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There’s no doubt that motivation is essential for career success. After all, it’s a long and arduous journey. It’s easy to get distracted along the way, to lose sight of the goal and fall into a rut.
As a good friend of mine says, “There’s a difference between a rut and a groove.”
We want to find our positive groove in the workplace—where things are trucking along in the right direction—and avoid negative ruts—where things are stagnant and bleak.
To do this, we have to master the art of self-motivation. We can’t rely on other people to pump us up and yank us out of the rut we’ve created for ourselves.
Sure, it’s great to have a support system. But day in and day out, we have to rely on our own abilities. When we’re struggling and feeling demotivated, we have to pump ourselves up. We have to step up and do what it takes to get our groove back, because really, we’re the only ones with that power.
That’s a tough task. Trust me, I know. It’s much easier to stay in the rut.
13 Strategies for Self-Motivation
If you’re struggling with getting and staying motivated at work, try these strategies for self-motivation:
- Think of the aspects of your job you truly enjoy. Find ways to do these things more.
- Think of the aspects of your job you don’t enjoy. Find ways to make them more enjoyable or reduce their frequency.
- Smile more; it’s physically energizing and mentally stimulating (plus it’s contagious for others).
- Seek and acknowledge positive recognition and appreciation (and give it to others too!)
- Set your own goals that matter to you.
- Take on stretch projects that excite you and force you to stretch your skills.
- Enjoy friendly competition with yourself and others.
- Recall past achievements.
- Recall past obstacles you overcame.
- Take action and leverage the power of inertia.
- Increase your participation in professional development activities.
- Try something new with a 30-day challenge.
- Reward yourself for (even small) successes.
Recommended Reading: 3 Steps to Help You Find and Keep Your Motivation
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