De-bunking the motivation myth

It's Monday morning, and you have taken your last sip of your double espresso before stepping into the pharmacy. You turn on the computers and see a countertop with unresolved issues from the weekend. As you put on your lab coat, do you feel a spark—or just the weight of routine? Some days, the passion that brought me into pharmacy feels distant, buried beneath paperwork and endless demands. I remember that towards the tail end of the pandemic, the thrill of helping patients gave way to burnout and frustration for me. According to a workplace study by the Canadian Pharmacists Association, as pharmacists, our risk of burnout is 23% higher than the rest of the Canadian population. Many Canadian pharmacists and pharmacy owners share this struggle. The answer, I've learned, isn't fleeting motivation; it's alignment.Alignment—the connection between our strengths, passions, values, and work—is the secret sauce for lasting job satisfaction and redefining our professional spark. We often tell ourselves, "I just need more motivation." But as pharmacists, we know motivation is a fickle friend. Some mornings we wake up energized; others, we drag ourselves to work.What does alignment look like in pharmacy?Alignment means waking up to a day where your tasks resonate with who you are professionally and personally.When many of us can focus on counselling patients, we feel energized, but when buried in paperwork and checklists, the day drags.I've seen pharmacy owners who've fought for autonomy to apply their full skills, breaking free from restrictive corporate policies and regaining their joy.Finding my sparkBefore I decided to leave my owner/operator role, I used the Sparketype Assessment tool. My motivation was waning, and I wanted to stay engaged for my team and patients. The results showed I was spending most of my time in my 'Anti Sparketype'—tasks that drained me, making me feel frustrated and drained. My primary Sparketype was "Advisor," which meant I thrived on mentoring staff and guiding patients, but I was spending hours on HR, scheduling and filling out what I felt were redundant checklists. After identifying this mismatch, I delegated some of these tasks and focused on what I felt aligned with doing. Within months, my energy returned, and my job satisfaction significantly improved.Why alignment drives satisfactionThe data back what I experienced:92.7% of employees report increased productivity and satisfaction when their work aligns with their Sparketype. For us, this means matching roles with strengths isn't just nice—it's essential.Employees aware of their Sparketype are 53% more likely to feel passionate about their jobs—a lifeline in our high-stress world.Alignment can reduce work-related stress by 78%, a staggering figure when burnout is so common.Employees aligned with their Sparketype are 33.8% less likely to job-hop, helping retain skilled talent.Overall life satisfaction jumps 55.7%, proving alignment's benefits go beyond the workplace.So, how do we find this alignment? Enter the Sparketype® assessment—a tool designed to uncover what lights us up at work. Developed by Jonathan Fields, it helps you identify:Your Primary Sparketype®: what energizes and excites you most.Your Shadow Sparketype®: tasks that support your primary spark.Your Anti Sparketype®: work that drains you, even if you're good at it.Understanding this helps make intentional choices—delegate draining tasks or seek roles aligned with your strengths.Practical steps to find alignment1. Assess Your Sparketype (and Your Team's)Take the assessment yourself and encourage your team to do the same.Share results through quick touchpoint interactions to spark honest conversations about strengths.2. Redesign roles for a better fitMatch tasks to team members' Sparketypes. For example, let your "Performer" lead community outreach, and your "Essentialist" optimize workflow.If you are a pharmacy owner, consider delegating the pharmacist and tech schedules to competent team members, freeing you to focus on building your business and tasks that fit your primary spark.3. Align goals with valuesRevisit your pharmacy's mission and core values regularly. Are daily operations reflecting your core values as a leader?If you value continuing education, where and how is this showing up for your team?4. Prioritize well-beingRemember, alignment isn't just about productivity. Satisfied, aligned teams report better mental health and higher retention rates.Alignment in a challenging landscapeRunning a pharmacy isn't easy. Staffing issues, decreasing margins, pricing pressures, and administrative tasks pile up. Yet alignment can be our secret weapon. It can sustain us through long shifts and our busy seasons. Understanding your Sparketype® and aligning your work with your strengths and values can transform pharmacy from a place of routine to a place of renewal.Ask yourself:Does my current role truly align with my Sparketype?Am I spending most of my time on tasks that energize or drain me?What small change can I make this week to get closer to alignment?Manjit Hansra is a CDE and consultant pharmacist focused on providing tools to help pharmacists prevent and manage burnout. Subscribe to his newsletter HERE.