No one can motivate you except you. So, if you expect this article to solve your problems, it won’t. What it will give you, though, are tips on how to stay motivated at work by doing some simple things.
While you take care of these simple things, you have fewer burdens on your mind. This makes you more productive with more energy to deal with bigger issues that are bothering you at a later time. For example, after work. Let’s look at how you can stay motivated at work:
1. Take 10 Minutes For Every 50 Minutes Of Work
For me, what works is taking a quick 10 minute break for every 50 minutes of work. Even machines needs rest once in a while. After some time knocking away at the computer or whatever else you do at work, you can get tired or feel monotonous. That’s when you need to take that small 10 minutes break. I find these breaks extremely useful and have been doing it for years.
2. Use Your 10 Minutes Wisely
How do you occupy the 10 minutes break you have? There are various things you can do to stay motivated at work. Here are some suggestions that have worked for me. You are free to explore, experiment, and change it. The key is to stay discipline and stick to the 10 minutes, otherwise you end up wasting time.
3. Look At What You've Completed
One quick way to stay motivated at work is to look at what you have completed after working for quite a while and you are getting tired. Ticking off the to-do list is a good way to show you how much you have completed. That is one way that can keep you going.
4. Read Something Interesting
Try reading some interesting articles. Something motivating, perhaps. It works, and don’t be embarrassed to do it. I know of people who are shy to reveal they read motivational books. There is nothing wrong in that. Just because it doesn’t work for them does not mean you cannot do it. The important thing is do not get distracted. This can make you stay motivated at work.
5. Take A Walk To The Pantry
Walk to the pantry to make a cup of coffee, or even to rinse your cup. The walk stretches you and a quick chat – again do not get distracted – is a good diversion from some boring proposals you maybe doing.
I used to walk out of my room to joke around with my department staff. Now, that was acceptable in my company’s culture. It may not fit yours. It provided a break for everyone and we feel refreshed after some good laughs.
6. Clear Your Table
You will be surprised with this one. I know it is symptomatic relieve. If you are already unmotivated to work, your table is likely messy or it can be a little more organized. Clear your table and see how it can clear your mind at least for that period. The cleared table will make you want to do a little more. Again, deep issues with motivation need other solutions. This just provides the slightly better environment.
Do some of these simple tasks and take small undistributed breaks at work. It works wonders to stay motivated at work.
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.