Ways to Overcome a Lack of Motivation to Work

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By Juliet du Preez

How often do you sit at work and wish that you could muster up some motivation? How often to you find yourself watching the clock?

There could be a number of reasons for this: it is not aligned with your goals, you don’t enjoy the tasks, you don’t have the control you desire, you struggle with your colleagues, and so the list goes on.

You need some means of overcoming any lack of motivation at work. And this is where you will find some:

Take Action

As unhelpful as this piece of advice may seem straight off, often once you take action you start to feel motivated.

Simply start.

If you are struggling with issues over perfectionism, put that need aside and just start working

Don’t battle over where to start.

Spend only 20 percent of your time planning and 80 percent of your time on the problem: start now.

Build Momentum

Sometimes what you need is to have achieved at least a few activities. So, again, simply jump in and start.

Start with the easiest task or the one you enjoy most or the most mindless. Once you have a few small successes under your belt you will probably find yourself warmed up to go.

Become Self-disciplined

Self-discipline is what keeps you going when motivation dwindles. Motivation is driven by emotions, self-discipline involves thinking.

Think your way forward – deliberately get yourself through the hard work.

Your self-discipline may be low, but it is something that can be developed and strengthened. You can start out small.

For example, just for one week, force yourself to get up earlier and do 5 minutes of stretching or, replace that afternoon chocolate with a piece of fruit.

Balance Your Life

If you have a balanced life – one where you have sufficient play in between your work and one where you are achieving goals outside of the workplace - this will help to maintain your motivation across your life.

You can get through the grueling times in one life area through the support of enthusiasm in another life area.

Even simply knowing that at the end of the day you are having dinner with friends can help you through the slog.

See what you are looking forward to as a reward.

Even place a small pleasant activity during your day: a walk up the road, a chat with a colleague etc.

Create Habits

Some tasks are always unpleasant and, no matter how motivated you are, they are difficult to get around to.

This is where you need to set up habits. Make the task a habit and you’ll get rid of some of the plaguing and annoying thoughts around it. It becomes something you always do.

You can even set a specific time for it – schedule it into your planner. A classic example is keeping e-mail or files tidy. You may love how all that information helps you, but to organize it is a pain.

However, it is so convenient when it is organized. Remove the tension and make it a habit to organize files or e-mail on a regular basis… at the end of the day or once a week.

Work is certainly not always easy. A lack of motivation is normal; however, these are ways of overcoming this and making the ride smoother. Try them.