Have you felt unmotivated lately at work? I know I have. Tasks that used to be easy seem three times longer. Your attention is now split in five directions. You’re feeling burned out and checked out.
It’s common to hit slumps like this throughout your career. They can last for a few days, a week or even longer. No matter why or how long you’ve felt unmotivated, one thing is for sure: You eventually have to find a way to get your job done. These quick wins will help you get things done the next time that you feel stuck.
Send ThatEmail
You know the email I’m talking about—the one you’ve been putting off for days. Tasks can often feel more difficult and bigger the longer we delay them. But chances are, if you dedicate the time to focus and craft a reply, it’ll be easier than you think. I promise you’ll feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of your shoulders once you hit send, and it’ll probably take less time than you think. You might even feel motivated to knock out a few more emails while you’re at it.
To get started, set a timer for five minutes. For five minutes, you must be completely focused on the email and avoid distractions. If you don’t complete the email when your timer goes off, feel free to move on—no need to be hard on yourself. Take a moment to celebrate if you can hit send. Get up and grab a cup of coffee, text a friend, or hit “add to cart” on that item you’ve been eyeing. You sent that email. You deserve it!
Set a bite-sized goal
When you’re working on a big project that’s scheduled to take weeks or months to complete, it might feel like you’re barely making progress. But you don’t execute on a big, lofty goal all at once. You need to take small steps to get there. Instead of focusing on the big task at hand, choose one task that you can do today to move the project along.
Write down all the tasks that you need to complete your current project. Once you have a list, you can start to decide which task you want. You can take a 5-minute break after you’ve checked off the item on your list. Then, come back to pick another item. Before you know it, you’ll have worked your way through your to-do list.
Move Your Body
Feeling demotivated can cause you to feel down mentally and physically. Sometimes you have to shake things up to bring some energy back into your day and change up your routine. Move your body. Walk without your phone, tablet or podcast. Let your mind wander, and see what it uncovers. If you have only a few minutes between meetings, get up and do some squats. You can get your blood pumping and your creativity flowing by moving.
Treat Yourself
Some tasks are just too boring. Since they’re not fun on their own, you need to find a way to make it fun. That’s when it’s time to treat yourself. Tell yourself that if you work on a presentation for an hour, you can take a break to check social media or that once you get through a meeting, you’ll reward yourself with your favorite coffee. Sometimes work is just that: work. To keep going, you must find the light at end of the tunnel.
Get Ready
If you’re working from home, this tip is especially for you. If you find yourself rolling out of bed and getting straight to work, it’s understandable that you don’t feel motivated for the day. You haven’t taken the time to get ready, whatever that means to you. Get ready for work by taking five minutes before you start your day. Makeup, coffee, and sweatpants. You feel the part and you can perform it.
Catch up with a friend or coworker
We’re social creatures. Even though we like being alone, we need human interaction to thrive. Schedule a time with a colleague, give your best friend a call, or plan for after work. Take five minutes. It’s a great way to get some mental rest. Even if you’re not talking to the person now, you’ll have something to look forward to later.
Create a “Done” List
We all have to-do lists, but do you have a “done” list? When you’re feeling unmotivated, it could be because you don’t feel like you’re accomplishing anything. But if you take stock of all of the things you did that day, I bet you’d be surprised. Start a “done” list of all the work you complete to help you visualize where your efforts and time are spent. It can help you get the motivation you need for tackling your to-do lists tomorrow.
No matter how small the win, quick wins at work lead to big wins later. So the next time you’re feeling stuck in a motivation rut, remember that you’re armed with these tips to help you go from unmotivated to inspired.
Source: The Every Girl
