Motivation when you just "don't wanna"....

Motivation is a rather interesting emotion and it can be somewhat elusive. There are some days you wake up in the morning ready to take on the world, and other days you cannot seem to find an ounce of energy to do anything – let alone a full day of work.  Maybe your boss came down on you yesterday, your dog is ill, the weather is nasty and cold, or you just have the “blahs”.  You come into work and just stare at the computer screen, willing yourself to read, review, type, create, develop, decide, discuss, and instead …. you find yourself simply going through the motions, barely caring about the work you’re producing. Can you say uninspired?

How do we muscle through these type of days?  Well, I will share a few of my own personal tricks: looking for smaller wins, looking for easier tasks to get me going, giving myself a schedule and quiet time, deciding to not do what does not matter, looking at ways to break up the work, and sometimes just giving yourself that kick in the pants – just get it done!

I think that in our hectic world, being busy has become like a status symbol, a sign that you’re sought-after and in-demand. While you may ultimately enjoy this status, constantly being in “work mode” and being available round-the-clock can lead to burnout.  And usually does.  Thinking that staying constantly busy is helping you advance your career can backfire, you may even be rewarded (tongue in cheek) with the title of “office suck up”—or even worse you may come to resent your job, your boss, and your co-workers.  And you will probably carry that home as well.

Some days in order to get going, I look at the positive things I will address today.  Maybe I help someone solve a problem, understand a benefit, better manage their budgets, understand a financial lever, learn a new development tool, understand their benefits statement, learn how to respond better to a hot situation, be a better leader, lend an ear in a time of need.  Start with those – it will get your day off to the right start (and may improve your mood). Other times, I look for the smaller projects or tasks that I can check off and feel good about an accomplishment.  Well, “I got those three things done, maybe my day is not so bad after all.”

Setting a realistic quitting time for yourself and sticking to it most days of the week will help regulate your week (and your moods). Set some limits for yourself - stop answering emails after 9 PM or take Sundays off to spend more quality time with your family or friends. You’ll feel more refreshed and more productive when you allow yourself some recharge time. Do you think anyone is really motivated 24 hours a day and seven days a week?  Even Elon Musk has some downtime.  You need to give yourself a rest, and if that means giving yourself a specified time to unplug from work or turn away from the demands of your job, then do it.

What really matters?  Ask yourself that every morning.  Are you doing work that is not valued?  Doing things that don’t mean anything costs me a ton of mental energy. Look at your current to-do list, find things you know that you don’t care about (and your boss or the company does not value), and get rid of as many of these activities as possible.  It’s not always best to finish what you started, if down the line, you can’t even remember why you started that work in the first place. 

Why do we like donut holes?  They are so easy to eat.  An analogy (and not a healthy one) that is easy to understand.  Make sure you break down your to-do list into bite-sized, consumable tasks for the day.  We can get overwhelmed by staring at that very large project. Break that project down into smaller segments.  This way you’ll feel like you’re making progress in your journey and you’ll also feel a sense of accomplishment when you complete the smaller tasks. Making progress and feeling some achievement is a beautiful combination.

Lastly, there are days when you just have to override your brain and kick start yourself to “get to work”.  You know those days, so instead of waiting around, willing yourself to feel motivated, what if you just went ahead and started doing the work you know you need to do? Dive into the project and trust that you will work your way into getting through the day.  Momentum is a wonderful thing.

And as one final note, sometimes that coffee, Mt Dew, chat with a friend, call to Dad, a little more volume on the tunes or quick glance at that motivational quote we all have saved somewhere can be that little extra to jumpstart your day.  As some of my friends sometimes say when someone is complaining about something, “just suck it up cupcake”.  It sounds so easy. 

Together.  We.  Win.

Dave Harmon
People Division
“Kindness is Currency”
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

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