You know that feeling where you have everything you need to have a productive day at work but for some reason you can't get yourself to move a muscle? Don't worry. You're not the only person who has felt that way.
You may have an ideal work space in the perfect location, furnished and decorated in a way to get you in the right vibe to work. But it is not enough. There are other factors that will help get you in the mood to be productive.
Here are ways you can jumpstart your day and motivate yourself to get in the groove of working.
1.Start your day with a positive affirmation
Positive affirmations have the power to set you in the right frame of mind especially where you lack inspiration or you're not in the frame of mind to do anything. The idea behind positive affirmation is to direct your mind to positive thoughts. When your thoughts are focused on the positive, your body will follow suit.
Positive affirmations like "I'm full of energy to work" or "I am productive" will help you re-orientate your mind to that area. As you keep repeating it to yourself, you'll gradually find yourself cultivating the desire to work.
2.Go through your goals
Your goals are what you desire to achieve within a particular period of time. Reviewing your goals whenever you lack the motivation to work will bring back to mind what you want to achieve. Doing this will help rekindle your zeal to start working.
Sometimes the reason why people lose inspiration to work is because they temporarily lost focus of their goals. Reviewing your goals will help you know your progress and how much that needs to be done to achieve your goals.
3.Have a to-do list
Knowing what exactly you need to accomplish during the day will keep you focused in the exact tasks that need to be completed. Do not write more than 3-5 items on your to-do list. Having a long to-do list may make you feel more overwhelmed instead of motivated.
As you write your to-do list make sure you break down the exact steps you need to take to achieve each task. This will act as your plan of action. As you take each step and tick it off your to-do list you build momentum and you become more confident that you'll finish each item on your list. This makes you more eager to keep working.
4.Set deadlines
Setting realistic deadlines will help push you to start work and make sure you have it done. Without a deadline your work will continue lying on your desk and you'll never feel like working on it. With a deadline, you have a reason to make sure it's finished.
Deadlines not only push you to complete your tasks, they also help you prioritize your activities. You'll know what to work on and how much time you'll dedicate to it. It'll prevent you from giving room to distractions.
The reason why having a deadline is so effective is that even if you were not in the mood to work, you'll force yourself to get started. This is because your deadline keeps you in mind that not completing your task at the stated time or date will attract some sort of punishment. This will move you to keep going.
On the flip side, as you complete your tasks before the deadlines you'll experience a feeling of accomplishment and you'll be more motivated to do the next task.
5.Get yourself an accountability partner
When you have someone who checks up on you and your progress, you'll be moved to make sure to get your work done. An accountability partner is someone who will keep you accountable to your promise to complete your tasks or goal.
What binds you is the promise to get your work done. Once you make that promise your accountability partner will keep you in check. Anyone can act as an accountability partner so long as they keep checking on your progress and they are accessible enough for you to give report about your progress.
6.Change your work environment
Sometimes a change of scene is what you need to kick you into action. Going to the same place to work everyday may start dampening your spirits. A fresh new environment could make all the difference.
If you have the possibility to work somewhere else, try working in a coffee shop for a day, at the park or even a lobby of a luxurious hotel. The new environment will give you a new sense of inspiration so that when you go back to your usual desk you would feel refreshed.
If you can't leave the 4 walls of your office, try and improvise. Clear up your cluttered desk, rearrange your office items, bring a potted plant or flower to put on your desk, or sit at the right side instead of the left side. Little changes such as those could help you see things in a new perspective and get you to be more productive.