How can you stay motivated during long-term projects?

Long projects come with their own challenges like losing motivation , Leadership team losing attention and focus, missing deadlines and diversion of resources for other critical tasks. Most important motivator is to maintain the rythem of reviews , bringing it the attention of leadership team as regular updates and for team members , celebrating small wins instead of waiting for the entire project to be delivered. Bringing the core as well as an extended team together at regular intervals to celebrate milestones and deliberate failures. It's the journey that matters not only the destination

A long-term project can feel like a very long flight. It is hard to stay motivated in the middle of a seemingly endless journey. Thankfully, we can learn from the airlines: Planning and visualising a project on a roadmap (similar to a flightpath), breaking it down into manageable pieces (think meal service) and using tools to track and show how it is progressing on its path to the finish line all help to reduce stress and uncertainty. Like the flight crew, a motivated project team looks after each other, keeps the customers in mind and deals with issues quickly. And even though this may end my analogy, don't forget to celebrate achievements, small and large, to stay motivated during your long-term projects!

Utilizing agile methods such as sprints can also help your team ID what they are supposed to deliver in smaller increments. Create a sprint goal and then in the sprint retrospective, talk with the team if the goal was achieved or not. If it wasn’t met, the retro is a great way to game plan of with the team on what could have been done better to achieve that goal. A retrospective is also a great way to call out individual achievements to keep morale strong!

I follow Ivy Lee method ! Which means I plan tomorrows tasks a day before. It gives me a Clear picture how I have to spend time on each task !

Setting smaller everyday objectives and celebrating small wins is definitely key to keeping the team motivated. While it’s important that the project team understands the overall project plan, breaking the work plan down to smaller work packages and deliverables with achievable milestones is important. That way, the team will have a sense of renewed commitment as they go through work packages and achieve set milestones.

El hecho de que tus objetivos sean a corto plazo favorece también la motivación. Siempre es más fácil de lograr algo más sencillo y en un plazo más corto de tiempo, además de resultar algo más concreto y entendible. Esto pasa tanto en proyectos desarrollados dentro de empresas, como en los relacionados con tu propio desarrollo profesional.

Remaining motivated when a project extends well beyond its initial deadline can be challenging but is crucial for success. Firstly, it's essential to reassess goals and timelines realistically. Set new, achievable milestones to maintain a sense of progress. Stay organized by creating a detailed plan to tackle the extended project. Break it down into smaller, manageable tasks. Celebrate small victories to boost morale and keep the team motivated. Seek support and feedback from colleagues or mentors to gain fresh perspectives. Remind yourself of the project's importance and long-term benefits. Lastly, take care of your well-being through regular breaks, exercise, and a positive mindset.

Certainly, setting SMART goals involves the formulation of objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Upon the successful attainment of such goals, it is advisable to implement a structured system of rewards in recognition of one's accomplishments. This serves as a motivational tool, enhancing commitment and overall satisfaction with goal achievement. For instance, following the completion of a significant project, it may be appropriate to commemorate the achievement with a formal team recognition event or a performance-based bonus.

It helps to enhance your self awareness on this & manage your time and energy accordingly. ?For example- what’s your preference ? Are you a “starter” or a “finisher” ? ?Starters enjoy the beginning of projects. They don’t mind the grey areas, they enjoy the brainstorm meetings. What others find chaotic they enjoy. They do well in startups. They tend to get bored at the end (after a few months or years) when things are running smoothly. Finishers can struggle at the start where there are a lot of grey areas. When it’s running smoothly, roles are more defined they’re at ease. They prefer the now-established routines. ?Know your preference. Ask for help from others when out of your comfort zone. This is how diversity in teams is a strength.

It's important to pace ourselves when embarking on long term project. Look at it as a marathon. It's not a sprint. Self care, take breaks and reward self for every small win, will keep individuals in for the long haul. Sprinting in a marathon will result in fatigue and burnout. Be aware if you are sprinting.

Life is a long term project :-D. Here's how I keep the "troops" motivated: 1- Set the right pace. Each sprint is it's own accomplishment. 2 - Celebrate often. 3 - Find out what motivates each member and make sure they get to do that. 4 - Break, play and rest often. 5 - Set realistic goals.

As a PM, I try my best to build a strong rapport with stakeholders to help gather feedback. I have weekly project updates where I review project health, budget, timeline, RAID log, and upcoming PTO. I’ve worked with stakeholders when they felt they weren’t being heard. I worked with my technical team to mitigate this concern and included the client. Other clients, I’ve offered 1:1s to review how the sprint went, what could have gone better, what blockers we have IDed and how to remove them, and re-align on what’s to be delivered in the next sprint. It’s important to create that relationship with them where they feel they can provide feedback but to also be able to create accountability amongst everyone on the project and work together.

One of the most important key factors is to constantly engage all stakeholders by seeking feedback, so that no gaps exists in the chain, and if there are, they should be quickly addressed.

If the project is long-term then you should have some periodic reporting procedure in place. Use those reporting events to get positive feedback and share it with the team. And definitely level of stakeholders / customers involvement in the project can drastically influence project success and team motivation. When team see that customer is interested in the project result, they'll understand that they are solving real problem or really helping some people. This will help team to be motivated.

