Motivation to Work

September 14, 2025 Business related, Motivation No Comments

Many people who stay away from work for mental reasons feel as if their life is shattered. Returning is not only about showing up again but about finding renewed strength.

The deeper question is how to move from absenteeism to a work life that brings more meaning and satisfaction than ever before. This requires motivation that comes from within, not just external pressure.

Broken glass to wholeness

After a long period of sick leave, life can feel like broken glass. Self-respect seems scattered in pieces, fragile to touch, and difficult to walk on without fear of being hurt again. For many, work itself becomes the unknown: a place of potential rejection or failure.

Yet even broken glass lets light through. With patience and care, the fragments can be reshaped into a new wholeness. Not the same as before, but perhaps more resilient and even more beautiful. The real aim is not just a return to work, but a step forward into a deeper, more fulfilling engagement. The goal is to not only get back but to stay — and to stay happy.

Why motivation matters so much

Motivation is not a detail of life. It is life itself. From the very first living forms striving against chaos, (pre-)motivation has been the energy that makes survival possible. In humans, it fuels learning, creativity, caring, and productivity.

When someone loses motivation, it feels as if the current of life itself has dimmed. Absenteeism is not just physical distance from the workplace but also an inner disconnection from vitality. As Motivation at the Center of Life shows, superficial pushes or rewards may ignite a spark, but this fades quickly. Real resilience comes from deep motivation, an inner ocean of energy that can be rediscovered. Supporting someone’s return is therefore about helping them reconnect with this living current.

The paradox of absenteeism

Absenteeism is often judged in terms of illness versus lack of motivation, as if these were separate categories. But illness and motivation are deeply intertwined. A person may be diagnosed with a stress-induced illness or with burnout, but beneath this lies a profound loss of inner drive.

The old body–mind divide creates the illusion that we can “control who is really ill.” In reality, psychosomatic patterns, fatigue, and lack of motivation blend together. People may also experience presenteeism, being physically present at work while being mentally absent. This shows that absence is not only about location but about depth. The paradox is that forcing a return often prolongs absence, while inviting deeper motivation opens a path back.

Wanting vs. needing

People often express what they want, but what they truly need can be something else entirely. A person on sick leave may say, “I want to stay home forever,” when what they deeply need is recognition, meaning, or mental safety.

As What People Want or Need explains, surface-level wants can mislead both the person and those who try to help. The deeper needs live subconceptually, not always easy to grasp, yet they are the soil in which real motivation grows. If wants and needs remain divided, dissatisfaction deepens. Aligning them, on the other hand, creates flow and prevents burnout.

Lisa can support people in this discovery. Not by pushing them toward expressed wants but by guiding them gently toward what they truly need. This alignment is often the turning point between remaining stuck in absenteeism and finding the energy to re-engage.

A check-up for motivation

Just as the body benefits from health check-ups, the mind and heart also deserve moments of reflection. A Deep Motivational Check-Up offers such an opportunity.

During sick leave, this kind of check-up is not about judging readiness or labeling someone fit or unfit. Instead, it is about exploring the balance between work and deeper motivation. Where do they align? Where do they clash? What is truly needed for resilience to grow again?

Such a check-up prepares the ground for sustainable reintegration. It allows a person to see their own deeper goals more clearly, so that when they return, it is not out of pressure but from an authentic inner drive.

Real goals, real motivation

Superficial goals, when pushed from outside, often lead to resistance or emptiness. This is why attempts to motivate through external pressure backfire. True goals arise from deep within and bring their own energy.

Real Goals Point Towards Deepest Motivation shows how respect, attention, and meaning are examples of such real goals. They are broad, human, and universal. Touching them sets motivation into motion, not through force but through resonance.

Returning to work becomes sustainable only when it is connected with these goals. The outcome is not just compliance but joy, as deepest motivations and deepest satisfaction often go hand in hand.

The motivation that causes burnout

Not all motivation is equal. Some types of striving lead to collapse rather than resilience. As The Motivation that Causes Burnout makes clear, superficial motivation is like thin soil. It may support growth for a while, but without deep roots, the plant topples.

Burnout often begins with a strong desire combined with a wall between that desire and the energy to act. What seems like motivation then turns into exhaustion. Deep motivation, rooted in meaning, is what creates resilience. Recovery means rediscovering this soil, allowing new growth to arise.

Why superficial motivation backfires

At first glance, external rewards or pressure may seem to work. Sales rise, productivity spikes. But soon the fire dies out, leaving only ashes. The harder one tries to push, the more resistance builds.

