How to find motivation

Whether you’re a fan of a New Year’s Resolution or not, chances are that at some point – perhaps even right now – you’ve set out on a mission to achieve a goal in a certain area of your life. It might be to learn a new language, work out more frequently, land that dream job or lose weight. In that case, chances are, you haven’t always been successful in your aims, and you’re far from alone in this: research suggests that 92% of us fail to achieve the big goals we set for ourselves.

While there are numerous, multifaceted reasons why we might not be among the 8%, issues with motivation undoubtedly contribute to our failed attempts.

What can we do to increase and maintain motivation? How can we support unmotivated colleagues in the workplace? And what might we achieve if we manage to ‘hack’ motivation?

What causes lack of motivation?

It’s important to understand what the root causes underlying an absence of motivation are. From an informed position, it’s then possible to identify and implement the right approaches to regain it.

Numerous factors can contribute, such as burnout, stress, feeling overwhelmed, not seeing the desired progress, and a lack of clear goals. As well as not feeling energised to achieve our ambitions, there can be other serious short-term and long-term consequences: reduced self-esteem, feeling like we’re ‘stuck in a rut’, increased self-doubt and negative self-talk – as well as anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.

Why is motivation important in business?

Motivation is one of the driving forces that enables us to function well in our roles. Increasing employee motivation has numerous advantages for the workplace, including:

•         reducing absenteeism
•         boosting innovation
•         maximising productivity
•         increasing staff retention
•         supporting brand reputation
•         recruiting strong candidates
•         increasing overall profit.

Ultimately, if employees are lacking in motivation and drive, a company is far more likely to fall short of its own strategic goals and ambitions. As such, understanding how to improve motivation – both within and outside of the workplace – is critical for responsible, forward-thinking leaders and managers.

How can motivation be increased?

Fortunately, there are plenty of actions we can take and strategies we can implement to increase personal motivation.

If you’re struggling with motivation, try boosting it in the following ways:

• Start with small steps. No one ever achieved a huge goal right out of the starting blocks. Any goal worth attaining will require hard work, dedication, time and incremental progress. Instead of aiming for the end goal right away, develop a plan of smaller goals and targets along the way that will build momentum without feeling overwhelming. For best results, link small and big goals to the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based).
• Combat procrastination. Procrastination is the enemy of progress, and there are a number of ways to minimise it. For example, taking regular breaks, changing your environment, reducing the number of decisions you need to make, prioritising tasks, leaving your phone in another room, and scheduling time in your diary to achieve smaller tasks.
• Change your mindset. Cultivate a growth mindset, and regularly reinforce it with positive self-talk and optimism. Try not to wallow or feel guilty if you take actions that aren’t fully goal-supportive – you are human and progress isn’t linear. Seeking out content that inspires motivation can be incredibly valuable, such as apps, podcasts, videos and books.
• Build a support network. It’s not always easy to achieve our goals in isolation. Having a support network behind you – taking any form, from friends and family to an online community who share your interests or pursuing their own goals – can increase motivation, provide solutions and support, maintain your focus and hold you accountable. Of course, it often makes it more enjoyable too.
• Recognise and reward progress. In order to keep energy, drive and motivation riding high, take time to stop and reflect on the achievements you’ve made along the way. When we’re constantly focused on the end goal, it’s easy to slip into a mindset of not-being-there-yet, which can be demoralising and unhelpful. Reminding yourself how far you’ve come, and what you’ve learned or achieved along the way, can be a powerful motivator to keep going. You could also plan small rewards to recognise achievement and progress.
• Prioritise self-care and mental health. It will be even more challenging to achieve your intended goals if you aren’t looking after your mind and body. Giving yourself the best foundations to build on is critical; this means prioritising sleep, exercise, a healthy diet, mindfulness, socialising, taking screen and social media breaks, spending time outside, and so on.
• Make it enjoyable. Depending what the goal and the tasks associated with it are, try and find ways to build enjoyment and fun into what needs to be done. Is there a favourite playlist you can listen to while you go for that jog, or a colleague you like who you can team up with, or a way to gamify the steps you need to take?

Throughout it all, one of the most important actions you can take is to keep the end goal in mind. Remind yourself why this goal was meaningful to you in the first place, and what it’ll mean for your life – and, perhaps more importantly, your sense of self – if you achieve it.

In the workplace, motivational strategies include leading with vision, setting clear targets, recognising hard work, giving employees autonomy, supporting career development, encouraging collaboration and team bonding, being flexible and providing appropriate training.

What is the difference between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation?

Intrinsic motivation refers to a drive to act that comes from within, while extrinsic motivation relies on external factors. People who are intrinsically motivated engage in tasks because they are internally rewarding – for example, they may find it fun, enjoyable or meaningful – and because the tasks fulfills a basic psychological need, such as autonomy or competence. Those who are extrinsically motivated pursue outcomes that do not fulfil basic psychological needs, such as money or material goods or respect.

Both can be powerful motivational tools – it just depends on the situation and the individual involved.

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