What is my motivation, Mr. Demille? Motivating yourself at work
During an interview with David Letterman a few years ago, Mr. Letterman was asked how much he loved his job and the interviewer commented on how great it must be to be the host of such a popular late-night TV show. Mr. Letterman responded, paraphrasing, that “after a while it’s a job like any other job.”
If you love your job but find that over time it becomes more difficult to motivate yourself and be as productive as you were when you started, then you are perfectly normal. We all have times when even the most exciting jobs become “just a job” and we wish we were somewhere else. Over time we are presented with new challenges or we see that we are quite fortunate to have the job or career we do, but what do you do when things get boring at work? How can you motivate yourself to complete the tedious tasks that often bother you?
Socialize – While socializing can be a huge “waste of time” at work, you can change this and use it as a motivating force at work. Use five to ten minutes a few times a day to socialize with your friends at work as a gift to complete a task that you really don’t like. Play “Let’s Make a Deal” with yourself and focus on the most horrible task until complete and then enjoy spending a few minutes chatting with a friend or a cup of coffee and light conversation once the task is complete.
Denying yourself trying to socialize with your friends at work until a task is complete means no email, no IM chats, and no idle chat. If someone walks by your desk, be honest with them and tell them that it is their “gift” and that you will talk to them once they have finished their work, but that you made a deal with yourself not to socialize until you have completed this task.
Time blocks – If you find it difficult to stay motivated for a long time, break your day into one-hour blocks. Employees are proven to be most efficient and happy when they work and focus on hour-long blocks of time. Work for an hour, get up and walk for a few minutes, and then go back to work. You will soon find that another hour has passed as you have been working diligently and it is time for you to stop what you are doing to take a breath and freshen up.
Using this technique of locking in your day in hourly increments will make it more effective and you will find that you are not as exhausted at the end of the day. You will probably also see that you are more productive despite stopping for a few minutes every hour to recharge your batteries.
You are you, even at work – Personalize your workspace only if your employer allows personal items in the workspace. Images that make you happy or quotes that you find inspiring can have a tremendous effect on your personal motivation throughout the day. A splash of color, family photos, or vacation photos can boost your mood during difficult or stressful times. Another trick that can keep you motivated throughout your workday is having photos or reminders of why you work so hard around yourself. It could be pictures of your children or your family’s pets, or even a brochure of a vacation spot you plan to visit one day.
No matter what motivates you to work, keep a visual reminder handy and keep your eyes on the award as you push yourself. Little tricks like these to help you motivate yourself and give yourself a taste for doing even the tasks you really hate will make your job more enjoyable and provide more value to the company you work for. You will find that your stress level decreases as you tackle the question of how to properly motivate yourself, and your coworkers may also find it more enjoyable and easier to work with you.
Try some of these motivational techniques and see if you can make your days more productive and less stressful. Share these tips with your friends and let them know what you are trying to do. You may well be the one who brings motivation and team spirit to your workplace.
By: Erica D.