Leadership can be tough at times; it is easy to lose motivation. You may find yourself being leeched of the latter while at work, whether once in a week, once a month, etc. Staying motivated is hard, especially when you’re stressed. You feel weighed down by lethargy, and that you are simply going through the motions. You find no joy in the work that you do.
Stress causes this effect for a reason. It has been proven through research that willpower is not an infinite thing. When it’s running low, you lose steam so to speak, and you eventually come to a stop. What you need is a sort of refuelling in order to keep moving forward.
The good news is that this kind of refuelling can be done anywhere. The brain is a powerful thing, and when it is used to confront stress, it is possible to rewire the mind and rejuvenate it. Below are five steps you can take whenever you feel your motivation has plummeted.
Identify the Kind Of Stress You’re Under
There are four basic types of stress, and it is vital that you identify the one that you are feeling. The first kind is time stress, which occurs when you are worried about a lack of time. This is caused mainly by impending deadlines. Then there is a kind of stress which time-strapped leaders often face, which is known as anticipatory stress. This can happen when there is an upcoming board meeting or presentation to handle.
The third type is known as situational stress, which comes on alongside a feeling that you are not in control. Situational stress is often times experienced by leaders when their status drops, or if they suffer reputational damage. Lastly, there is encounter stress, which is caused when interactions with people leave the person feeling uneasy, such as after interacting with a toxic co-worker.
Meanwhile, it’s imperative to understand the difference between burnout and stress. Burnout occurs when you’re constantly stressed for a long period of time. A person suffering from burnout would normally feel drained and tired. This would affect their immune system, leaving them more prone to getting sick. It can also bring about feelings of helplessness and demotivation. Stress is not as extensive. When you have stress to deal with, you generally feel that the world is demanding too much of you, and also experience physical effects such as headaches and muscle tension. The difference here is that there is none of the empty, detached feeling that comes with burnout.
Find a Partner
Tackling stress is more easily done as a team. You need someone who can help you replenish your motivation levels. If you’ve lost motivation for a specific project, it’s a good idea to try and discuss the deliverables with a friend or colleague. If your lack of motivation is preventing you from learning a new skill, share what you have already learned and experienced with a co-worker. Encouraging one another is helpful in the process. The more you discuss experiences with someone, the more it would help reignite your motivation and interest. As long as you have a partner you’re more likely to stay accountable, and it works much better than having someone simply cheering you on.
Keep Track of Your Progress
Lots of leaders make the mistake of confusing progress with action. Progress doesn’t mean you should be moving in any direction. If you do not know about how far you’ve come, it is natural that you would start losing motivation. In such cases it helps to set progress goals. With this as a guiding light, you can stay motivated much more easily. With regard to a work project, it is useful if you have key benchmarks and performance indicators which can help monitor your success. Stress should also be a part of the assessment. It can be hard to pin down stress not unless you know what to look for. You just need to be able to sort out the symptoms, whether emotional, cognitive, physical, interpersonal, or spiritual. The progress check-ins you make should be designed to assess which of these symptoms showed up, and for what periods. A few different symptoms include; a loss of motivation, muscle tension, increased or decreased eating, social withdrawal, frequent colds, or impulsive behaviours. You need to watch your progress and set up rewards, even for the small wins. When you do reach critical milestones, you can treat yourself and celebrate, because you deserve that. This too keeps you engaged and motivated.
Say No
The thing with stress levels is that they increase whenever you take on tasks which are too hard for you to complete by yourself. This is why it’s vital that you get rid of any tendency that makes you say yes to everything. If someone asks you to do something, you need to take a pause before responding. Consider long and hard whether you have the time and the skill set to manage the task to its completion, and if you don’t have what it takes at the moment, then that’s okay. Leaders know that saying no is not always selfish; instead, it can mean that you are honoring your commitments, and you don’t need to feel guilty about doing so. Knowing how to confidently say no will bring with it the reward of more motivation and time to use for the work that’s ahead of you.
Follow Your Passion
Every now and then, it is good to take a step back and introspect into how much passion you have in the current job. What about the industry, the people, and the role you are filling? Your passions can change as you go through a career. You should check this at least once a year. A lot of your waking time is spent at work. During it, you should be passionate about a good portion of what you are doing, or else you will see a drop in motivation. According to research, when you have passion for something, you generally feel more fulfilled, not to mention you feel joy. There is more blood flow to the brain, and you are more focused. This causes an increase in the neurotransmitters that establish new connections, leaving you better able to perform in the present, steer clear of mental traps, and not get tangled in emotions. Motivation causes a ripple effect, where you are more engaged and freer from stress. The positive energy you get from this can flow into your entire team.
Motivation can spread from person to person, so take the above steps to make sure yours stays supercharged and contagious. This way you can bring about good change while taking care of yourself.
