Do you ever feel “stuck” when you’re at work? Unmotivated, listless, overwhelmed, bored, or annoyed?
Don’t worry…you have lots of company!
For the great many people for whom work is more a means to an end rather than a journey to fulfillment, it can be really hard to be productive — or even get to work in the first place! If you’d like to know how to stay motivated at work, consider these ten helpful suggestions.
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1. Conserve your work energy and drive. Protect your workday mood in your personal life by prioritizing sleep, eating well, and taking time to exercise.
2. Choose two work projects to devote the most energy to each day. Long task lists can sap motivation, while prioritizing what’s important can help increase drive.
3. Minimize distraction. Struggling with how to stay motivated at work? Put away unnecessary papers and supplies. Close extra tabs on your screen. Silence your phone. Block out conversation with headphones.
4. Divide projects you particularly dislike into small pieces. You’ll find it easier to begin distasteful tasks when you tell yourself, “write the first paragraph” instead of “produce a 500-word report.”
5. Make your progress visible. Make a physical to-do list to display and mark off tasks as they’re completed. It is gratifying to be able to see what you’ve achieved by day’s end.
6. Adopt a time schedule for work. For instance, aim to focus for 45 mins, then take a five-minute break to refresh and recharge yourself.
7. Change your surroundings. Take a walk around the office, have a chat with a coworker, or switch the angle of your desk. Doing so can make it easier to resume and persist at a tough task.
8. Focus on the benefits of completing the most difficult tasks. Consider how completing a particular job will help you. Remind yourself that that project will likely be much easier next time.
9. Celebrate your progress rather than your effort. Make a plan to reward yourself after finishing a hard job. Have a snack, get a coffee, or put on some upbeat music.
10. Consider whether a role or responsibility change might be advisable. Consistently poor motivation can signal that it’s time to chat with your boss about how to change what’s bothering you.
“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.”
— Henry Ford
Taking steps to take control of your workday makes it easier to tackle and complete even the most mundane tasks. Rather than postpone starting a project till motivation takes over, commit to working at the job for just fifteen minutes.
If you’ve been wondering how to stay motivated at work, remember that simply getting started can open the door to the drive you want and need! And documenting your progress will help your motivation remain in place.
Now let's get to it! 💪🏼
