#Motivation is like a roller coaster. And motivating yourself is even harder than it seems. Some days you really see and feel it, other days the word ¨motivation¨ doesn’t even exist in your dictionary at all.
Remember when you just started a new job or got into a new role in your organization? You probably were so excited and couldn’t wait to work on it and prove yourself. Then one day, the lack of motivation hits – hmmm, I must say that when it hits, it hits hard. No matter how hard you try, you just sit there at your desk, staring at those screens with plenty of tasks, and projects to be done, you don’t know where to start, you simply find yourself going through a complex of motions, and you don’t know how to make yourself feel otherwise.
- Bad news: You are unmotivated
- Good news: You are not the only one 😉
I remember very well, when I started my new job, one day my manager called me to his office. He first asked me how I feel today. Of course, I was so excited with the new journey. Then, he put a piece of paper with an image of the emotional rollercoaster on it, telling me while pointing to each phase: ¨Sally, at this moment, your motivation is in this point, one day you will reach this one and if one day you arrive to the lowest one, don’t be surprised. The most important is how can you motivate yourself again when you arrive at that point¨. He kept giving me pieces of advice afterward.
So, whenever I feel unmotivated at work (several times though), I always remember what my manager told me that day. What do I do to get my spark back?
- Acceptance: I accept the existence of this emotion, the lack of motivation at work. At first, it was hard, yes, because I thought I must always be motivated to have the job well done. However, after several times practicing accepting, and being aware of each one I have, I found it much easier than I thought. This practice I do apply it in different aspects of life and I find it necessary and helpful.
- Take a break: I allow myself to sometimes take a break. It can be simply just a day off or a few days of vacation. It is the break that gives me the possibility to have clearer thoughts and many times even helps me to be more creative, and open up many new ideas and inspirations which normally I do not see.
- Share and get advice: When I am aware of my lack of motivation at work, I usually ask my manager/mentor to have an ¨One to One¨ conversation, where I can express my feeling, ask for feedback on what I’m doing and get advice. For me, it is highly important to have this conversation.
- Create the motivation: Sounds weird, right? Actually, for me, motivation comes from many little accomplishments. I usually review my ¨to-do list¨ and take out some ¨Fill-ins¨ tasks that I believe are effortless. Believe me or not, when I accomplished this type of task, I feel the gap in my motivation is ¨filled-in¨ a little bit more.
- Reward me: Why not? Each of us deserves a reward for ourselves, even just a little one. When I make an achievement, I’ll pat myself: ¨Well-done Sally, well-done¨. And if I feel that I deserve even more than just a compliment myself, I would even go a bit further by a little celebration. The little celebration for me can be a cup of cappuccino my favorite coffee, or a little bit weirder is cooking delicious food and bringing them to my colleagues or just enjoying it with someone special. I also share my accomplishments from time to time with significant people who I know will also help to boost my morale and keep me stay motivated.
- Stay positive: It is easy said than done but it is not impossible. And, this doesn’t mean that I only acknowledge all the positive things and ignore all the negative at the workplace. It is more about how can I keep a healthy and possitive mind when it is within my control. What I’m always trying to do are:
- Reduce my interaction with negative folks who like to “live” in negativity
- Reframing negative thoughts with positive change action
- Keep my boundary from gossip at work
- Finding ways to infuse what I love into work
- Keeping an eye on my mental health and physical health
7. Trust the process: Yes, I do this too. This is one of the ways I re-motivate myself. I frequently talk to myself: ¨you can do this¨, ¨be patient¨, ¨everything happens for a reason¨…When I practice this way of thinking, I’m calmer, I’m more confident, I trust and rely more on myself, I become more resilent, I grow.
8. Practice gratitude: It is so easy to just complain about all issues we meet at work. But, it is not easy to realize and acknowledge what we have. I am grateful for being a being, for having a job, for having a place to stay, for having food every day, for having a family even though they are far, for surrounding by people who care about me and I care about them, for being able to design my life…And so, this is the way I reduce stress at work, keep the positivity alive and shift my perspective at work, at people.
Yes, I am in control of my career, only I can boost my motivation, and only I can make the changes stimulate myself both professionally and personally.
