It happens to everyone, even the most inspired people; falling into a slump and losing the motivation to keep working without hating your life is not a fun place to be. Rediscovering and hanging on to your motivation is an important skill to learn in today’s fast paced world. It is important to keep breathing, slow down when you need to and stay focused on long term goals rather than short term magnifications of problems. Here are seven tips for staying motivated at work that have been tried and true:
Clean Your Workspace
It’s difficult and frustrating to work, much less stay motivated, when you’re sitting in the middle of clutter everyday. Organize your workspace, clean it up and clear up clutter that you don’t need. It might take some time and effort, but just get yourself up and do it. You’ll find yourself feeling a lot more productive and inclined to work (or at least happier to be there) right away.
Decorate
Even at a clean desk, work can be boring if everything looks, well, boring. Add small decorations to liven up the view. If you have an office, hang pictures or prints on the wall. Try to choose pictures that exemplify your goals, desires and beliefs. Something beautiful or something adorable might just make you smile on a day that you need it.
Keep Your Goals in View
Think about what your goals are, your big picture goals. Maybe remind yourself why you got into this profession to begin with or why you’ve stayed. Print or write it out in big letters and put it somewhere you’ll see it everyday. Whether it’s a post-it note on your desktop or a printed paper on the wall, keeping a physical daily reminder of why you work is a key step in staying motivated.
Model Yourself After Other Inspired Professionals
Inspiration is contagious. Think about your role models and consider how you can learn from them. If they have an autobiography or book, read some of it everyday. If it’s someone you know in real life, ask them for some quick advice. Learn about how other inspired people keep going and you’ll find yourself wanting to, too.
Find Motivation in Other Parts of Your Life
No one part of your life is completely separate from the other parts of your life. If you’re not having a great time at work, you might find you’re not having the best time at home, either. So if you’re bored or unmotivated at the office, it might help to find motivation in other parts of your life. Start a new hobby or rekindle an old one. Work on a relationship with your family, friends, or a lost connection. Try something new in order to get new results.
Count Small Victories
You’re not going to become super motivated right away. Start small and count small victories. Take it one step at a time and congratulate yourself on your efforts and small achievements.
Keep Going.
Motivation is something that everyone is always working on. Stick to your goals and set new ones once you’ve completed some. Just keep going.
Zane Schwarzlose writes for the Loewy Law Firm, a personal injury law firm in Austin, Texas. Zane thinks that it would be hard to stay motivated in a legal career.
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