Get your mojo back

Ever wonder why your colleague seems more motivated than you are?

A few of my clients are finding that they lack motivation at work. Monday blues are the norm. What makes it worse is the comparison with other colleagues, who seem so happy at the same workplace.

"Why?" they ask themselves.

"Why am I not happy here whilst others are?"

"Why can't I find passion in what I do here?"

Having worked in corporate for 10+ years, I can say that the experience of a lack of motivation can be debilitating. For some, this could be temporary, but the longer you wait to address the lack of motivation, the more of a problem it becomes. It's almost like a tumour that grows, and eventually could become malignant and could even spread to others within your organisation.

Here are three common reasons for the lack of motivation, and some strategies to help get your "mojo" back:

1. You cannot see your impact clearly

Most of the time, the work they do isn't lacking purpose. The company that they are in has a mission and vision. Their role could be a strategic one, and they are diligent enough to do a good job in their role.

What my clients cannot see is the direct impact that they are making on others, and they don't feel rewarded for the work that they have put in. This is especially poignant if your values are around appreciation, influence, achievement and kindness - because you'd want to see a tangible outcome for your efforts spent.

If this is you, the following strategies might be helpful:

• Think of three people you can have a positive influence over in your role. Have intentional conversations with these people to see how you could support them.
• Reflect on the past month, and write down the direct and indirect impact of the work that you have had. Speak to your manager about these, and ask for feedback.
• Look at the collective influence you have had as a team over the entire organisation. What contributions have you made? What are the gaps that you'll need to address to achieve greater impact?

2. You cannot see a vision for yourself

For some, the lack of a role model, the lack of challenge, or the lack of reward, contributes to the picture where you cannot see yourself excelling in your current organisation.

If you are a big-picture person, and you like long-term planning, this reason could be one that stops you from seeking progress.

You may want to have a go at the following strategies:

• Develop a "vision board" for yourself in 5 years. Do not limit this to your current role or even organisation. What is it that you'd like to have achieved? What would you like to be known for?
• Reflect on your identity. What makes you unique? What qualities would you like to use more of in the next 5 years?
• Write down what you want to look for in your next role. This doesn't mean that you have to change your job immediately - include things that you can shift from your current role to make the role unique and useful to you.

3. You cannot see through your tricky relationships

At times, office politics come in and cause further confusion. You may not like the way your manager treats you and others. You may disagree with your leaders. There may even be a toxic culture in your organisation.

Many of these are external factors we cannot control. This would be especially close to heart if you value harmony, trust, support and friendship above the actual "doing". You may even feel betrayed, or hurt, by your current work relationships.

If this is you, the following strategies might be helpful:

• Develop a weekly habit to write down 3 things you are grateful for in your current workplace. Intentionally thank people for what they do.
• Think about the tricky relationships in your workplace. Bearing in mind that you cannot change what the other person thinks, what can be changed within yourself to see the situation a little differently?
• Evaluate the impact of the tricky relationships in the workplace. How much has it impacted your mental health and your productivity? What would tell you that your boundary has been crossed and that enough is enough?

Whilst the lack of motivation could stem from a series of external factors, there are also elements that you could control, right now, to design a better future for yourself.

If you are still feeling stuck, I'd love to have a conversation with you.

Feel free to book a no-obligation 1-hour chat with me to go through your situation, and I'll see how I could help:

https://calendly.com/summie-coaching/1h

With love,

Summie

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