How to stay motivated at work
Whether you’ve been doing your job for a year or 10 years, it can sometimes be difficult to keep the momentum going and stay motivated all the time. If you feel like you’re struggling to maintain your motivation and get things done, it’s important to try and be proactive to ensure your performance doesn’t suffer.
If you work as part of a team, you no doubt have others that you need to motivate and inspire as well as yourself, which can be challenging at times. On the other hand, if you work independently, there’s no one to keep you in check except yourself! So, if you’re hoping to get more out of your working week and feel better about the tasks ahead of you, Wellbeing 365 offer some advice on how to stay motivated.
Think about your impact
Sometimes it can be helpful to find your motivation by thinking about the impact your role and your work has on others. Try to identify ways in which your job makes other people’s lives better or easier, and how you’re benefitting that person or business.
What would happen if your role no longer existed, and those people stopped receiving your services or support? The answer to this question can usually spur you on to complete the job at hand to avoid causing people upset, stress or inconvenience.
By identifying the impact of your job, you can appreciate its importance a little more and realise that the work you do makes a difference, if only small.
Break up tasks into smaller jobs
If you have some big tasks ahead of you, or you have a particularly overwhelming or stressful job to complete, you can get through it much easier by breaking it up. Tackle big jobs with one step at a time and you will gradually start to feel a sense of achievement as you get closer to the finished result.
This is important if you struggle with motivation, as it means you only have to complete short tasks at a time. This can make any task feel more achievable and ensures you’re working progressively through a to-do list, no matter how big or small.
Set deadlines
Similarly, it may be easier to get through tasks if you have deadlines to stick to, as that may motivate you to make sure things are completed. This can be particularly helpful if you have other people relying on your work to be done in a timely fashion, as it can keep your head in the game and give you something to work towards.
Deadlines can be good for utilising your time in the most efficient way, so long as they are realistic. Setting various deadlines can help to structure your day and keep you busy, so there’s no time for lacking motivation!
Be open to criticism
Whether you have appraisals, one-to-one meetings or performance reviews in your role, listen out for any negative feedback or words of advice. While there might not always be negative feedback, step out of your comfort zone and ask whether there is anything that could be done better.
This type of construction criticism can become a key driver in pushing yourself and doing better in your role, which can help to squash any lack of motivation you might be feeling. Using criticism to grow and develop can help you to feel like you’re going somewhere, with a point to prove and a goal to achieve.
