Motivation is a fickle thing.
It’s personal and fragile, but it’s also incredibly critical to your work. Adding to the challenge is the fact that it’s hard to stay motivated and organized in the long term, especially in rough patches in your career. And there’s nothing like watching your productivity plummet to make you worry your motivation will never return.
Everyone faces some tough motivation challenges from time to time, but pity parties (while sometimes necessary) won’t help you jump back into your work. Here are some ways to keep moving, even when things get tough.
Find Your Vision
Whether you’re working a 9-to-5, going on your own, or switching careers entirely, vision is key to your success. If you don’t know what you’re working toward, your motivation will never come.
Maybe you want to save for retirement. Maybe you want to save to buy a house for your parents. Maybe you’ve always wanted to travel the world. Whatever your long-term goals, write them out, keep them somewhere you can see them often, and revisit them regularly to help keep your motivation strong.
Set Checkpoints
Your long-term vision is a crucial force that helps you keep moving forward—but it’s not always helpful if your goal is, say, to retire in thirty years. If that’s the case, what’s your plan for ten years from now? One year? Next month?
Often, our motivation wanes when we aren’t entirely sure what the next step forward should be, or why we’re taking it. It’s crucial to break down your vision by setting smaller checkpoints that help you tell when you’re on track. And while you may have set these goals out in the past, it’s also important to revisit them regularly both to refresh your motivation and to course-correct as your goals, outlook, and vision for the future shift over time.
Find Your People
Motivating yourself is a highly personal endeavor—but that doesn’t mean it has to happen in a void. As you strive to stay motivated, it’s important to surround yourself with a support group that can build you up and cheer you on during your toughest struggles. This might mean seeking people within your organization who share your goals and values, finding an industry-specific group of ongoing learners, or checking out your options for mastermind groups online.
As you start working toward long-term motivation, it’s important to remember that it’s not a one-and-done task to check off your to-do list. Finding inspiration through books, friends and family, meaningful quotes, TED talks, and supportive peers is key to keeping your motivation strong.
If you’re interested in learning more about how mastermind groups online can help you become more motivated and focused on your goals, we can help!
