• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Career Sherpa

Guide for Lifetime Career Navigation

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Google+
  • Home
  • About
  • Speaking
  • Get Advice
    • Job Search
    • Networking
    • Personal Branding
    • Interviewing
  • Blog
  • Contact

Motivation Monday: 15 Things To Help Motivate You

October 30, 2017 by Hannah Morgan

Your work won’t always be fun. In fact, work can be a chore.

If you expect other people to keep you motivated, think again.

Help Motivate You

Instead, keep in mind that your job and career are up to you and no one cares about these as much as you do!

15 Things To Help Motivate You

Try some of these ideas to kick-start your daily mojo and help motivate you.

1. Know What Motivates You

Finding your motivation requires a little thought and reflection. In order to be motivated, you have to know what triggers it. Take some time to ask yourself these questions and then you can use the right strategies below to recreate your mojo.

  • What gets me motivated?
  • What stops or reduces my motivation?
  • What tangible reminders do I need to stay motivated?
  • What obstacles might sabotage my motivation and what can I do to overcome them?
  • What habits can I create to increase my motivation?

When you understand what motivates (and demotivates) you, you can take proactive measures to infuse your work with the things you can control and that energize you.

2. Stop Sweating the Small Things

There are certain things you just can’t control, like your boss’s last-minute requests for information. Every day there are things that probably irk you, but don’t let those negative feelings sap your motivation. One way to drive out the negative feelings is to stay focused on achieving your own goals and your priorities.

3. Find (and stay in) Your Zone

When you’re in the zone you produce some of your best work. Think about how you can create the ideal environment to do your best work. Do you need music? Bring in headphones and your favorite motivational playlist. Do you need sunlight? Find a sunny spot and use your laptop.

4. Check Items Off Your To-Do List

Not only will creating a to-do list keep you focused on your most important priorities, it also feels good to check items off your list when completed and encourages you to move on to the next thing on the list.

5. Choose To Hang With Productive People

Associating with productive individuals allows you to observe and pick up some of their healthy productivity hacks. And because productive employees tend to be more positive, you may catch some of that too.

6. Get In Tune With The Big Picture

If you understand how your work contributes to the bigger picture or company goals, that may make a difference. Knowing the work you do is worthwhile can help keep you on track.

7. Know When To Ask For Feedback

There are times you need feedback and times when you don’t. If you are in need of a boost of motivation, asking for feedback on something you think you did well can be just the fix you need.

8. Reward Yourself

Learn what it takes to get yourself to complete dreaded tasks and set up a system of rewards for completion. Knowing you have a reward at the end of a task may help you drive through and complete it faster. Your reward can be downtime, a walk, food or whatever treat you know makes you feel good!

9. Incorporate Variety Into Your Day

Don’t feel trapped by the monotony of your work and workplace. There is always an opportunity to add variety. Drive to work a new way, reverse your daily routine, eat lunch somewhere other than your desk or find some way to get out of your cube to see and do new things.

10. Have More Fun

If you want to find a way to stay motivated, make work more fun. It sounds simple, but often you get sidetracked by the drudgery of work. Instead, recognize what can be fun at work. It might be a lunch break with co-workers, a brainstorming session after a meeting or a chat with an employee you can learn from. There are already things in your day you enjoy. Make time to participate in these activities.

11. Log Off

If you’re stressed and feel like you can’t escape work, you need to set a cutoff time. Checking email as you commute home or when you wake up in the morning isn’t going to help alleviate feeling overwhelmed. Commit to yourself that you will not check email outside of working hours.

12. Practice Generosity

Some people like to feel they are making a difference in the world. If this is important to you, look for ways, inside and outside your organization, to volunteer for a cause you care about. If your organization doesn’t have any philanthropic opportunities, this may be your chance to start one with other employees.

13. Learn New Things

Teach yourself how to do something. Maybe you’ve always wanted to improve your Excel skills. Either tap a colleague or sign up for a class. Learning new skills can improve your productivity and has a way of making you feel good about yourself.

14. Take A Break

When you find yourself low on motivation, pushing through may not be the answer to getting your best work done. Take a 15-minute break and indulge in your favorite Pinterest recipes or see what’s happening in the news.

15. Start An Idea Folder

Whether it is a book you want to read or a side project you’ve wanted to tackle, your list can serve as your go-to spot for inspiration that will benefit you and keep you going.

Don’t let your work get you down! Take control. And if you must, start planning your exit strategy.

15 Things That Will Help Motivate You INFOGRAPHIC

This post originally appeared in US News & World Report
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
Join over 3,000 visitors who are receiving our newsletter and learn how to job search better with fast, fresh, fun updates!
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.

You May Like These

Motivation Monday: Toxic Thinking
Motivation Monday: Brave or Foolish?
Motivation Monday: Be The Lead Dog
Motivation Monday: Taking Action

Primary Sidebar

10 Reasons You Need A Visual Resume

  1. The Death of the Paper Resume
  2. The Morphing of Job Boards and Resume Databases
  3. The Dreaded Black Hole of Applicant Tracking Systems
  4. The Rise of Referrals
  5. Employer-Candidate Mismatch
  6. Communication Mismatch
  7. The Gig Economy
  8. The Web Becomes a Tool for the Masses
  9. Trend Setters as Trailblazers (CEOs, Entrepreneurs, Freelancers)
  10. The Rise of LinkedIn

Embarking on a job search is like preparing to climb a mountain.

Maybe not Mt. Everest, where sherpas are found, but you will still need a guide to show you the best paths and methods for making the trek. The terrain can be tricky and unfamiliar so you will want someone to show you the way.

Sign Up Here for advice on job searches, careers, social networking, personal branding and developing and improving your online presence.

Categories

Articles You Might Like

  • Fix Your LinkedIn Headline Today
  • 31 Tips for Your 2019 Job Search (from the pros)
  • What’s the Best LinkedIn Headline For An MBA Candidate?
  • Start Your Career Planning Now
  • The Easiest Way to Research and Find Alumni on LinkedIn

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Google+

NEVER MISS A POST!

I dish out all kinds of advice on job search, careers, social networking, personal branding, developing and improving your online presence- you name it. You will find everything that has anything to do with getting your job search started on the right foot, keeping your search momentum and even ideas for your success as a solopreneur or small business!

SIGN UP HERE!

© Copyright 2019 · Career Sherpa · All Rights Reserved.

  • Contact
  • Sitemap
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkRead more