You have probably noticed two types of employees. Group one consists of employees who set goals and exceed themselves almost all year round and group two who do the bare minimum and get by even though they want to do more. If you fall into the latter group, try not to feel overwhelmed because it is natural for all of us to fall this category at some point or the other. The reason some of us quit our goals or don’t set them while others successfully reach theirs is the difference in the amount of motivation that drives us.
It takes a significant amount of effort to get where we want to be, despite the obstacles that get in the way. The fact is that feeling motivated is tougher than people make it seem, especially when a goal is unclear, undecided or unrealistic. We have all accidentally or intentionally forgone our motivation at the workplace. Even at this point in time, you might find yourself feeling less motivated about a project, cribbing about the kind of work that you once enjoyed doing, feel drained by the end of the day and mostly consider your workspace to be the biggest stressor in your life.
Before we get to the practical strategies, ask yourself what your goal is and why this goal. How is this goal going to contribute to your career? Why is achieving this goal important for you? Once you have answered these questions and set a foundation for your goal, you can then refer to the points below in order to sustain your motivation until you achieve the goal.
Put aside time to plan and identify your goal: Only when you have the time to plan will you be able to think it through and differentiate between your goal and what others expect of you. Identify what you want to work on and be as clear and specific as possible. For example, if your goal is to finish a project three days before the deadline, be clear about why you want to finish it in advance, be specific about how you want to approach the project. Try to include the qualitative (how you would feel during and after achieving the goal) and quantitative (measurables like time required, energy to be invested, etc) aspects of the goal. Being clear about why this goal is meaningful and important to you as an individual is crucial. So, write down your goal and place it somewhere in sight in order to for you to be reminded of it and feel accountable to finish it.
Minimise distractions: When your physical and mental space is disorganized it becomes impossible to concentrate and get things done. Procrastination at the workplace becomes a common concern at this point. You might find yourself taking many breaks, talking to your colleagues a lot more and basically doing anything apart from working towards the goal that you have set for yourself. If you find yourself drifting away from the goal, pause and think about what your priorities at the workplace are. Remind yourself of why you continue to work in that organization and how your work is going to benefit you and others around you. Once you know your priorities it will be easier to ignore or get rid of the distractions.
Reward yourself: We are all making an effort and deserve to be rewarded for that effort. Rewards serve as a reminder that your effort is valued and recognized, and also helps boost motivation. These rewards don’t have to be expensive or big, they just have to create a positive feeling for us. So, rewards could be spending the weekend doing nothing or by doing something pleasurable. It could even be taking a break from the amount of work you usually do if that is an option.
Form habits: Research on habits suggest that goals can direct habits by motivating repeated behaviour. Therefore, use your goal to help you engage in tasks or habits on a day-to-day basis. For example, setting reminders to review your work daily or weekly so that your ultimate contribution to a project at the end of the month will be without flaws or mistakes. If you review your work consistently, it will become a habit for you to act on.
Remember that comparing yourself to your colleagues and self-criticism will only make you feel worse and further decrease your motivation. So, make positive self-talk a habit and if you still don’t feel motivated change your strategy and start from scratch.
“You get to decide where your time goes. You can either spend it moving forward, or you can spend it putting out fires. You decide. And if you don't decide, others will decide for you.” - Tony Morgan
References
https://www.business.com/articles/making-things-happen-how-to-stay-motivated-at-work/
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Manya11 on 15 Mar 2024, 14:54 PM
Manya- The passage gives an overview of practical overview which I feel everyone needs if they feel they are feeling struck or demotivated to do something at work. I like how it emphasis on the goal clarity and how our intrinsic motivation plays a role in it. Plus the role of minimizing distraction, positive talking and rewarding one self will always go a long way. Overall, I will try to implement these into my daily life and see how it works.