It’s easy to find yourself feeling less than motivated in a challenging work environment, especially if you’re not doing something that you love. A lack of motivation at work can cause you to become depressed and angry, and it can suck away your creativity. Instead of going to work feeling like this, take advantage of these super easy-to-apply tips that will help you find motivation again and love your challenging job.
1. Identify why you’re feeling less than motivated.
Employees lack motivation because they’ve outgrown their jobs, are bored in their positions, or because they’re interested in a totally different field, but may not know how to break into it. Understanding your reason for lacking motivation will give you the starting point you need to reverse the wheels in your challenging work environment.
2. Confidently develop a plan of action.
If you’ve outgrown or are bored in your position, consider job shadowing other departments and applying for something new. Is a new field or industry calling your name? Research as much as you can about the industry and find a way to volunteer or freelance. It’s important to be confident when executing your plan as you never know who is watching.
3. Beautify your workspace.
Sometimes a new chevron pencil holder or fancy gold picture frame (holding your loved one’s smiling face) can be just what you need to brighten your day. Ask your company before making drastic changes to your work area; it’s important to stay within company guidelines. Then, spruce up your space with motivational and creativity breeding pieces. Places like Michael’s, Ikea, Target or Pier 1 have beautiful seasonal items for any occasion or space.
4. Feed your motivation with podcasts and books.
Lifehack Live offers new weekly podcasts that range from personal development, productivity, organization, and creativity. Lifehack Live is recorded using the BlogTalkRadio system, which allows us to broadcast a live stream during the show, and take callers while we’re recording. In addition to listening to podcasts, spend a portion of your lunch break reading self-help or motivational books like Make the Right Choice: Creating a Positive, Innovative & Productive Work Life by Joel Zeff or The Game of Work: How to Enjoy Work as Much as Play by Charles Coonradt. Feeding yourself enriching words and mantras while working in a challenging work environment will ease building stress and get you through the day.
5. Register for professional development courses.
Professional development courses are a great way to stay competitive in a professional landscape! Enrolling in these kinds of courses, whether they’re online or in a classroom, can increase your competency and effectiveness. You’re able to learn new skills and gain insight in certain parts of your company that you may not have known about before. Acquiring more knowledge would boost your confidence, willingness to participate in company events and volunteer opportunities and may provide you with higher paying positions in the future. Imagine being chosen to represent your company at a conference or teach new hires how to do their job!
6. Find a mentor or join a niche work group.
It is always a great idea to partner with people who share your interests and who would otherwise nurture your development. In this case, consider finding a mentor or leader (or group) within your company who has achieved the level of success that you’d like to. Chances are that they’ve experienced the same challenging work blues as you and can teach you how to maneuver in multiple situations. Ask them for the opportunity to shadow them and learn how to develop into a better associate.
7. Reward yourself accordingly.
Sometimes, working in a challenging environment is worth the headache and stress. This still doesn’t reduce the stress, though. Almost everyone can cope with things a little longer with positive reinforcements. Set up a personal Reward Schedule that suits you and reward yourself with trinkets, gifts, mini-vacays, etc. every so often. Doing this can help relieve stress and ultimately add happiness to your life.
Featured photo credit: Minneapolis via flickr.com
