12 Workplace Motivation Tips That Actually Work
Even those of us who love our jobs sometimes experience a drop in motivation. You probably have the days when you hardly crawl out of bed, come to the office and sit in front of the blank screen, struggling to start writing an email or calculate the expenses. Motivation is the fuel that helps you get the job done, and you feel completely exhausted and distract all the time to have a coffee or check how many likes your recent Instagram post has.
Sounds familiar? The good news is, although motivation is elusive, it’s easy to regain. All you need to do is to develop a set of habits that will stimulate your concentration and inspiration for completing the work tasks. Today, the best resume writers of our team will share the most efficient tips that will give you a motivation boost.
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12 Tips to stay motivated in the workplace
1. Set small and achievable goals
Like many other ambitious professionals, you probably set the big goals for yourself: to complete a project before the deadline, to double the number of email subscribers or to reduce costs by the end of this year. However, big goals seem too distant to inspire you when your motivation is down. Try to break this long-term goal into small, measurable steps that you’ll be able to complete weekly or even daily. Thus, you’ll see the progress and that will keep you moving towards the achievement of the major goal.
2. Reward yourself for the completion of small milestones
Once you reach one of those small goals we’ve talked about above, give yourself a reward. This approach might seem childish, but it works as you start to associate reaching the next goal with something pleasant, not just with stress. So, assign the appropriate prize for the completion of each small goal. Depending on the size and the complexity of the goal, it can be a piece of clothing, delicious dessert, or a weekend in a spa.
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3. Create a chart to track your progress
If your major goal takes months to complete, it’s hard to stay motivated as it can seem that you’re not making any progress. To avoid this mental trap, visualize your progression towards the big goal. Create a chart, a graph or the list where you will be marking the daily progress. Use the dots, stars or simply cross out the items you’ve completed. This is one of the top motivation hacks as it helps you visualize as you move closer to the final goal. Moreover, the graph will urge you to complete the necessary tasks every day if you want to mark the progress on paper.
4. Commit to completing the project in public
Public commitment is a huge motivational factor. After you’ve taken accountability for reaching a certain goal or completing the project in front of other people, failure to keep your promise will mean that you’ll risk your professional reputation. So, if you struggle staying motivated or keep finding excuses for not achieving what you’ve planned, share your goal during the next meeting in the office or commit to achieving your goal via Facebook or LinkedIn. Getting back on your words will mean losing face, so you’ll be forced to reach your goals.
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5. Put a picture of your goal in a visible place
This piece of advice comes from positive psychology. It assumes that if you keep your professional goal in sight often, you are subconsciously motivated to achieve it. Whether you believe it or not, this tactic is worth trying since it’s simple. Imagine your big goal and put a picture of it next to your screen or anywhere you could see it daily (or use it as a screensaver). Visualization works better for ambitious goals such as getting hired by a specific company, winning a prestigious award, etc.
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6. Create your own morning routines
If you lack concentration at the beginning of the working day, create a set of rituals which you’ll associate with productive work. Choose whatever works for you: sipping your favorite latte while reading news, browsing through your favorite blogs or even taking a 10-minute walk before entering the office building. Turn these actions into a habit and take these steps every time you need to concentrate on the task. In this case, you’ll train the motivation as a muscle. The brain will start associating certain actions with productive work and the motivation will come easily.
7. Use the Hemingway approach
The famous writer Hemingway used to leave the chapter of the book unfinished, so the next morning he knew for sure what to do. You can use the same technique for your work. Leave your work unfinished at the point where you know exactly what to do next, and get down to it the next morning. Thus, you won’t have to work on the task from scratch – you’ll need to complete the unfinished project and switch to the next assignment. This will create a momentum to work effectively for the rest of the day and motivate you to show up at work every day.
8. Define the reasons for working
Do you feel so discouraged at work and would like to take a break from routine job? If your work starts to seem meaningless, it’s time to find or redefine the reasons why you work in this role and for this company. For instance, you’ve initially joined the company because experience here is valued across the industry. Or maybe, you want to make a career progression and the company offers great opportunities for it. Or, you need to provide for your kids and the employer offers a good compensation package. Keeping in mind the reasons will prevent you from giving it up when you lack motivation.
