Keeping Motivated At Work (Part 2)

It is hard enough to focus on work when there are so many distractions all around you. This is magnified many times over when demotivation rears its ugly, distracting head. So again, we ask the question—how do we keep motivation in and demotivation out?

In the previous instalment of this 2-part guide, we discussed the importance of creating doable objectives, taking breaks, maintaining a healthy work/life balance, staying positive, and asking for help when you need it. Here are some more things that you can do to stay motivated and keep demotivation away.

Create a comfortable working environment.

You’ll be surprised as to how greatly your overall comfort contributes to your motivation. A nice chair adjusted to your ideal incline, for one thing, or a desk decorated with your favorite knick-knacks, for another.

Be inspired. Always.

To be motivated, you have to be inspired. Surrounding yourself with things that inspire you, will no doubt keep you focused and productive. One easy way to do this is by keeping little inspirational things within ‘eyeshot’. This could be anything, maybe some adorable photos of your kids or that miniature Eiffel Tower statuette you’ve had since high school. Positive quotes and posters of beautiful scenery are also great motivating objects.

Music is also another thing that can very much inspire the demotivated soul. Create your own playlist of songs that inspire you and listen to it while you work. You can even visit blogs that speak to you during your downtime or watch short YouTube videos that resonate.

Embrace variety.

More often than not, demotivation comes from being stuck in a rut. An unchallenging workload and repetitive tasks can inevitably lead to boredom, which makes working—quite literally—a real drag. Variety, therefore, is vital in maintaining motivation. It is, after all, the spice of life, a breath of fresh air, a change of scene, and all that jazz.

Consider regularly switching between projects, if you have the luxury to do so. You can also ask your boss for a different position, or a new workload, or even transfer to another department.

For a less drastic approach, you can simply change your work environment. Take your laptop into the kitchen, or pack up your gear and work at a Starbucks. You’ll find that change, no matter how small, will inspire you to work better.

Reward yourself.

Very similar to taking breaks and striking a healthy balance between work and life, rewards will give you another thing to look forward to. And we’re not just talking about your paycheck, either, or even that hefty mid-year bonus. Promise yourself a trip to someplace exotic when you finish a big or important project, or maybe just a couple of hours of pampering over the weekend when you meet all your deadlines for the week. You really do deserve it.

Keep things in perspective.

Work does not have to be all about the money. Remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing and why you chose to do what you are doing in the first place.  Maybe you are doing what you do because you wanted to contribute something to the community, or simply because you wanted to make use of your creativity. Or maybe money is a factor, and your job pays well enough to keep you living the life that you have been accustomed to and enable you to do the things that you love—there is no shame in that. Suffice it to say, evoking the WHYs is a sure way of finding your motivation all over again.

Just keep going.

As easy as it may be just to pack up and quit when you are demotivated at work and completely unable to function, don’t. Sometimes all you need to do is to move forward, soldier on, and keep going. Give it time because by doing familiar tasks and keeping an eye on familiar objectives, you will inevitably get your groove back. And the best part is you probably will not even notice that your motivation is back. It just happens.

So you see, motivation is truly an important factor if you want to have an enriching and enjoyable work life. The best part is that its well within your control.