Not Motivated at Work? Could you be the Problem?

Most of us have had those days where we find it harder than usual to drag ourselves into work in the morning – those days are usually called Monday. Some never seem to have this issue, while others suffer from a severe lack of motivation to perform at work.

If you fall into the latter bracket, be honest and ask yourself if your employer is the problem, or does the problem lies squarely with you? How much of a self-starter are you? Do you actively seek out the help and/or guidance you need?

Very rarely will you find those that have been successful make excuses for failure, and they will have endured a lot of failures. Finding that extra motivation cannot come from anyone else other than yourself – quite simply, if you are not willing to work for something to better yourself, then no level of financial benefit will rectify your situation.

Personal Development

Are you doing anything to better yourself? Not just as a worker, but as an all-rounded individual? If not, then here is your first piece of advice – get out and challenge yourself. Whether it is in the workplace looking the opportunity to take on extra responsibility, or something outside of your place of work, challenging yourself improves confidence, motivation and appreciation for what you are doing.

Nothing worth doing comes easy, so if/when you hit your first stumbling block don’t give in. Assess the situation and work through adversity – this is where the true challenge and hard work lies. The reason you are suffering from a lack of motivation could be that you are not challenging yourself enough.

Be a Self-Starter

Are you the type of person that waits to be told what to do? Are you the person that looks away, desperately trying not to make eye contact when your boss is looking for someone to take the lead on a project? If so, this could be another contributing factor to your lack of motivation.

By and large, there are two different types of workers – proactive and reactive. A proactive worker will take on projects, map out each step and look for the next opportunity. In contrast, a reactive worker is guided almost every step of the way and, when their schedule is almost empty, likely won’t be forthcoming about it unless asked.

The most motivated people in the workplace are those that refuse to settle and are always looking for the next big thing. Next time an opportunity arises, grasp it with both hands and run with it.

Do You Want More?

Is the reason for your lack of motivation the fact that you want more out of life than what you currently have? If so, instead of trying to climb the career ladder, going out on your own could be exactly what you need.

There are many reasons why people set off on the road of entrepreneurship, with the main one being satisfaction. Far too many people are simply unsatisfied with their 9-5 job and dream of owning their own business. Although a scary step, especially for someone with no entrepreneurial experience, it could also be the best thing you have ever done.

Without the safety net of a guaranteed pack check falling into your lap at the end of every month, you will have all of the motivation that you need to do everything that you can to make your business work. If this sounds like something that speaks out to you, then be sure to approach entrepreneurship in the right manner – make a business plan, save up and seek advice from the right people.

Whatever You Do, Do It for Yourself

Bettering ourselves is always a good thing, but if we are not doing it for ourselves, then chances are we simply won’t have the motivation or the drive to persevere with it. When we do something for ourselves, we own it and, as a result, become a better person for it.