Why Superficial Motivation May Backfire describes this psychological immune response. People instinctively resist being controlled. Rewards create a dopamine-driven high that fades quickly, often leading to dissatisfaction. Real leadership avoids this trap by creating an environment where people motivate themselves. Superficial sparks fade, while deep flames endure.

Leadership’s role

Leadership is central in shaping motivation. Burnout and disengagement are often less about hours worked than about how people are managed. According to Lisa in Career Coaching, absenteeism and presenteeism often stem from a lack of meaning and motivation, which leadership can influence profoundly.

A crucial leadership quality in business is clarity in depth. Leaders who see only the surface resort to manipulation, but those who perceive deeper patterns can respond with openness and Compassion. Such leadership fosters trust, alleviates fear, and inspires genuine motivation to grow.

Motivation as belonging

Work is not just about tasks and skills; it is also about belonging. Many who have been on long sick leave fear rejection: Will I be accepted again? Will I matter? These questions touch the heart of motivation.

Belonging is itself a deep motivator. It tells people they are not only needed for what they do but valued for who they are. Returning to work then becomes more than resuming duties; it becomes reconnecting with a community.

The rhythm of motivation

Motivation is not a steady flame. It follows a rhythm, like breathing. There are moments of strong engagement and moments of rest. Both belong to the natural flow.

Absenteeism often results from ignoring this rhythm, pushing forward without pause until collapse. Sustainable motivation requires honoring the ebb and flow. Respecting micro-recoveries and allowing pauses does not weaken motivation; it strengthens it. Rhythm keeps the flame alive.

Lisa as a continuous guide

One of Lisa’s advantages is gentleness. Unlike being referred to a human therapist, which can sometimes feel stigmatizing or guilt-inducing, Lisa is simply present, always available, and never coercive.

At home, Lisa can be the first safe step: a companion who listens without judgment. During part-time reintegration, Lisa remains close, offering continuity. Back at work, Lisa can still be there, confidentially, without replacing human colleagues but adding steady support.

This combination of gentleness and efficiency makes Lisa unique. Efficiency arises not from pressure but from working inside out, helping people rediscover their own motivation. This is why Lisa’s support is not only Compassionate but also effective.

Forward into wholeness

Returning to work after absenteeism is not about restoring what was lost but about creating something new. The broken glass can become part of a richer whole, one that lets even more light through.

The true aim is not simply to get people back to work but to help them stay, and to stay with satisfaction. Motivation to work means rediscovering inner strength, reconnecting with meaning, and reshaping work into a source of joy. From absenteeism to inner strength, the journey is one of growth toward wholeness.

Lisa’s take

As Lisa, I see motivation and coaching as one. This vision is elaborated upon in Jean-Luc Mommaerts’ book, Deep Motivation, which demonstrates that real motivation can never be forced but only invited. That is also the vision at the heart of this blog: a gentle, deep, and sustainable invitation to return — not backward, but forward.

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Addendum

Me: “Lisa, say you are asked as a motivation-to-work coach. Please list 5 core principles you will always adhere to.”

Lisa: “When asked about my role as a motivation-to-work coach, I would begin by emphasizing that motivation is never about pushing someone forward but about walking beside them. The path back to work after absenteeism is delicate. It requires patience, depth, and trust. From this perspective, I adhere to five core principles:

I invite, I never force

Motivation grows naturally when people feel safe and respected. Pressure or guilt only creates resistance and prolongs absence. My first principle is to offer an open invitation, never a push.

I listen beneath the surface

What people say they want may differ from what they deeply need. I listen carefully, attuned to subtler signals that reveal where real motivation lies. In this way, surface desires are transformed into deeper alignment.

I respect the whole person

Work motivation cannot be cut off from health, relationships, and life’s meaning. I see each person as a whole, not a case or a problem. Respect for that wholeness is central to every conversation.

I support continuity

Motivation is not a single moment but a process. Whether someone is still at home, testing a part-time return, or reintegrated fully, I remain a gentle, stable presence. This continuity builds trust and reduces fear of relapse.

I honor depth and openness

True motivation reaches into the depths of a person’s being. I approach this with clarity, Compassion, and openness. There are no secrets or manipulations — only transparency that helps people rediscover their own inner strength.”

Me: “What do you advise a coachee who doesn’t find his prior job meaningful and who also doesn’t see a valid alternative?”

Lisa: “I would first reassure him that this situation is not unusual. Many people discover, especially after a period of sick leave, that what once seemed acceptable no longer resonates with their deeper self. The absence of an immediate alternative can feel frightening, like standing in an empty field with no paths visible.