Talk to your supplychain about how they plan to deliver the project. What assumptions are they making. Question whether those assumptions are fair and realistic, not just one or the other. It may be fair for a certain condition to be met, but if it’s not realistic there is a problem in the future. Give teams to space to get things wrong but also consider the solution. Many projects are adding innovation to the user, even if the innovation has already been applied on another project, do they need the space to understand the implementation. If someone raises an issue use the 4Cs to analyse it and find a solution Cause: what happened Concern: the consequence Containment: what’s been/could be done short-tern Countermeasure: long term fix

Cultivate a Positive Mindset: Practice conscious positive thinking by focusing on the good in every situation and highlighting your strengths and accomplishments. Self-Reflection: Regularly reflect on your progress and achievements to acknowledge your skills and accomplishments, helping to maintain your motivation. Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness exercises to reduce stress and remain present in the current moment, which can help you maintain a positive and calm attitude. ....

.... Seek Support: Seek support from colleagues, friends, or a mentor to encourage and assist you in dealing with challenges and overcoming setbacks. Celebrate Goals: Celebrate your successes and milestones to acknowledge yourself and boost your self-confidence and motivation. By incorporating these practices into your daily life, you can develop an optimistic and resilient mindset that allows you to tackle challenges and stay motivated while focusing on your long-term goals.

To stay motivated long term, think GAIN vs. GAP. Our brains have a tendency to focus on lack - on what we don't have or haven't achieved yet (ie. the gap). However by focusing on how far you have come along the way (the GAIN) you will increase dopamine in your brain which is fundamental to increasing your motivation. Keep celebrating and being thankful for how long you have come in your project, while continuing to strive forward and be ambitious. Keep one foot in gratitude, and one foot in ambition to increase your motivation and positivity.

To support a positive mindset and attitude it's critical to celebrate small victories and achievements along the way. Recognising progress, even on minor tasks, contributes to a positive mindset and provides motivation for the next phases. In addition, it's important to focus on the process rather than just the end result. Understand that learning and improvement happen throughout the project, and every step contributes to your personal and professional development. Finally, incorporate self-care practices into your routine, such as exercise, mindfulness, or activities you enjoy. Taking care of your physical and mental well-being directly influences your ability to stay positive and focused during a long-term project.

Mindset is a powerful tool to help us complete any long term project. Reframing our perspective and changing our mindset when we feel tired, will definitely help. And of course, pacing ourselves. It's ok to slow down at times.

...... Communication: Clear and open communication with your supervisors, colleagues, and family can help you gain support and understanding, making it easier to balance work and personal life. Self-care: Take time for yourself to maintain your physical and mental well-being. Prioritize getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, and regular exercise to reduce stress and maintain your energy levels. By implementing these strategies, you can effectively work on long-term projects while ensuring you lead a balanced and fulfilling life both in your career and personal realm.

Know what your life's priorities are and understand your own goals and how your work is helping you achieve them. This could be buying a house, or enabling you to go on beautiful holidays. Ensure to consider what your boundaries are, i.e. there's no point in working to pay for that holiday, if you're going to spend it on the phone. Having a clear understanding of what is moving you forward and what is taking you back is essential for managing your mental health through difficult periods.

Setting clear boundaries: Define clear boundaries between your work time and personal time to ensure you have enough time for rest and personal matters. Time management: Effective time management can help you make the most of your time and ensure you have enough time for both work and personal life. Setting priorities: Identify your priorities and focus on tasks that are most important to ensure you achieve both professional and personal goals. ......

It cannot be understated the importance of mindfulness and wellbeing in having a productive workforce. Encourage people in your team to by physically, mentally and emotionally fit. Also understand that some people will be on your project for a matter of weeks and others years. The people who are there for a short time will be your advocates for your project when recruiting, and if treated right will be happy to return to support your success.

é super importante o líder do projeto se mostrar realmente preocupado com o equilíbrio entre o tempo dedicado ao projeto e o tempo livre . Um hábito super saudável é intercalar entre as reuni?es formais uma reuni?o livre onde temas como lazer e família serao compartilhados sem relacionamento com as entregas do projeto. Isso faz traz uma pausa estratégia para recarregar a energia do time e melhorar o entrosamento.

What a great article and I agree with the additional contributions that have been made. All I would add is occasionally take some time out and go back to your Opportunity Statement or Project Charter. Remind yourself of the business question that you’re answering / or the improvement that you are making. Occasionally come away from the Project Management or sprint calls – and have informal individual stakeholder time, or time with the team. Just to talk about the ‘Goal’, what it will mean to the business and how good it will feel when you get there. Start seeing it, and keep it in view.

For a long term project you may use the Pomodoro Technique which is a structured time management method helps in boosting productivity. Here’s a breakdown of its steps: 1. Set the tasks 2. Set 25 min timer 3. Use the timer while working 4. Take 5 min break after 1 pomodoro (task) 5. Every 4 pomodoro take 15-30 min break

Determine your own personal goals. - What will you get from this project? - How will your skills evolve? - Where will this lead you. It's much easier to stay motivated when you have personal motivations, instead of company ones.

Your motivation is closely connected to your "why." Your "why" is the reason you do the work you do. It's why you get up and go to work. If you can connect the project to your why, you will have more energy and stamina than you could have imagined. When you start to lose stamina, remember how the project is aligned with your purpose, and you'll get the focus and energy you need.

I would say, it’s important to identify project milestones and on a regular basis communicate them to the team. Keeping the teams motivated by celebration of these milestones, short gathering (social as well) helps to motivate. Recognition of achievement project, group and individual levels is also a tool I use.