Take Charge So You Can Motivate Yourself To Success.
- Updated: January 24, 2021
Self-motivated people create a positive work environment and focus on achieving their goals.
But sometimes, people who love their job also have trouble pushing themselves. Occasional lack of motivation could be due to many reasons, such as being burned out, or because of monotony.
Your lack of motivation may affect your productivity. You need to pull yourself during times like this. So, acknowledge the issue and take steps to help regain focus.
You might need some motivation to get yourself back on track now and then.
Here are some ways to keep you motivated.
1. Plan Your Day.
We have days where there are too many things to do. Some may be minor but must be done, and some are super important but do not need to be attended to immediately. And there are also some things that we find tedious and which we do not enjoy doing.
Prepare a to-do list which is a list of the stuff waiting for you to do. From here, you can note which ones you must do for the day and which ones can be put off to the following day. You can write it down on post-its, a journal or notebook or those organisers like Google Keep or Microsoft OneNote.
As for the tedious stuff, do not put off doing them. Get them done first. When you let your to-do list pile up with tasks that you dislike doing, it can turn into a motivation killer. Start your day by ticking repetitive, or labour-intensive tasks off your to-do list. Do not set them aside. Just get them work done and get back to doing what you love to do.
If you are concentrating at the task at hand, you will have less time to think about stress or dissatisfaction. So, concentrate on one thing at a time. Throw yourself into your work and push any doubts out of your mind when working on something. You will motivate yourself by keeping yourself occupied.
2. Enjoy Your Work.
One of the most important things you can do to motivate yourself is to enjoy your work.
Make it your passion.
Love your work and feel enthusiastic about it. When you are feeling down, your love for your work will pull out of your rut. And this will drive you forward towards success.
Think hard about your job and what parts of it you love. Think back to the time you were offered the job and the reason you accepted it. Perhaps you are getting better pay and benefits, or working for a good cause, or have a flexible work schedule.
Keeping in mind the reasons you accepted the job offer can help you navigate your next steps. This could be taking necessary action to improve the job you are doing now. Or preparing a plan to find a new one.
Consider what is important to you now.
3. Practice Gratitude.
Please remember that you do have a job. You are getting paid and have benefits too.
Change your perspective. Instead of grinding your way throughout the week, acknowledge the good things about your job, your company, and your co-workers.
Practicing gratitude at work will lead to reduced stress, more positivity at work, and increased goal setting. Spread gratitude. Positive feedback and words of encouragement can be contagious in a toxic workplace.
4. Celebrate Your Successes Or Achievements.
Reward yourself when you accomplished your goals.
We all need to slow down for a second and celebrate our accomplishments.
Share the news with another co-worker, your buddy or your significant other.
We work hard every day. It is easy to forget to celebrate our own accomplishments. Go back over your last year and point out your accomplishments. What did you achieve in your first three months? Your first six months?
Note down all that. It is never too late to celebrate.
Start celebrating, or at least acknowledge your successes.
Write them down. Read them out loud to yourself. Give yourself the pat on the back that you deserve.
5. Surround Yourself With Motivated People
If you are feeling unmotivated at work, it is likely that you have already complained about it to a friend or co-worker.
Avoid work colleagues that are negative about the company. Challenge their negativity with a positive reply. Try to channel positivity from a negative comment.
Surround yourself with co-workers who are motivated. Work together on new and exciting projects. Foster more inter-team collaboration.
6. Stay Positive.
Keep positivity around your work. Remember that you are in control of your career. Only you can change to encourage yourself both professionally and personally. You can do it.
You can maintain a positive frame of mind by reading motivational quotes, blogs or watching motivational videos. Next time you feel you feel demotivated, do listen to a motivational speech, or read one of your self-help books. It will quickly put you back on your feet and motivate you to give your best.
Build your self-esteem and focus on your strengths instead of dwelling on your weaknesses.
Avoid negative thoughts when faced with setbacks and challenges.
Stay positive throughout the tough times.
7. Develop A Mantra.
Find a few statements or affirmations that will focus your mind and motivate you. They are just a few words to tell you what to do. It does not matter whether they sound tacky or cheesy as you will tell this to yourself only.
Some examples:
“I can do it!”
“I will succeed!”
“I can overcome this!”
“Do not give up!”
“Do it now!”
“I can, I will, and I shall!”
“I can make it happen!”
“Where there is a will, there is a way.”
“Stay strong, stay positive, and never give up”.
“What you think and believe, you can achieve.”
Use one or more phrases like these as your personal mantras. Or anything that works for you.
These empowering affirmations will help you be mentally strong.
8. Take A Break.
If you have done all you can and are still feeling completely unmotivated, maybe it is time for a break. Maybe you need a break from the industry you are in, or from the toxic work culture you are experiencing. Or maybe you are only tired and need a rest which you can do by taking a break from work.
Grant yourself permission to take a break and then take it.
Taking time off whether for a vacation or time away from work is therapeutic. Your mind will suddenly become clearer. You can open yourself to ideas and inspiration you were simply too busy to see by giving yourself a break.
Afterthoughts
The best way is to organise your life in such a way that you will be self-motivated. If you can do that you do not need to look to external influences to motivate yourself. Learn how to push your own buttons.
Find your passion and develop a positive mantra so when the next time negativity hits you again, you know how to stay positive and motivated.
You have everything you need to make changes and accomplish major goals. You can do things that too many people believe are impossible if you believe and then act. Use these tips to stay motivated each day.
All motivation really comes down to self-motivation. And you get better at motivation by building your self-awareness.