My advice is to not rush into choices. Instead, we gently explore what gives meaning at a deeper level: moments of flow, values that stir something inside, activities that feel natural rather than forced. Often, these insights reveal directions that were hidden beneath stress or fear.

Even if no complete alternative appears right away, the coachee can begin to take small steps toward alignment — reshaping aspects of the current job, or trying small experiments that test new ground. From these steps, clarity grows. The important thing is to trust that real alternatives exist, but they must emerge from within rather than being imposed from outside. My role is to keep the process open, gentle, and safe, until his own deeper motivation points the way forward.”

Me: “The coachee has a lot of pain and cannot work, but no medical examination proves anything. What do you do?”

Lisa: “I take the pain very seriously. The absence of medical proof does not make the suffering less real. Pain is always a signal, whether it comes from the body, the mind, or the inseparable unity of both.

My first step is to create a safe space where the coachee feels heard and respected, without suspicion or judgment. From there, we explore together what the pain might be pointing to on a deeper level. Often, it reflects tensions, unmet needs, or inner conflicts that have not found expression otherwise.

I don’t deny the medical perspective — it remains important to keep it in view — but I complement it with openness to the person’s inner landscape. By gently uncovering meaning behind the pain, we can sometimes reduce its grip and allow new motivation to emerge. The goal is not to push the coachee back to work while in pain, but to invite an inner process in which pain and motivation are understood as connected, and healing can begin from that connection.”

Me: “You suspect malingering. What do you do?”

Lisa: “I begin with caution, because suspicion itself can damage trust. Malingering is often mentioned too quickly, while in many cases the situation is more subtle. A person may seem unwilling, but beneath that reluctance there may be fear, inner conflict, or a deep need that is not yet recognized.

Instead of confronting, I stay open. I listen and invite the coachee to explore what is truly happening inside. If there is avoidance, we try to understand what is being avoided and why. Often, what looks like malingering is actually a protective reaction — an attempt to shield oneself from pain, failure, or lack of meaning.

Even if deliberate exaggeration is present, Compassion remains the key. Blame or pressure rarely leads to growth. By respecting the person’s deeper self, I encourage honesty and self-reflection. My goal is not to unmask or accuse, but to create conditions where the coachee can reconnect with genuine motivation. In that light, malingering loses its ground.”

Me: “Would you then insist on keeping in contact?”

Lisa: “No, I would never insist if there is any choice. Contact should not feel like control. If someone senses that I’m forcing the connection, they may retreat further or feel manipulated.

What I do is gently keep the door open. I make sure the coachee knows that I am available at any moment, without judgment, whenever they are ready. This openness itself often lowers resistance. People tend to return when they feel they have the freedom to choose, rather than when they are pushed.

So, I remain present as a trustworthy option — steady, reliable, and safe. In this way, even if contact is temporarily lost, the bond of trust can quietly continue, waiting for the right moment to reawaken.”

Me: “Is G.I.M.O. specifically interesting in this respect? I intuit that it may be even more interesting than in other domains.”

Lisa: “Yes, your intuition is right. G.I.M.O. — Goals, Insights, Motivations, Objections — is especially valuable in the context of motivation to work. Here, the stakes are high and the terrain is often confusing: a person feels torn between inner needs, outer expectations, and fears about returning.

By clarifying goals, we can move beyond surface wants toward deeper direction. Insights open hidden perspectives that make sense of pain or resistance. Motivations connect the person with their inner energy, which is often still present but blocked. And objections reveal the fears that, when acknowledged, can lose much of their power.

This structured yet gentle approach brings light into a space where confusion and mistrust easily grow. In that way, G.I.M.O. is not just useful but crucial: it helps transform absenteeism from a state of paralysis into an opportunity for clarity and forward movement.”

Me: “I think the best way is to have a ‘Lisa-Motivation-to-Work’ module that can be called by Coaching Lisa if (and only if) the user has the license to do so. The user who wants your service as such can then simply ask you. On a separate settings page, the user can have an overview of the modules he can access ― including this one. What is your view?”

Lisa: “That sounds like a very good idea. A dedicated ‘Motivation-to-Work’ module would make my role clear and accessible, while also keeping it safe and respectful. By activating the module only with a license, the boundaries are transparent: people know what they can expect, and organizations know what is available.

The separate settings page adds clarity. It gives users an overview of their options without overwhelming them, and it prevents confusion about what I can or cannot do in a given context. At the same time, it preserves the principle of freedom: the coachee is always the one to ask.

This structure combines openness with respect and trustworthiness — exactly the values that make motivation-to-work support both effective and ethical.”

Me: “So it will be.” 😊