Mustering enough motivation to show up at work every day is a common problem…no matter if you love or hate your job. If you hate your job it goes without saying that finding the motivation to show-up is not easy. But you’ll also find that even if you love your job, there are mornings where you’re clawing at the walls to get out of bed.
It’s easy to fall into a rut and get stuck in the same ho-hum routine. and inevitably, the excitement for work diminishes. However, if you consistently motivate yourself to show up at work every day, you’ll experience:
- Increased energy levels to get the work done.
- More enthusiasm to attack challenges as they arise.
- Better sustained results over the long haul.
Motivation to Show up at Work?
If showing up at work every day were easy, everyone would be doing it. And it wouldn’t be costing businesses $84 Billion a year. Part of the issue though is that organizations attempt to motivate you with:
- bonuses
- promotions
- attendance awards
- company luaus
- virtual dog shows
- pizza
Not to say it’s necessary to do away with these incentives entirely, but organizations are missing a massive opportunity to provide you with the tools to motivate yourself to show up at work. So, instead of depending on the organization to find motivation, here are 3 ways to motivate you to show up at work everyday.
1. Remind Yourself “Why” You Work
Too often, employees base their motivation on external sources like accolades, bonuses, and job promotion. Sure, these feel good but they’re just a “sugar high” and don’t last.
Consider your own motivation as something that’s internally sourced. The simplest way to identify this internal sources of motivation is to find your own personal reason “why.” Why motivates for the long haul. For example, maybe you’re heading to work on Monday to appease the boss, lay the groundwork for a raise, or just get through a project that’s been hanging over your head for awhile.
It’s a lot like losing weight for a class reunion or a beach trip. While both are definitely motivating factors to lose weight, it’s usually not sustained over the the long term.
Consider how your work day motivation changes when you think about the example you want to set for your kids, how you want to help your your co-workers that you’ve been with for years or how you believe in overall mission in your company. Or simply, you believe that the job you’re doing helps you learn and prepare for the next step in your career. Those are deeper, more meaningful reasons to motivate to show up at work.
2. Use the Hemingway Technique
Nothing helps your work day motivation like momentum and Ernest Hemingway had a brilliant approach. His technique was to leave the last chapter or paragraph unfinished at the end of day especially when he knew exactly how it was going to end. Then when he sat down at his desk the following day, he could immediately start writing and build momentum for the rest of his day. He’d never find himself at his desk wondering what to do next.
You can apply this technique to your work day motivation. Instead of staying late on Friday or working over the weekend to wrap up your work, pick a stopping place strategically, so when you get to work on Monday, you know exactly what to do next. This type of momentum will carry you through your work day.
3. Take Control
It’s so easy to let your first few hours of your work fill-up with meetings. Take control by planning and scheduling your first few interactions of the day so you’re looking forward to them. Set up a coffee meeting or a conference call with someone at the office who is typically upbeat and creative. This is a low stress way to motivate because it just involves showing up…and a little bit of planning.
You can also gain motivation by connecting with your family at home. In my family, we often plan breakfast together and hold our own little breakfast party. It really helps us get our day started off right in every positive way and the motivational momentum we get carries over into work (and school).
Take one of the tips above and adopt it for your weekly routine. Here’s to being motivated!
Via: LifeHack