Enter the word ‘motivation’ into Google and you’ll find a host of articles on the subject. Hundreds, maybe thousands of blogs and online articles boasting the ‘secrets’ of motivating yourself to do just about anything. These pieces scream at you from the search pages – ‘Find YOUR motivation to lose weight today!’ or ’10 things that will instantly motivate YOU at work!’ These are example, imagined titles, but we’ve all stumbled across these pieces which claim to hold the secret to that elusive energy we need to avoid procrastination. They’re EVERYWHERE.
What’s wrong with these articles that promise the key to unlocking your motivation? They’re still produced, left right and centre, every day. The same recycled themes emerge – go for a run first thing every day, focus on your career goals, weigh up that all important work life balance. I’m not saying these suggestions aren’t great, because they are – I’m sure they’re all things that would enrich our lives and only serve to add value. However, the last things these ideas will do is motivate every person reading it.
Motivation starts with you…
It’s an individual need, something that we can only conjure ourselves. We can find others inspiring and engaging, but if you’re not passionate about the task in hand yourself, then where’s the motivation to do it well?
Employee engagement and motivation are different things, but sit snugly on the same foundation. Both are very unique for every individual, and it takes different elements to engage or motivate different people. We can’t expect that going for a run, for example, will motivate every person, because it’s simply not realistic.
So the next time you come across an article claiming to hold the golden ticket to motivation, read it. Take the suggestions on board, implement the ideas that you feel would be enriching to your own life. But don’t forget that you’re the key to your own motivation, and you’re the only one who knows what you find motivating in the first place.
Got five minutes?
Why not take five minutes out to list the things you’ve found motivating in the past. How have those things changed, or are you still motivated by the same things? Could you stand to be more motivated at work, and what could you do to make that happen?
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