5 Tips to Stay Motivated at Work During the -Ber Months

With only a 3 months to go before Christmas, it can be a bit of challenge to focus on work. Still, this isn’t an excuse to slack off. In fact, with end of the year evaluations coming up, this may be the best time to up your game. Show your boss you deserve a promotion, and end the year on a high note. Here are tips on how you can stay motivated.

ADJUST YOUR WORKDAY ROUTINE

Daydreaming about doing anything besides work (vacation, the lake, enjoying ice cream outside…) is one of our biggest issues during the -ber months. In fact, 68 percent of people report daydreaming in the summer, and 45 percent report being more distracted. In order to keep from dreaming your workday away, try switching up your routine to keep your days fresh and interesting.

A couple of ideas: take your lunch outside to get some much-needed vitamin D, or suggest a walking meeting instead of the routine in-office sit down in order to get on your feet and outside. These simple tweaks can help you enjoy the benefits of the weather, while still allowing you to get work done.

A change of scenery can help you approach your task with fresh eyes. It may even give you a new sense of inspiration.

TAKE A BREAK

Nothing is worse than muddling through your day without a bright light at the end of the tunnel, which is why it is important to schedule some much-deserved R&R.

So your workload, finances, or available vacation days don’t allow for that weeklong vacation to the Bahamas you’ve been dreaming about? Try planning a long weekend to a local getaway (or even a staycation at home with the kids). When you have time off to look forward to (whether that time off happens in your own backyard or a wanderlust-inducing destination), you are more likely to stay productive and get your work done before you head off on your vacation.

And please, try to unplug and actually be on vacation! If your team or the nature of your work makes that seem impossible, we suggest leaving very clear instructions in your out of office message or picking certain times of day to check in.

Keep a Positive Mindset

Your mindset moulds almost every aspect of your life, including how motivated you feel and how productive you are at work. Making small, conscious changes to the way you think is the best way to improve your mindset over time. Now, this is much easier said than done, but with a little perseverance, positive and productive thoughts can begin to eclipse negative ones. For instance, instead of thinking ‘I have to get all this work done today’, make a conscious effort to re-calibrate and think ‘I want to complete this work to the best of my ability’. Feeding positive over negative thoughts can help you to feel more motivated to keep up momentum even as we approach the end of the year.

Define Your Goals

Keeping a positive mindset works hand-in-hand with setting optimistic, yet achievable short and long-term goals (remember, that’s goals not chores). By setting goals for the coming year, we are able to benchmark where we are against where we want to be and how we are going to get there. Make sure to set both large and smaller goals and be specific about how you’re going to achieve them; it’s much easier to get somewhere when you have a detailed map. The tail-end of the year presents a prime opportunity to get a head start and plant seeds to help our future-selves. So, instead of wishing the time away, utilise each moment as a tool to reach a goal, whether it be making your bed every morning or becoming the next Jeff Bezos.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help… and Help Others

People often forget that no one person can be perfect at all times. Sometimes we just need a little help- that doesn’t mean you are failing or being unproductive. Equally, by making a conscious effort to help others you can inspire others and harness that motivation back, it’s a win-win for both parties.