Lacking Professional Motivation?

Have you ever felt a complete lack of professional motivation? We all get to certain points where we feel like we are floundering due to a lack of passion. Perhaps it’s been to long since you have taken a vacation or maybe the you just don’t find your current projects challenging enough in order to feel truly engaged in them. If you work in a mid or large sized company, maybe it is internal office politics that are keeping you down. The source of our discontent can come from just about anywhere.

If we allow ourselves to stay in this slump it can damage us professionally, personally and psychologically. With the latter ultimately affecting the former. Our lack of motivation at work will ultimately affect our sense of self worth and therefore hinder our ability to be content in our personal lives. It can be a vicious cycle that feeds off of itself and won’t end unless we force it to. The question is how do we get ourselves out of this rut and where do we start?

Here are just a few methods that I personally use and have helped me in the past.

• Work to try and understand why you are unmotivated. Determine if there are specific things that you can change personally that would alter your perceptions and help you to become more engaged and motivated.
• If this overall lack of motivation is more of a short term problem, perhaps you just need to get away from your desk and get a change of scenery. Letting your mind wander while in a new environment can be a very effective way to get our of a slump.
• Read something that inspires you. I have certain blogs that I love to read because they get me excited about changes in my industry and push me to learn more.
• Go to lunch with someone you can relate to. They will help you to look at things from a different perspective which will ultimately make me you stronger thinker. Contrary to political beliefs, it is okay to change your opinions on things.
• You can also look at journaling or speaking with your higher power. This is a great method that can help you get out your true thoughts and emotions without fear of judgment or rejection.

It is important to remember that motivation and passion exist only in our minds. Events and situations don’t create our mental state, only the way in which we perceive them. We ultimately control how we feel and respond. This is especially true when it comes to motivation. Only we can determine what makes us tick and how to create that personal well of motivation to pull from when we need it.