Without a clear idea of what we really want from our career (and life in general) it can be extremely difficult to stay focused and motivated. Work out the difference between dreams and fantasies. The pay rise we have been promised or the promotion that has been hinted at are both dreams. It is easy to lose touch with our dreams under the pressures of daily life.
Making our aspirations concrete is the first step towards feeling motivated again.
| Roger Bannister: dream was not a fantasy. |
We often sabotage the things we really want to achieve by taking on too much. Above all, set realistic goals.
Managing work-load and expectations in today’s frenetic business world is a challenging but vital skill. Where possible, it is almost always more productive to take things at a steady pace.
To manage the extra work required for a promotion or new role, break down the goals into bite-size, manageable objectives; this allows us to work through them methodically with a more realistic chance of ticking them all off.
It can help to take smaller steps at the beginning, as rushing in often leads to giving up further down the line as our initial enthusiasm ebbs away. Sometime we need to be a tortoise and occasionally a hare.
Feeling out of control is a major demotivator.
3 Time management.
The working day can quickly seem overwhelming if we waste time with unnecessary tasks – however tempting. For instance, checking our email every half hour or so, is just as effective as visiting the inbox every few minutes. It’s nearly always possible to use our time more productively.
Don’t procrastinate. Work smart.
4 Identify barriers.
Trying something new involves a change in the way we perceive ourselves, yet change can be difficult and threatening. If we feel afraid of a specific change, it can help to talk to someone we think will understand. Work colleagues, friends or even advice lines are useful support mechanisms.
The need to adapt to change is an inevitable part of the modern business world.
5 Find like-minded people.
It’s always easier to stay motivated if we are among people with similar goals. It can help to join business clubs or networking sites. Particularly in sales, listening to others and observing their success can have a beneficial impact on our own ability to stay motivated. Reading the trade press and business magazines can help us to see how others in our field progress and succeed.
The fastest way to lose motivation is to allow oneself to feel lonely and unsupported. We don’t have to be on our own.
6 Look for the rewards.
We need to find a way of creating incentives to keep us going. When we have to make the inevitable sacrifices of personal time, it pays to think about the benefits we can reap from so doing.
In time, as we continue to internalise our new behaviour, such activity becomes ingrained and we are gradually able to phase out the external incentives we needed in the beginning.
Ultimately, success becomes second-nature.
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