MOTIVATION
To succeed in the workplace, you need to be at your best, and you can only truly be at your best when you are motivated to work. With the proper inner drive, everything can seamlessly fall into place. So how can you motivate yourself at the office day in and day out? Here are 6 ways to do just that:
Create early momentum
The way that you start your day will dictate the pace of the rest
of your day. So it is crucial to start with a "bang", so to
speak. You need to mentally prepare yourself for the day ahead as
soon as you are out of bed. Then, you can ride that wave of
momentum all the way to the afternoon. It makes a huge
difference, no question about it. Psyche yourself up, go over
everything that you plan on doing on that day and remind yourself
that you are not only capable, you are doing it, period.
Think about your salary
It's no surprise that money is a great motivator. However, after
some time at the same job, we tend to forget that big motivator
and what it brings to us. Remind yourself of the money you are
getting for the work you are doing, and think about all the
things that you want to do with the money. Whether it's to buy
that new car you want, or pay for your home, or save up for that
great vacation you are looking forward to, never let it slip your
mind that you are working for money that can help you achieve
things in your life that are of great importance to you. If you
work in an environment where you can actually affect your salary,
such as being an entrepreneur or a salesperson, then money should
be one of your biggest reasons to motivate yourself to work
harder than anyone else. As a matter of fact, even if you are
salaried and your income is not dependent on how hard you work,
you should always work at the best of your abilities and this
brings me to my next point.
Focus on long term growth
Whatever your current position, there is most certainly room for
advancement. There is always some other position that you can
work towards, and this can be one of the best ways to motivate
yourself at work. I remember at a job I used to work at a long
time ago, they had announced that they were looking for a new
manager, and told everyone that they would assess everyone's
credentials and abilities over the next two months. You wouldn't
believe how this helped turn around the work ethic of certain
people. The ones that really wanted the position had a huge
motivator pushing them to reach for that goal. You should
approach your work thinking that the higher ups are always
looking for someone to promote. Trust me, that usually is the
case, even if it is not said in public. So concentrating on your
potential career growth can definitely increase your motivation
to do stellar work and be at your very best to ensure that you do
get the recognition that you deserve, and get promoted to a
higher position.
Only positive talk
One of the main negatives of the office is the fact that you have
employees and coworkers always badmouthing the company and
bringing everyone around them down mentally. Needless to say, it
is incredibly difficult to remain motivated when you keep hearing
about the negatives of the workplace. There is good and bad in
every office. Focus on the positive, surround yourself with
like-minded people that enjoy their work and are there for a
reason (such as the ones listed above), and you will be
guaranteed to always be in a frame of mind where your motivation
is pristine. When you allow negative discussions at work to enter
your mind, you subconsciously start doubting your reason for even
being there, so you think you will possess the right motivation
to work properly? Definitely not, so at all costs, always be
positive when it comes to your discussions about your job.
Compete with your peers
When I used to work on a sales floor, I would walk around the
room looking at each other's numbers and performance during
breaks and lunches, as a way to motivate myself to do better than
they were. I even remember working closely with a colleague where
we would always try to out-do each other. We shattered sales
records because of this. Even if you are not in a position where
your work dictates your salary, you should always strive to
perform better than everyone else around. Such things like being
more professional, quicker at answering questions, quicker at
resolving issues…these are ways that you can compete with your
coworkers within your own mind in a way to motivate yourself to
increase the quality of your work. Competition can lead to great
accomplishments.
Personal pride & accomplishments
At the end of the day, do you want to go back home and be proud
of what you have done? The way I see it, if you are somewhere for
7+ hours per day, shouldn't this be pretty clear that this is an
important part of your day and your life? Treat your job,
whatever it may be, with pride and witness your motivate &
your success soar! I remember once, I crossed this garbage man on
the street that was just having a blast, he was singing along,
smiling to people, and doing a fantastic job. That's how we
should all approach what we do. Even if what you do is not your
ideal job, there is a reason why you are doing it…focus on that
reason, and while you are at it, might as well make it a joyful,
pleasant experience. When you can go home and be proud of what
you have accomplished during that day, when you can be satisfied
with your work ethic and attitude, then you are truly living life
the way it was meant to be lived