Hi, I’m Asim Qureshi, the CEO and co-founder of Jibble, a cloud-based time and attendance software. I have several years of experience in building and scaling software products and teams across various industries and markets. Before I founded Jibble, I worked as a VP at Morgan Stanley for six years. I’m passionate about helping businesses improve their productivity and performance through smart time management practices.
Overview
Staying motivated when you’re working can often feel like a challenge. The daily grind, deadlines, and responsibilities can drain your energy, making it difficult to stay focused and productive. And so, you find yourself asking questions like, “How do I get back on track?”, “How do I stay motivated?”, and “How do I stop procrastinating?” but don’t worry, because in this article, we’ll delve into strategies that can help you keep working with renewed vigor and focus. From subtle shifts in your routine to incorporating helpful tools, these seemingly simple strategies can make a world of difference.
Before we jump into the strategies, let’s lay the groundwork. Recognizing that motivation isn’t a constant, unchanging force is important. It ebbs and flows, much like a tide. Acknowledging this natural rhythm can take the pressure off and allow you to focus on the methods that will help you ride those waves of motivation.
This Article Covers:
- Why Do You Need to Stay Motivated?
- What Are the Risks of Losing Motivation?
- 8 Effective Strategies for Motivating Yourself to Keep Working
Why Do You Need to Stay Motivated?
Maintaining motivation is a crucial aspect of achieving personal and professional success. Motivation serves as a driving force that propels us forward, allowing us to overcome challenges, pursue our goals, and ultimately lead a fulfilling life. When motivated, you’re more likely to take initiative, work diligently, and persist in the face of obstacles. Here’s why staying motivated matters:
- Productivity: Motivation significantly boosts productivity. When you’re motivated, you’re more focused, efficient, and proactive in completing tasks, which leads to higher output and better results.
- Positive outlook: Motivation is linked to a positive mindset. When you’re motivated, you’re more likely to maintain a hopeful and optimistic perspective, even when challenges arise.
- Goal achievement: Motivation is the driving force behind goal setting and achievement. Without it, goals can seem distant and unattainable, leading to stagnation and frustration.
- Personal growth: Staying motivated fosters personal growth and development. It pushes you to step out of your comfort zone, learn new skills, and expand your horizons.
- Health and well-being: Motivation contributes to overall well-being. Engaging in meaningful work and achieving milestones can lead to a sense of accomplishment and improved mental health.
What Are the Risks of Losing Motivation?
On the flip side, when motivation wanes, several risks and consequences can emerge:
- Procrastination: A lack of motivation often leads to procrastination, causing tasks to pile up and deadlines to be missed.
- Quality decline: Reduced motivation can result in decreased attention to detail and a decline in the quality of your work.
- Burnout: Prolonged periods of low motivation can contribute to burnout—a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion.
- Missed opportunities: Without motivation, you might overlook or hesitate to seize valuable opportunities for growth and advancement.
- Stagnation: Lack of motivation can lead to a stagnant career or personal life, as you become complacent and resist change.
8 Effective Strategies for Motivating Yourself to Keep Working
1. Embrace Micro-Goals
The most important rule in staying motivated is not to try to do too much too soon. The sheer magnitude of a task can be overwhelming, causing motivation to wane. To overcome this, break your work into smaller, manageable steps. Achieving each mini-goal provides a sense of accomplishment, fueling your motivation to keep going. For example, when tackling a complex project, set a goal to complete a specific section by a certain time. Utilize a time tracking app on your Android or iPhone to monitor your progress on these micro-goals, ensuring a smoother and more efficient workflow. This approach keeps you focused and motivated throughout the entire project.
2. Curate Your Workspace
Your environment plays a significant role in your motivation levels. Create a workspace that’s conducive to productivity. Declutter, personalize and organize your space. Even small changes, like adding plants or using calming colors, can have a positive impact. When your workspace feels inviting, you’re more likely to feel motivated to dive into your tasks.
Finally, design your environment in a way that is favorable to your work. If you plan to write an article, put your laptop and everything you need (charger, sticky notes, earphones, and a nice cup of coffee, for example) in your working area before you start working. This thoughtful setup ensures you have everything you need at your fingertips, allowing you to maintain your momentum and effortlessly dive into your work. With a well-prepared environment, you eliminate distractions and create a conducive space for productivity, ultimately enhancing your focus and efficiency.
3. Eliminate Distractions
The next step is eliminating distractions from your environment. For example, if your phone distracts you from getting your work done, leave it in a different room or somewhere out of your sight for a few hours until your work is done.
Another option is to make your phone as boring as possible. Make distractions inside your phone invisible. You can give your phone to a friend or a family member for a few minutes and ask them to hide the apps that distract you and put in a password that they can only tell you once you’ve finished your work.
4. Bundle Your Work with Something You Enjoy
Another effective strategy to boost motivation and make your work more appealing is by pairing it with something you enjoy. For example, you can bundle writing with listening to your favorite music. This clever combination not only infuses an element of enjoyment into your work but also triggers the release of dopamine, the brain’s feel-good chemical. As a result, you’ll discover a newfound appreciation for your tasks, making it easier to stay engaged and maintain your productive flow.
5. Use Time Blocking Techniques
Divide your workday into focused blocks of time dedicated to specific tasks. This technique, known as time blocking, helps you manage your time effectively and prevents burnout. Allocate time for deep work, breaks, and even leisure activities. By working with time, you’re less likely to feel overwhelmed and more likely to maintain consistent motivation throughout the day.
6. Leverage the Power of Rewards
The best things in life do really take time, but it’s also best to sprinkle some immediate reward into your work-related mini-goals. One essential thing to keep in mind in maintaining motivation is to feel successful even in the smallest ways.
Seeing your progress is one way to feel successful and reward yourself, which you can do by using visual measures. You can have a goal tracker, and every time you finish your scheduled target, you put a mark on the date. Being able to see your progress and having these ‘little win’ moments can feel rewarding, and will also motivate you to continue the chain, hence staying motivated to do your tasks.
Also, you can try a rewarding strategy where you associate your little win with something you want to do. These rewards need not be grand. For example, once you finished two of your tasks, you can now scroll to your Twitter feed; or watch your favorite series on Netflix.
Implementing rewards adds an element of excitement to your tasks and keeps you motivated to complete them. You can use a project time tracker app to seamlessly track your accomplishments, making it easier to identify when it’s time for a well-deserved break.
7. Connect with Your Purpose
Remind yourself why you started the work in the first place. Understanding the purpose behind your tasks can reignite your passion and motivation. Whether it’s contributing to a larger project, personal growth, or financial stability, keeping your “why” in mind adds a meaningful dimension to your work.
8. Embrace Flexibility
While structure is important, don’t shy away from being flexible with your routine. Unexpected challenges can arise, and being too rigid might hinder your motivation. Adaptability allows you to navigate through hurdles while maintaining your overall momentum. For instance, if you encounter an unforeseen work emergency that requires immediate attention, you can adjust your schedule to address it while rescheduling less urgent tasks. This ability to pivot and prioritize effectively not only keeps you on track but also reinforces your motivation by showcasing your problem-solving skills and resilience in the face of change.
Final Thoughts
From breaking down your tasks into manageable micro-goals to curating a productive workspace and eliminating distractions, each strategy contributes to a more motivated and productive you. By connecting with your purpose and embracing flexibility in your routine, you’ll find that maintaining motivation becomes a dynamic and rewarding journey.
So, as you embark on your quest for renewed vigor and focus, remember that motivation is within your grasp, and with the right tools and mindset, you can conquer the daily grind and achieve the success you desire.
Keep striving, stay motivated, and watch your productivity soar.
