Dec 13, 2021
You’re great at what you do. You have a clear roadmap of where you want your career to take you. However, even when you have every step, milestone, and promotion mapped out, the reality is that advancing doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s common for work energy levels to drop — particularly at the end of the year. Suddenly things that you took in your stride can feel like a slog and you can get bogged down and demotivated. For example, a professional development course you were excited about a month ago starts to feel like a drain on your energy, or a work project you felt confident about suddenly appears to be overwhelming.
Moments like these are crucially important because if you become discouraged, chances are you’ll start to procrastinate. The trick is to stay motivated, even when you feel like you’re standing still. Take this skill into 2022 and you’ll reenergise your whole career approach.
The key to feeling motivated lies in the word “feeling.” According to Eric Barker in his Time article “How to Motivate Yourself: 3 Steps Backed by Science”, emotions nearly always win out over reason. When you’re unhappy, discouraged, or stressed, these negative emotions will result in procrastination. On the other hand, when you’re feeling happy, confident, and excited, these positive emotions power action. In other words, positive emotions form an integral aspect of motivation.
Some of us have naturally sunnier dispositions than others, but it’s important to remember that a positive attitude and motivated approach are skills that can be learnt. So, forget New Year’s resolutions about hitting the gym or quitting a bad habit, instead invest in cultivating a positive attitude and staying motivated; this approach could accelerate great things in your personal and professional life!
Reward yourself. In his Chron article “Motivational Strategies in Business”, George N. Root III explains how rewarding employees inspires them to perform better. You can apply a similar strategy to your career. However, instead of only celebrating when you’ve achieved a goal, take the time to reward yourself simply for your hard work — treat yourself to a movie, a nice dinner, or whatever fun activity you enjoy most.
Advancing your career takes time and hard work. Use these seven tips to keep yourself motivated, and you’ll find it becomes easier to consistently move your career forward in 2022.
Kelly Switzerland is part of Gi Group Holding.