I know, I know- it's a waste of time to try and motivate people. That's the advice from favorite author Jim Collins from Good to Great fame. Still, it's hard not to notice the perks that come with some aspects of work. Free coffee, a morning paper, on-site massage, the list goes on.

A recent Wall Street Journal piece discusses this very issue and I can relate. How do you stay motivated when the perks disappear?

I once worked at an excellent Catholic school that eliminated the faculty coffee machine. My boss said, flat-out that the coffee was just too darn expensive. To the tune of $6,000 over the course of the previous year! We understood and hit the local Dunkin Donuts for some consolation java. We understood that the expense wasn't worth the comfort. In today's economy, many workplaces are doing the same.

Still, it's worth considering how valuable these creature comforts are to workplace motivation. As the WSJ piece concludes, it's a good time to focus on the really, truly, deeply important aspects of work.

The perks will come and go. The opportunity to make a difference in the world- through your everyday work- will remain.

*Photo by Ahmed Rabea