Starting a new job or beginning work on a new project is always an exciting and challenging time. Each day is a day full of discoveries and opportunities. You may be getting to know a different group of people or, in some cases, you may be leading the charge and making tough decisions. For awhile you will thrive and look forward to work in the mornings, but once the initial honeymoon period is over, the daily grind may again seem monotonous and tedious. While it’s common for most people to lose some enthusiasm for their work over time, finding inspiration at work is vital to your professional success and well-being. Here are some ways you can recapture your motivation.
Find a mentor. Make an effort to find someone, within your company or outside, whom you greatly admire and respect who can forge a mentorship with you. Engaging with a mentor can help encourage you to think in new ways, consider undiscovered paths, and come up with creative solutions. Looking up to someone and learning from their experiences can be very inspiring and helpful in shaping your future.
Create learning opportunities. We slip into complacency when we move out of the learning mode and many people tend to do this once they’ve gotten comfortable with their responsibilities at work. To avoid this, and to stay inspired, you must create learning opportunities for yourself. If your company is supportive, take classes to further your education and attend conferences or professional gatherings to learn the latest in your field. If your company will not or cannot pay for your development, read books and industry reports or enroll in free online courses to keep you up-to-date professionally.
Explore other interests. Do you have any hobbies or skills outside of your current job function that you can utilise at work? Perhaps if you have an interest in bicycling, you can start a company-wide cycling club for lunch time rides, or perhaps you are a stellar writer and can submit an article or two to your company’s quarterly newsletter. If your main responsibilities arefailing to keep you adequately engaged at work, find ways to incorporate your other talents and interests in the office.
Change your routine. Perhaps you just need a break from your daily routine to keep you stimulated. Take a new path to the restroom or kitchen for a change of scenery in the office. Reach out to colleagues you may have seen in passing but never struck up a conversation with. Go out for lunch instead of eating at your desk each day. Schedule less meetings and incorporate more team brainstorming sessions instead. By changing up your daily schedule, you’re keeping things new and fresh, which may be enough to stimulate you in the workplace again.
Don’t just sit around. While it’s normal to feel stuck when your work seems stagnant, the worst thing you can do is to sit around and do nothing. It’s a well-documented fact that our behaviour affects our mood. If you take no action, you will continue to feel uninspired. However, if you try something different, you will, in turn, feel something different. You may not know what is the right thing to do, but taking matters into your own hands is itself empowering and will help you stay motivated.
