Whether you're a doctor, a teacher, a plumber, an pilot or another professional, there are always days when your motivation is lacking. However, it is important for your overall happiness that you are happy at work, as we generally spend a third of our time working. Below we have collated what we think are the 5 most important ways to stay motivated at work. However, don't be fooled. Ultimately you are the only person that can motivate yourself.
1. Make lists
Making lists of tasks not only keeps you organised. Work is all about achieving small goals that ultimately make a difference. By writing down your key objectives each morning and crossing them off as you achieve them you provide yourself with an acknowledgement each day that you have done something in your working day. Crossing off tasks from a list acts as a reward system of sorts that gives you a lift and makes you feel proud and accomplished.
2. Switch off and create a work-life balance
How many times have you been to the beach or restaurant and someone is there checking in at work or checking emails? Me too. These are the people that don't know how to switch off from work. Often in an age of mobile phones and emails on the go it can be difficult to switch off completely.
However, it is extremely important for your overall happiness and work-life balance that you make time switch off completely for extended periods of time, allowing you to meet up with friend, spend time with your family and spending time unwinding and doing things you love doing, whether that's playing sport, watching movies, reading or working out. So, switch off your mobile phone (better still go out and leave it at home), don't check emails and make sure you take a well earned break from work. It will keep you motivated and allow you to enjoy pass times and conversations that extend beyond your job.
3. Take regular breaks
For every 50 minutes you work take a 10 minute break. What should you do in this 0 minutes of peace? We suggest that you use your 10 minutes wisely and do something that is meaningful like having a chat about things in and outside of work. This will allow you to connect to the people you work with. Take a stroll outside the office. Walking increases the blood flow round the body as well as to the brain, meaning that after your 10 minutes walk you will feel energised and be able to think more clearly. Reading something interesting that makes you think. Typically, the more we read, the more we know. So, make sure you read a wide range of topics that make you think and see things slightly differently.
4. De-clutter your desk
A messy desk usually means that you're disorganised and unmotivated. So, spend some time to remove unnecessary items from your workspace. Through away the to-do lists that you've completed and reorganise your desk so you have more room to work. Thing about de-cluttering your desk as a regular 'Spring Clean' and know that a cleared table is a space which will make you do a little more, making you feel more fulfilled at the end of a working day.
5. Believe in what you're doing
Regardless of who many to-do lists you make or how many days you don;t check your emails, if you don't believe in the job your doing or you think your role is meaningless, then your motivation will crash. It is at this point that you need to re-assess your values and think about what would make you feel passionate about and allow you to bound out of bed each day looking forward to the working day ahead. Surprising, not even an impressive pay packet can compensate for the feeling of a job well done. So, if your motivation at work his dipped over time to desperate levels, you need to look for a job that you will believe in.
