How to Stay Motivated Regardless of Your Conditions

 

Staying motivated is difficult enough without struggling under an intense amount of pressure and frustration. If you’ve been feeling downtrodden lately, this article is for you.

Here are four tricks to keep yourself motivated, even when you feel the pressure mounting. 

Tackle Your Work Little by Little

When you feel like you just can’t handle more work, any project can seem overwhelming. Imagine starting your day in this state of mind. How can you hope to get anything accomplished?

The solution is more straightforward than you think. Break your current assignments into small tasks, making inch-by-inch chunks that can be completed with little or no effort. The smaller the tasks, the more quickly you’ll make a significant dent. Before you know it, you’ll be heading home for the night. 

Turn Off Perfectionism

There’s something in the phrase, “It doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be done.”

In most of our jobs, we have a failsafe—editors, managers, and co-workers who can correct or alter the items we complete that have flaws. Indeed, in many cases, this is their job.

You don’t have to finish every task to perfection. No one is harder on you than yourself. Spending hours on a seemingly short task will hold you up, lower your self-esteem, and significantly damage your motivation.

Instead, set a mental goal for your task. This goal should focus on one or two requirements, rather than 10. If possible, read over the requirements listed by your employer, and limit yourself to those requirements, rather than perfection-focused requirements of your own.

You’d be surprised how often “done” is more important than “perfect.” Check each item off the list and move on. 

Stay Inspired

Perhaps the best way to stay motivated, no matter how much pressure or stress you feel, is keeping yourself inspired. This can be accomplished in many ways. For example, you can get more involved in the workplace, taking part in teams and activities you would otherwise have ignored.

You could also attend lectures and seminars on topics important to you, whether these subjects are related to your job or not. You can take part in additional training, meditate, or read inspiring literature. Make a list of the activities that motivate your mind. Then, make one or two of these activities a consistent experience. 

Celebrate Your Accomplishments

Your agenda can quickly become merciless, leaving you a neverending list of things to do. No wonder you’re feeling discouraged!

At the end of each day—or, even better, in the middle of the day—look over the things you’ve checked off and be grateful for the impressive day of work you put in. This pride will carry into the next day, giving you the motivational boost you need to keep calm and carry on. 

Contact a Professional to Learn More

At The Reserves Network, we work hard to pair motivated employees with the companies that need them most. Contact our experienced team of recruiters to learn more!