Boost Your Career With Greater Motivation at Work

Most people do just enough work to avoid getting fired, but that’s no way to travel through life. Since you’re spending 40+ hours each week at work, make them count. It’s challenging to keep your motivation high in the workplace, but there are many ways to enhance your motivation and help your career thrive in those same hours you already spend there.

Enhance your motivation and be a star at your job:

1. Strive for excellence. Work might be boring, but you can still commit to doing your best. Make a habit of committing yourself to excellence.

2. Consider the significance of the task you’re doing. Companies don’t like to lose money or waste resources. There must be an important reason you’ve been given a specific task. See if you can understand the value.

• Spend some time thinking about it. If you can’t figure out what your task contributes to your company, try tactfully asking your boss.

3. Seek feedback. Some bosses provide a lot of positive feedback. Some don’t. Ask your boss for their opinion of the quality of your work. A simple, “What did you think of that report?” is sufficient. If feedback isn’t coming your way spontaneously, extract it yourself!

4. Have a career plan. Even if your current job isn’t setting your enthusiasm on fire, it might be a reasonable stepping stone toward something that does excite you. Ask yourself:

• What would you like to be doing in five years? How can you get there from your current position?
• What opportunities does your current position provide to prepare you for the future?

5. Ensure you’re physically fit and healthy. For example, heart disease is a common cause of depression. Maybe you don’t have the energy to maintain your enthusiasm throughout the day.

• Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous. Adding a 30-minute walk to your day might be enough to feel more motivated again.

6. Reward yourself. Use whatever means are necessary to motivate yourself to get your work done. Think about what you like and dislike. How can you use them to your advantage? Sometimes, punishment is more effective than a reward.

7. Take a break. Even the most die-hard employee is running out of gas by the end of the day. Take regular mental breaks. Your productivity will be much higher. Give yourself five minutes to relax each hour. Get away from your desk for a few minutes.

8. Ensure that you’re getting enough sleep. Go to bed at a reasonable time. You’ll feel more motivated at work and be in a position to perform at your best.

9. Think about the alternative. What if you didn’t have a job? What would happen to your finances, home, and family? Even if you passionately dislike your job, it provides a lot in your life. Considering the alternative allows you to realize more of the good things about your job.

10. Start with the easiest task and complete it. A small success can provide momentum and motivation to tackle the less agreeable tasks. Avoid procrastinating and start your day on the right foot.

In an ideal world, work would always be enjoyable, exciting, and inspiring. That isn’t the case for most of us. However, motivation at work is important to your career and happiness. Feeling uninspired makes work more challenging and saps your energy. Learn how to motivate yourself. The skill has many applications inside and outside of the workplace.