulfillment
From my own journey, and from the women I coach, I’ve learned there is something deeper.
At its core, fulfillment is the feeling that your life and work reflect what truly matters to you. It’s the alignment of your choices with your values, your purpose, and your deeper needs as a human being.
Because work is such a central part of life, I believe it’s hard to feel truly fulfilled if your work doesn’t align with who you are.
My Journey with Work Motivation and Fulfillment
In my corporate years, I often felt my motivation dip. Usually, it was a sign I was ready for the next challenge. So I changed companies, industries, roles and even countries.
In many ways, I had good conditions: inspiring managers, autonomy, safe teams, interesting projects, and clear goals. But eventually, even in companies I connected with on a deeper level, and with fair compensation, my motivation would go down.
Everything looked fine on the outside. But on the inside, I was yearning for more.
Without really noticing, I started putting less energy, less heart into my work. Because I was ready for something more.
Then Covid arrived and I lost my job.
I’ll be honest: it took some soul searching to accept that I had actually manifested losing my job.
When I stepped out of the corporate world and became an entrepreneur, things started shifting slowly.
It took a lot of healing work and looking within to understand who I truly am underneath all the roles and social conditioning I had carried. It took me a very long time to figure out what I really want and need. But the truth stayed within me that even if I felt lost, I was finally following the path I had always wanted to walk.
Looking back I now realize: motivation to work stopped being something I had to search for. It became a natural part of my daily reality.
Because through that soul searching, I had connected with my purpose, and my work became an expression of it. Entrepreneurs also have autonomy: they get to choose who they work with, create the company vision, decide goals, and design the plan. They are continuously pushed to evolve.
So the question was no longer about how to find motivation, but about connecting with fulfillment — keep living a life that truly looks like me — and seeing motivation as a part of it.
I do want to highlight that feeling fulfilled doesn’t mean the path is easy. There are still bad days, negative feelings, wrong choices, failures, and lots of uncertainty happening in your everyday life. And yes, sometimes also motivation drops.
But when it does, I know it’s usually not about motivation at all. It’s exhaustion. That’s when I set stronger boundaries, cry, call a friend, do sports, rest, or simply take a day off. And soon, my fire returns.
What I See in My Clients
I know I’m not alone in this. Again and again, I see the same pattern in the businesswomen I coach.
Many of them have achieved amazing things. They’ve been highly motivated, ambitious, and successful in their careers and lives. But then something shifts. Motivation no longer feels enough.
They start longing for something deeper. Not just more energy to do the work, not even more money, or more challenges, or the right role, but fulfillment. And the freedom to follow their own path.
Just like me, most of them do leave the corporate world, because they cannot express themselves there in their full glory. And if they already have left it, they are often reshaping their business or creating a new one that is more aligned with who they truly are.
Even if the path is unique, the essence is the same.
Heal with me for a sec.
What’s your situation?
If you find yourself feeling unmotivated, don’t accept it as “normal.”
Instead, ask yourself:
- Is my work meaningful?
- Have I stopped growing?
- Which of my values are being compromised?
- Do I have enough autonomy to shape my work?
- Do I feel safe and supported?
- Is my compensation fair?
- Am I exhausted rather than unmotivated?
And if you notice that you, too, are yearning for something deeper than motivation, ask yourself:
- Am I actually searching for fulfillment?
Be honest with yourself.
Essi Koski-Lammi
Essi Koski-Lammi is a Wellbeing Trailblazer, Feminine Executive Coach, Healer, Clairvoyant and Conscious Interior Designer. She believes that how we live, work, and care for ourselves is deeply influenced by the connection between the spaces within and around us. With a diploma in interior design, over 22 years of experience in energy healing and meditation, MSC in Business and a strong background in global branding and marketing, Essi combines her expertise to empower women to transform their homes, businesses, and lives — and most importantly, themselves — so that every part of life feels aligned and truly their own.
