Whether you’re working in an office or from home, staying motivated is a major challenge. With distractions and fatigue around every corner, it takes a concerted amount of effort to stay on track. Here are a few creative ways to stay motivated at work:
Create Deadlines (Even If They’re Just For You)
Deadlines may add a feeling of pressure to an otherwise leisurely task, but sometimes, this can be a good thing! Setting your own deadlines for certain tasks can help motivate you to stay productive and push past the desire to procrastinate.
If you have a clear idea of when you expect to finish certain tasks, this gives you something to work towards. You can give yourself little rewards for meeting or exceeding those deadlines, whether it’s ordering out from an expensive restaurant for lunch or indulging in a little retail therapy after work.
Take On Tasks Outside Your Comfort Zone
The less frequently you get challenged, the easier it is to become bored with your work. It’s human instinct to take on the work you know and understand while letting others tackle the tasks you feel inadequate to handle. But by challenging yourself and actively seeking out tasks outside your comfort zone, you might just surprise yourself with what you’re capable of.
Being active in seeking new challenges at work not only motivates the rest of your tasks, but it also shows people that you’re willing to go above and beyond rather than just do the bare minimum.
Seek Out Feedback
Nobody likes to hear criticism, but the reality is that constructive criticism is essential to help us grow. If you never receive feedback for your work regardless of whether or not you’ve done well or poorly, then you have no incentive to try your best.
When you finish a task or a project, ask your boss or coworkers that you worked closely with on it for feedback on your performance. Having a healthy ear for criticism can provide you with concrete goals of where you can improve.
Fake It Till You Make It
Confidence and optimism are two great motivators, but that doesn’t mean you always feel that way at work. The good news is, you don’t actually have to be confident or optimistic—you just have to act that way.
Putting out a confident attitude and focusing on the solution rather than the problem will not only motivate the people around you, but will motivate yourself as well.
Treat Yourself!
Coming up with a regular rewards system for yourself throughout the day can give you the little extra push you need to stay motivated. Something as small as a 5 minute coffee break can be a great way to get you through the end of a small task.
For bigger projects, plan something special for yourself like a weekend trip to somewhere fun. If you have something fun to look forward to, it’ll make the hard work easier to bear.
