We’ve all been there. You’re back at work after a three-day holiday weekend, and you have no motivation to get things done.
Forty new email messages, six voice messages about a client project, and three meetings to attend on the first day back from the long weekend can easily sap your energy.
It’s a struggle to get things done and be productive.
If you’ve facing a lack of motivation, check out the 16 productivity tricks in this infographic from Wrike.
You’ll get back on track before you know it, find inspiration, and improve your productivity.
Check out the key takeaways from the infographic.
Source: Infographic by Wrike
16 Simple Tricks to Get Motivated
- Just 5 minutes: Five minutes of focus is usually enough to break through your apathy, and before you know it, an hour has passed and you’re done (or have made good progress).
- Stop slouching and get moving! Smile, laugh, walk around the office. Adjusting your physiology changes your brain and helps you focus.
- Chase the “flow” You’re in the zone: Brain humming and fingers flying. The trick to getting there? Finding the “sweet spot” where task difficulty and your skills meet at a high point. Don’t put off a challenging task—use it to get in the flow and kick some butt.
- Plan tomorrow tonight: Creating a short list of simple to-dos tonight means hitting the ground running tomorrow, and that early momentum will carry you through the rest of your day.
- Get the right tools: Work tools that frustrate or overwhelm you slow you down and put you in a bad mood. Guaranteed procrastination. Find a tool that actually makes your job easier, instead of giving you a headache.
- Use inspiring quotes: Those cheesy motivational posters exist for a reason! Tack up some inspiration from a person you admire on your wall to give yourself a kick in the pants.
- Rock out: Playing your favorite music can block distractions, lift your spirits, and put you in a good mood. Sometimes the best way to stop slacking is to pump yourself up and work to a beat.
- Don’t be a perfectionist: Impossible standards=guaranteed stress and procrastination. It’s easier to improve what you have than conjure perfection out of thin air, so stop psyching yourself out and just get started.
- Remind yourself of your goals: What are you working towards? Set your desktop background with a photo of your family, dream vacation spot, diploma with your name on it—whatever it is you’re working to achieve.
- Turn to TED talks: Learn exactly what’s going on in your brain when it comes to motivation so you can take back control. Try Daniel Pink’s The Puzzle of Motivation or Tony Robbins’ Why We Do What We Do.
- Help others: Sharing your talents not only benefits others, it shows what you’re capable of. Feeling confident and seeing the impact you can make are powerful motivators!
- Don’t force it: Motivation only last for so long. Once you’re tapped out, take a nap, a walk, or an ice cream break. Let your subconscious work on the problem while you recharge.
- Rethink your progress: Sometimes motivation isn’t the problem. If you always dread a specific task or get stuck on the same step, ask yourself: do you really have to do it that way?
- Picture yourself succeeding: Think about a recent win, or a similar task with great results. You’ll get a rush of dopamine, a brain chemical strongly associated with motivation.
- Get a pep talk: Odds are you’ve seen the famous Kid President video, but do yourself a favor and re-watch. Bookmark it for when you need an extra boost, or browse similar motivational videos on YouTube.
- Celebrate your achievements: At the end of each day, review what you accomplished and pat yourself on the back. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by what you still have to do, but seeing how far you’ve come can keep you from getting overwhelmed and shutting down.
I could do a better job with motivational tricks 4, 8, and 16. How about you?