9. Take care of your well-being
Another key component of staying motivated is taking good care of your health and well-being. It’s much harder to motivate yourself when your spine or eyes are aching because of long hours of working non-stop. So, if you want to stay motivated for weeks or months, be sure to pay enough attention to your health. Sleep enough hours, exercise on a daily basis, try to eat healthy meals and snacks. These pieces of advice are as old as time, yet following them will allow you to fully concentrate on work and keep your energy levels high. High energy, in its turn, is essential for keeping your inspired and motivated.
10. Schedule regular breaks
Working non-stop doesn’t always mean getting more things done. Moreover, working long hours without any breaks is counterproductive from the scientific point of view. Your concentration drops, fatigue increases and, as a result, you tend to accomplish less. Some experts recommend that you work in blocks and take at least 5-minute breaks between them to refresh your mind. However, if your work doesn’t allow that, simply take the short breaks at least a few times a day. Stretch your legs, rest your eyes, take a cup of tea instead of coffee or even exercise a bit. After these breaks, you’ll return to work energized and more motivated.
11. Try power posing
It’s been proven multiple times that our body language affects our emotions and overall well-being. Closed and guarded poses make us feel less confident, less competent and thus less motivated for the completion of our goals. On the other hand, open high-power poses make an impact on our hormones and make us feel more relaxed and confident. So, if you’ve found yourself in a low-power pose, take 2 minutes to stand in ‘the Wonder Woman’ pose with your hands on the hips. Correcting the body language will not only help you be more confident, but it’s also good for your health.
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12. Choose the employer wisely
When it comes specifically to workplace motivation, not everything is up to you. Your employer should also be interested in keeping the employees happy and motivated. To achieve this, reputable companies create positive work environment, allow flexibility, provide performance reviews and share feedback, and offer learning opportunities. However, if your employer doesn’t invest in employee motivation and well-being or you have a toxic environment, you’ll struggle to keep motivated and productive. The best strategy is to choose a good employer who cares of the employee well-being and shares your values – it will increase your motivation naturally. And if you consider changing job, our team of talented resume writers can help adjust your resume to your career needs.
5 best motivational books
If you are eager to take your motivation to the next level, pay attention to these motivational books. They’ll urge you to take action in your career and life and take control over your life:
1. 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
As it’s obvious from the title, this book describes the seven habits that successful people have. Covey states that the thorny path towards changing the current situation in life starts with changing our attitude towards this situation and ourselves. The author suggests that we develop the effective habits (such as being proactive, thinking win-win and more) and change on the deep level which will help us achieve our goals.
2. Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
This book written by one of the most popular motivational speakers teaches you to take control over all aspects of your life. In particular, the author suggests that you associate the bad habits with pain and good habits with pleasure to develop positive habits that will make a positive impact on your life. The book also teaches to change the words we use to change the way we feel about certain situations.
3. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
This biography of Steve Jobs tells the story of the famous Apple founder, throwing light on both his professional and personal life. If you want to achieve huge professional success, you might be interested in reading it and getting inspired. The book includes interviews with Job himself and people who knew him.
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4. Hustle by Neil Patel
Whereas the books we’ve mentioned above are aimed to motivate people to make the difference in all areas of life, this book is specifically written for people who want to make a breakthrough in their professional lives. So, if you feel stuck in the job you don’t enjoy much, you’ll find a few helpful techniques to make a career progression and create a more fulfilling life.
5. The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz
Have you heard that you have to dream big to achieve outstanding results? This is exactly what this book suggests that you do. The author insists that thinking small can only lead to mediocre outcomes, whereas setting ambitious goals helps you build a stellar career. He offers practical techniques and habits to develop. In particular, the book recommends that you do one thing at a time and ignore the people putting you down.
Ready to move on in your career?
If your current job is unfulfilling and you struggle to regain motivation for working, the best thing you can do for your career is to look for new opportunities. An impressive professional resume will boost your chances of getting shortlisted and winning an interview. Seasoned professionals of our first-class custom resumes writing services will correct the mistakes in your old resume, improving the writing style, tone of voice, design and focusing on your accomplishments.
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