How to Stay Motivated at Work

How to Stay Motivated at WorkHow to Stay Motivated at WorkHow to Stay Motivated at WorkHow to keep goin when the goin aint so great.In todays modern job market, candidates are in a position to be sold to. HR and Marketing are partnering together like never before and theyre creating branding initiatives and recruitment campaigns that are geared toward making you want to work there.As candidates, we vokalist a job opportunity leid necessarily by what the employer does or says but in the way that we wish to interpret it. We apply our owncontext filters and might not really hear whats being said (or whats not being said). We may overlook clues in the interview stage that signal a rotten culture or flags that tell us leadership is a mess. Or, we might catch those clues and ignore them anyway.The truth is we want to buy into it. Whether you believe people like being sold to or they like buying, Id split the difference. We like the experience of shopping, and shopping for jobs isnt that di fferent. We will hear what we want to hear from the recruiter or hiring manager and still make our own decisions about the place.This can and will result in disappointment, but dont worry. We all find ourselves in jobs that arent quite what we imagined. Because its work, its not always as simple as just finding a new job. We have bills to pay, mouths to feed, and really - its has to be pretty bad to quit after a month. My advice is always to tough it out for a year at least.When you find yourself in this situation, its really important that you know how to stay motivated at work.Sure, the job might be the pits. Bad culture. Poor leaders. A smorgasbord of un-dream-job-like qualities, but if youre going to be miserable on top of all that, youve got another thing coming.If youre feeling in the pits at work, you need to pull yourself out of it and get motivated. Heres how to stay motivated at work and what you do when the going got tough and youre feeling down and out each day. Here are four self-motivation tips to live by1. Weigh the good.It might be cliche to say, but you need to start off by looking at the bright side. Optimism is going to be the coal in your fire itll keep your engine going and keep you warm. Sometimes you have to stretch yourself to find the good in a situation, but think of whats at stake - your livelihood. Work is where we spend the majority of our time and if we start having feelings of hopelessness there, it could be a slippery slope into depression. Thefacts are there and optimism is good for heart health, life expectancy and success.So how do you conjure up some optimism and self-motivation when the going gets tough? Make a list of everything that is alright with your job. Just write. It doesnt have to be a laundry list of amazing perks, but think about the stuff that is pretty good and start there. You can even start with number one Im employed. Being thankful for the everyday stuff like having a job, is a great way to shift your persp ective. Just google your local unemployment rate and maybe youll feel a bit better.2. Spread the love.When the going gets tough and youre struggling to make yourself happy, try and make someone else happy. In astudy,researchers found that the more people participated in meaningful activities, the happier they were and the more purposeful their lives felt. This is all fine and dandy but how can you apply it at work? Find out what the pain points are and strive to abolish them. Help others out wherever you can. Be a source of positive energy for others. In everything you do, strive to be helpful. It could mean small acts of kindness around the office like refilling the kettle for the next guy or starting a social committee and planning some well-earned fun for your team. Whatever you do, ask yourself if its helpful to someone else and their joy will soon translate to your own.3. Set some goals.Id take an aggressive growth plan and being overworked any day before a job with no purpose or goals. Goals give us meaning and in work, they give us direction. We need a geistesbild to be inspired and without that itll all start to feel pointless. If you find yourself in a situation like this youve got to take the bull by its horns Dont wait for someone to motivate you - try some self-motivation If the vision isnt set, set one. It doesnt have to be an impressive vision, linked to the corporate strategy and all of that. It can be a vision for you and your work. You can frame success within the context of your environment and what is within the scope of your control. Create your own goals, even if theyre small. Having goals and making progress on those goals makes ushappier so go out there and start setting some goals.4. Bask in the sun (when its out).Perspective is everything and gratitude is a big chunk of that. Its so important to realize, acknowledge and be thankful when things are good. Its a great way to know how to stay motivated at work. Being present makes us happi er and critical to that is recognizing the positive. As much as recruiters are trying to tell us dream jobs exist, no job is perfect and there will be highs and lows. Using this information we must trigger ourselves (or better yet, pinch ourselves) when things are going good and relish in it a bit, soak it up. Why? Its going to pass. Hard times will come. Realize that and when the going is good, ride the wave happily.Because we spend 40 hours plus per week at work, its critical that you feel good when youre there. Feeling good starts with you, your perspectives, and attitude. Approach work with optimism, gratitude, and a desire to be helpful and youll have a foundation for a happier workplace.Need help with your resume? 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