Let’s be honest, we have all been guilty of being complacent in our jobs, even the most motivated people lose motivation from time to time. If you feel stuck, there might be more that you can do than just ignoring the feelings and hoping it goes away or worse, making a rash decision that could end up affecting your career. To help you regain that motivated feeling, here a five tips on how to stay motivated at work.
Ask for more responsibility
You might not be unmotivated, you might just be bored. So, instead of going through the motions and believing you have ‘mastered’ your role, ask your managers for more responsibility. You don’t need to ask for too much responsibility, just enough for you to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. This could be the chance to work on a new project, initiative or even a new department. This will not only provide you with a new challenge, it will also provide you with more variety during your day.
Change your routine
Are you very well organised and often stick to a routine? Well maybe it’s time to move away from your current routine. We often go through each day following the same routine and doing the same tasks because it feels safe, familiar and provides us with comfort. The problem with routines is they can end up feeling like chores. Moving away from your routine and not doing what makes you feel comfortable can lead to a change in ideas, how we approach situations and overall life. Simple things like taking a different route to work, reading on your lunch break instead of watching TV or going out for a walk at lunch can provide you with a different perspective and shift the way you think.
Create smaller goals to achieve the bigger goal
Quite often we are scared to start a task because we are not sure where to start. This ultimately means you do nothing and do not feel motivated to even start. So, instead of focusing on the big goal that you want to achieve, split the big goals up into little goals. Ultimately, these little goals will provide you with the motivation you need to progress and move forward until you have completed all the little goals and have achieved the bigger goal that you set out to achieve in the first place.
Celebrate your successes
Slow progress is better than no progress. When you are constantly working towards a long-term goal or payoff, you often overlook the progress that you have already made. Staying motivated when the reward of achieving a long-term goal seems so far away can be challenging. As mentioned above, when you set small goals and achieve them, reward yourself with small things. Don’t underestimate the feeling of making progress and looking back on far you have come. Rewarding yourself for the little wins will provide you with more motivation to keep working towards the bigger goal.
Be happy
I know, I know, we have said this like it is the easiest thing in the world but it is. Sometimes even if you do not feel motivated and happy at work, you just need to fake it until you make it. Having a positive attitude whilst at work will not only motivates those around you but will also keep you motivated. Aim to be a positive source of energy for you and your team, in everything you do. Simple things like offering to help a colleague, asking someone how they are, offering advice and always having a smile on your face will have a huge impact on your mood during work.
Conclusion
So there you have it, five tips that can be used to stay motivated at work. These are not the only five tips and I am sure that if you were to search ‘how to stay motivated at work’, plenty of other tips will also be available. We just chose five that we believe are vital to staying motivated at work, feeling happy and becoming more productive.
Mayday Employment are a recruitment agency with offices in Banbury, Oxfordshire and Daventry, Northamptonshire. We recruit for all sectors but specialise in office support, warehouse/production, logistics and technical. We offer permanent, temporary and contract placements with immediate starts. Get in touch with one of the team now to see how we can help you.
