What are your New Year’s resolutions? What will you achieve in 2018? These are common questions that you might hear, or be asking yourself. But, if you’re feeling less than motivated these days, they can be hard to answer.
Sure, you know you need a change. Sure, you know you’re ready to try something different. But how to get motivated to push ahead when you’re feeling stuck and frustrated is easier said than done.
To help, here are a few ways you can ditch the ho-hum attitude that inevitably comes post-holiday celebration time and embrace the New Year ahead.
#1. Take an Honest Look Internally
Before you can find external motivation, you have to take an honest look at your feelings. What specifically is causing you grief? What specifically gets you excited? Look deep inside yourself and get honest about your strengths and weaknesses.
Honesty with yourself is key here. Sometimes, what you want to do isn’t always a strength. For example, if you have always wanted to work in the service industry but you’re a people pleaser to a fault, you might be better suited in a role that doesn’t involve confrontation from buyers.
Get familiar with your inner desires, emotions, and motivators. The more you understand about your true inner feelings, the easier it’ll be to spot why you aren’t feeling as motivated as you’d like to about the New Year.
#2. Separate Fact From Emotion
With your emotions in check, it’s time to look at the reality of your situation. Sometimes, that reality is hard to see through a cloud of emotion – especially if you’re feeling frustrated with your current position.
You’ve already done the internal analysis. Now, it’s time to step outside your body and do the external analysis. Look at yourself and your current situation from an outsider’s lens. Take emotions out of the mix as you analyze what’s working and what isn’t for you.
#3. Get Creative On The Job
Once you’re in tune with your emotions and have taken a good look at your situation from an outsider’s perspective, it’s time to start thinking of how you can shift your position so you are motivated and excited to show up every day. Many times, that involves getting creative on the job.
No job description is set in stone, especially if you’re a leader in your company. So, when you see that something in your professional world is draining your energy reserves dry, it’s time to make a shift. That shift doesn’t have to be an ordinary horizontal or vertical movement. You’re not a robot. Try thinking outside of the box when it comes to how you can inspire yourself to be more motivated (and thus, more productive) at work.
One example might be that if you love working with customers but don’t like to sell, you could move to the floor instead of behind the register. Or, if you like getting your hands dirty but don’t like working in the day-to-day operations of your business, you could take on a consulting role where you’re still out in the field but working from a bird’s eye level in your business.
Or the change might be as simple as making a tweak in your office environment.
#4. Try a Personality Test
Sometimes, knowing exactly where you need to make a change is difficult, even after you’ve done your self-analysis and external analysis. In these cases, it’s a good idea to leave it up to personality experts.
There are many personality tests available to take today. One of the most popular in the business world is the Myers Briggs personality test, which aims to tell you if you’re one of 16 different personality types. Answer some questions and you’ll get better insight into how you fit in, which can help you find new ways to get pumped about your job (or new directions to take at work).
#5. Resolve to Learn Something New
Is your lack of motivation sparked by a lack of forward momentum at work? It might be time for you to go back to school – or at least take a class or new training.
Learning a new skill can help you get promoted, or simply help you feel like you’re doing something to push your career ahead. Invest in a new certification. Take an evening class. Sign up for a conference in your industry. Whatever you do to deepen your knowledge, learning something new is a great way to spark (or at least rekindle) motivation in your professional life.
#6. Start Adopting Technology
Are you technology averse? Or, is there a piece of technology you’ve heard will make your job easier but you haven’t wanted to go through the learning curve? Let 2018 be your year to start.
Technology continues to advance. With new apps to ease common stressors in your life, or new programs to make your job a little less tedious, embracing the world of technology can help you overcome motivational humps.
Identify what’s causing you stress or a lack of motivation. Is there an app or program to help? Try it out. You might be surprised at how a simple shift like this can change the way you feel.
#7. If All Else Fails, Try Something New
Have you tried everything you can to get motivated about your position and just can’t seem to muster the energy to care enough? That might be the universe telling you it’s time to move on.
As hard as it is to call it quits on your old life, that might be exactly what you need to do. Sometimes, moving on is more motivating. If you’re not moving forward in your new position, you’re stuck. And if you’re stuck, you will not have the energy you need to power through the tough times and accomplish new goals. You’ll feel crummy and lousy, which is a recipe for disaster over time.
A New Year is right around the corner. This might just be the time for you to pick up and make the change you’ve known deep in your heart is the right one to make for a while now.
Ready or Not, Here Comes 2018
Ready or not, it’s coming. A New Year and a new season of your life is upon you. Now is the time to figure out your next steps and make resolutions to get back on the motivation train.
What are you doing to spark motivation in the coming year?
