11 ways to stay motivated at work
We all have days when we just can’t get started, can’t get lift-off, can’t focus on the job that needs to be done. This is completely normal and there are things we can all do to stay motivated at work.
I find the following 11 tips help me when I feel I’m losing direction and need a boost. These can be applied to all aspects of life, not just the workplace – the premise is the same.
So here we go…
1. Clarify your goals
What exactly is it you want from life and your job? It is extremely important to know what your goals are in life, as you need something to focus on and act as a bench-mark. Sometimes we all need a little reminder of why we’re doing something and what the actual point is. So find a way of setting your goals that works for you. I have a note-pad that I carry with me everywhere and I keep a note of my blogging goals at the back of it. This means I can always flick to the back page and remind myself of my goals.
Goals don’t always have to be all-encompassing and about the bigger picture, they can be smaller ones too. At work, I am post-it Queen! I keep a note of my daily goals on a series of post-its, so I know what I need to achieve that day or week. It acts as a constant reminder and bench-mark.
My bigger life-goals, I set with myself and my husband – between us, we know we want from our lives together.
2. Game plan time!
So you’ve outlined your goals, next is working out a plan of how you’re going to achieve them! Your goals aren’t just something to sit there and become stagnant, you have to make it your mission to achieve them…no one else will! So what can you do? At work it’s important to plan and be structured, setting yourself clear and achievable targets that will help you reach your goal.
Break down complex or larger projects into smaller, manageable chunks that you can track and record your progress of. This will help regain your feeling of control over the larger task at hand and eliminate panic setting-in. List these steps in some way (I like to hand-write my lists) and then tick them off as you complete them. Not only does this give you the utter feeling of satisfaction, it helps you visually see the work getting done.
3. Clear your desk
Ok so I’m probably the worst person to talk about a clear and orderly desk and filing system. But when I do tidy my desk and arrange my paper-work into piles, I feel soooooo much better! In fact it’s something that I’ve actually scheduled into my weekly work diary – I put an Outlook reminder in once a week to spend half an hour clearing my desk, filing away stray paper-work and generally getting everything in order. And you know what? It works! A messy desk is a messy mind and it’s easy to feel like you’re sinking under a pile of paperwork. If it’s all tidy, you’ll feel better and more capable to take on new challenges. Trust me 🙂
4. Reward yourself
Hopefully your boss or workplace will have measures in place to reward you for good work and achievements. But you can’t always rely on others to reward you, so why not reward yourself? It sounds silly and potentially a little vain, but it works! When you achieve bench-marks or tick-off tasks on your list, treat yourself to a 15 minute break, or a chocolate brownie or even a new dress (if the task was a particularly challenging one, why not?). This will give you something to look forward to and enjoy amidst all the stress and pressure of work. If you clearly plan your rewards, you’ll find you strive to reach them.
5. Keep things in perspective
We’ve all heard and used the old adage: ‘Life is too short’. And you know what? It is! Gain some perspective – what’s the worst that can happen? Obviously it might be slightly different if your job involves saving lives or indeed the world from alien invasion or something similar, but in most of our jobs, our biggest fears often unfounded. Will your life really end if you’re a bit late on that hand-in or if you make a mistake? Now I’m not saying you should just kick-back and relax and not worry whether you do something properly or not, but often we beat ourselves up constantly and put pressure on ourselves, which helps no one!
So have a think and write a list of why you work and why you are in the job you’re in (it’s often not just for the money!). I know I am in my job for personal progression, to challenge myself daily, to learn and to be able to be creative. It’s easy to forget these things when you’re feeling low, so keep reminding yourself. If you can’t think of any reasons, then perhaps you’re not in the right job at all?
6. Work vs Life
Those that know me know I am a real advocate of maintaining a work-life balance. Too many times I’ve seen and experienced people and colleagues spending all day in front of their PC, working late, sitting on their emails at 2am and then being exhausted at work, unable to string a coherent sentence together and actually completely useless to the rest of the team. THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING! It actually doesn’t help anyone when you’re completely and utterly exhausted and incapable of doing the job at hand.
So you MUST take your breaks. You MUST have a lunch break. You MUST keep your evenings and weekends about yourself, your friends and your family. Â You MUST have a life!
Again, I’m not saying never put in the extra hours when needed, or work late occasionally when there’s a particularly tough deadline or think about work when you’re at home. Some of us love our jobs and feel passionate about them and naturally this means our work spills into our personal life. But it is important to keep some clarity between work and life. After all your husband doesn’t always want to hear you moaning about that annoying client or the broken photo-copier…it can be a bit of a buzz kill. So just make sure that work isn’t ALL you talk about.
And have a hobby or an interest that takes you away from all of life’s stresses. It might be painting, scrap-booking or photography. Mine is this blog…when I’m having a tough day at work, I know I can come home and focus on something totally different for a while. And it helps.
After all, I’m sure Audrey always took her lunch breaks…
7. PMA (Positive Mental Attitude)
Positive thinking really does lead to positive things. If you are negative, you tend to surround yourself with other negative people and believe it or not, negative situations arise. If you are positive and bubbly, people will respond to that and you’ll find you’re surrounded by other like-minded people. This will be reflected in your work, your general attitude and it won’t go unnoticed.
Think about it? Who are the people at work that get promoted or rewarded? Not the people that sit there moaning all day I bet?
Negativity can cloud your judgement and make you lose your way. Remember why you’re there and keep smiling, even through the tough times! There are a number of techniques out there that help people remain positive and up-lifted. Perhaps try listening to your favourite song, phone your best-friend for a quick chat about nothing in particular or read blogs that inspire you. I make it my mission to save any nice emails I get where someone has complimented me on my work or my attitude – I file them away and when I’m having a low moment, I spend 5 minutes reading through them. This helps to remind me of the bigger picture and what I’m actually worth. It really works!
8. Network to the max
Now you’re positive and productive, go meet other people that are the same! Networking is a great way to meet people, share information and experiences and have a lot of fun whilst doing it. Often, whilst networking, you’ll form great relationships and contacts for work but also socially. Meeting nice people makes you happy and when it’s associated with your job, creates a great environment to work in. Networking can be face-to-face (great as it often involves wine and canapes too) or via social media channels such as Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook. So even if you’re a bit shy, there’s no excuse not to meet new people!
9. Stay healthy
We all know that our diet effects absolutely EVERYTHING. If we eat well and keep fit, we release the right toxins to keep our bodies happy and to keep us going (that’s as scientific as I get!). When we’re healthy and eating well, we sleep better, making us more productive at work. If we’re tired and sluggish, we can’t be bothered to work and clearly aren’t going to work to the best of our ability. So eat well, exercise regularly and you’ll be surprised how quickly this will change your mood.
10. Decide that you are happy
This goes hand in hand with PMA…sometimes you just need to tell yourself you are happy and enjoy your job. Stop focussing on what you don’t like about your work and instead remind yourself of the things you do like.
11. Don’t take things personally
Again, I have been guilty of this in the past and believe me, it’s a crap feeling! We all sometimes take work things to heart, criticisms, complaints etc and feel personally responsible. Guess what? It’s not always about you and it’s not always your fault. We can’t get everything right, all of the time and that’s okay! Tough situations at work aren’t always a reflection on you and it certainly doesn’t mean that people don’t like you or think that you’re doing a bad job.
Just remember that you’re a good person, you work hard and you’re a human being!Â
I hope these 11 tips help you as much as they help me. Work is just one part of our life and it is way more pleasurable when we enjoy it and feel good about ourselves.
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