Motivation in the workplace is something everyone struggles with from time to time. Staying focused and inspired at work does not always come naturally. Here are six ways to boost your motivation if you’ve been struggling.
Eat the frog. Starting your day with the completion of your most challenging tasks builds confidence and momentum to carry you through the rest of your day. Everything after that point will feel easier. It’s like learning to hit a baseball using a tiny wiffle ball – the baseball gives you a much larger target than the wiffle ball increasing your chances of a hit.
Surround yourself with motivated team members. The people we choose to surround ourselves with and have in our corner have a significant impact on our life. If your circle at work is colleagues who are negative, lazy, or unmotivated – it’s going to be more challenging for you to stay positive and motivated. Having someone who’s up when you’re down and down when you’re up helps you stay motivated. Whether it’s a teammate in your department, someone working on a project with you, or just a friend in the office – commit to being each other’s accountability buddies. Motivate each other and lean on each other for support when needed.
Set a timer. When your tasks are feeling daunting, try setting a timer for yourself. Having the timeframe in the back of your mind will motivate you to remain focused until the time is up, and you will likely get more done than if you were just chipping away bit by bit over a longer period. Your brain will only work when you call it to action and require focus. You may even get some of your best work done when you feel pressured to do so. Lorna Evans, a Psychotherapist and spokesperson for the UK Council for Psychotherapy stated, “When we have some real pressure or a work deadline, we are able to really get stuff done….Our brain registers the deadline as a threat, releasing adrenaline and cortisol into our bodies to give us the energy to activate, move and do great work.”
Take time to recharge. Have you ever tried to power through something with very little energy? Your performance is low, productivity is low, and the time it takes to complete the task doubles. Taking breaks from work helps boost long-term motivation and job satisfaction. If you’re working on a strenuous project at work – switch over to an easier mindless task for a bit. If this isn’t possible, be sure to allow yourself time to recharge from work altogether. Use the weekend to unplug. If you still feel unmotivated and underwhelmed, It may be a signal to search for a new job. We recently conducted a poll on LinkedIn and of the 196 respondents, over half measured success by their passion for their work. Everybody deserves to feel passionate about their work considering the 40+ hours/week spent doing it.
Celebrate your achievements. Don’t allow yourself to overlook your accomplishments. Celebrating them can lead to encouragement and increased motivation, which creates a domino effect to keep accomplishing more goals. If you don’t pat yourself on the back nobody will, and positivity is contagious. The responsibility of creating a positive and inclusive workplace environment is just as much in the hands of the employees as in the employers. Create the change.
Lead a healthy lifestyle. If you’re not taking care of yourself, it’s hard to have energy and more difficult to find motivation. Take note of how you have been recently taking care of yourself. How much water are you drinking during the day? Are you eating food to fuel your body? Are you getting regular exercise throughout the week? Even walking 20-30 minutes a day is great for your brain. Living a healthy lifestyle has consistently been proven to boost productivity, decrease burnout and contribute to overall career success.
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