Your Job May Be Doing More For Your Happiness Than You Think

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Heather

It doesn’t matter who you are or what your profession – everyone wants to feel they’re working for something. Whether it’s money, security or a feeling of accomplishment, there needs to be a reason to spend time away from home, family and other things you enjoy.

The truth is, in some ways, it may not really matter what kind of work you do. You could potentially find happiness in any job. There are benefits inherent in most work (ones you may not think about) that can be very good reasons to give up your precious time and effort.

Reason One – Purpose. “Why am I here?” It’s a question pondered by nearly everyone at some point in their life. Chances are you’ve asked it yourself. Having a sense of purpose is a very deep need, and without it happiness fades quickly. Work – any type of work, paid or unpaid – can help give you a sense of purpose. Whether you’re helping others, helping yourself, sharing your story, creating something, or just simply putting food on the table, work allows you to feel useful and needed. It gives you a chance to make a difference, and (at least to some extent) provides a partial answer to the question “why am I here.”

Reason Two – Identity. Do you define yourself by your work? Many people do – at least in some part. I suspect this is one of the reasons people find it so difficult to branch out and do something new. There can be very real sense of loss when moving on to something else and losing that part of ourselves we’ve come to know so well.

If your identity is based on the work you do, it’s very likely a source of happiness for you – even if you hate your job. That may sound odd, but think about it. If you left your job and never returned to that type of work again, who would you be? What would you talk about, complain about, think about? What community would you belong to? What kinds of things would you do instead that are uniquely you? For those who don’t know, it can be a little scary. That’s why we latch onto an identity – any identity – to put ourselves at ease. Yes, it’s very possible to limit yourself by doing that. I’m not saying it’s necessarily a good thing, just that even if you’re not completely happy with your work, you may be getting a sense of identify out of it.

Reason Three – Community. While some jobs provide more opportunity for community than others, most work connects you to a larger community in some way. Even undertakers have social groups and societies they can join. Through work we meet people, interact, socialize, earn friends and have relationships. We learn about each other, and have a chance to be heard. Some people believe that having community is vital to happiness. It may depend on how social you are. Still, work can be a good place to gain a sense of community – one that you may not find elsewhere.

Reason Four – Brain Stimulation. Humans are born thinkers. From the moment we arrive we’re learning, experiencing, weighing options and solving problems. Our brain is made for this type of activity. One might even say that an active brain is a happy brain. Your work may be providing the brain exercise you need to keep your mind sharp. Studies have even shown that using our brain cells can increase our overall health.

Reason Five – Experience. Work environments can provide a great deal of exposure to things we wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to experience. Not only do we get new information and the ability to do new things, but we gain lots of life experience through our work. For me, work has provided a number of difficult and challenging experiences to learn from – things I never would have experienced had I not been working. Even though some of those experiences were ones I would never want to go through again, when I look back on them now, I think of them as valuable steps to becoming the person I am today. In this way work has definitely enhanced my life, and continues to provide me new lessons; whether I ask for them or not.

What are the reasons you have for working? Would you find these 5 reasons reason enough to work? What benefits of working are most valuable to you?

4 Ways to Work Smarter Not Harder

Posted on November 13, 2011 by Heather

This has been a very busy week for me, and I don’t see things slowing down anytime soon. Time to employ a few “work smarter not harder” tips to get me through. Here are four of my favorites.

#1 Use Peak Time To Work

I don’t know about you, but there are certain hours of the day when my work is really at its best. Catch me in the morning and I’m ready to go – enthusiastic, creative, brilliant. After 6PM, my brain turns into a pumpkin.

That’s not to say I can’t do work after 6PM, I just have to work really hard at it. That’s why I try to get most work done early in the day, when thoughts come easily and I can make the biggest impact.

Of course, there are those who are the exact opposite – they hate mornings and do their best work in the middle of the night. I say, don’t force it. If you can swing it, find ways to work during those times when you’re at your peak. You’ll enjoy work more and be much more productive.

#2 Delegate or Trade Work

If I’m really stressed and I see someone who isn’t, I always wonder why. And then I ask, “Are you busy right now?” If you can get someone to take on some of your less important or non-technical work, it may ease the stress and allow you to work better. See if you can set up a up a trade system with someone where the less busy one takes on tasks, or you trade for work that’s less time-consuming.

Your stressful list of tasks may not all be work related. Even something as small as getting your spouse to make the lunches in the morning can give you a tiny bit of breathing room. If they can help, ask!

#3 Reassess and Destress

Does everything have to get done on the list today, or this week? Pare your to-do list down to the bare essentials and take some of the weight off your shoulders. You don’t have to be super-parent, super-worker, super-spouse, super-child, and super-saver of the world every minute of every day of your life – save something to do next week. For today, pick the most important things on the list, and let the non-important things go. You’ll be much saner and better at getting the important things done.

#4 Work Weekends

“What?” I can hear you ask, “How is working weekends not working harder?” Okay, hear me out.

First of all, if you’re working in an office environment shared with several people, I’ll bet you typically get a more done while no one’s there, right? Not that we don’t appreciate our co-workers, but questions, phone calls and e-mails do take up time. These small interruptions cause you to stop and start throughout the day – to take time to assess where you were at and get back on track. So, if you have some critical, time-sensitive work to get done, coming in during a weekend may be your best bet.

Second, if you can manage to swap a weekend work day for a free day during the week, it can really help you fly through those household errands. On weekdays places like the grocery store, the bank and the DMV are much less crowded and you can get in and out quickly – you might even have time for a movie.

So those are my ideas for working smarter not harder. What are yours?

How to Get Support for Your Goals

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Heather

When we create personal goals for ourselves, we take the time to figure out exactly what we want to accomplish, and we may even decide on the date by which it will happen. Rarely, though, do we take the time to think through where support for our goal can come from. Having a support list will provide you with one more tool to use in your quest to meet your goals.

What Is a Support List?

A good support list will identify people who have a positive influence (like trusted family and friends), and include steps for preparing them to provide assistance, remove roadblocks, give pep talks, whatever is needed to help you continue to progress toward your goal.

A support list will also point out any negative influencers. These are the folks that can always be relied on to dissuade and generally attempt to sideline us from our goals with negativity. Of course, these are not necessarily bad people. They may truly believe they’re helping or may have a hard time with change. At any rate, it’s important to know that they are out there so that you can avoid that negativity. Your support list will identify both your positive and negative influencers and show different ways to work with them to get support for your goal.

Building a Support List

A support list isn’t difficult to create. It’s a fairly simple process that just requires a little thinking and answers to a few questions:

What types of support do I have available?
Who are the specific individuals or groups that fall under each of these types of support?
How can I engage with or get support from these individuals?
When and how often should I ask for support?
How does support from this person/group help me?

What you will end up with is something that looks like this:

What types of support do I have available?	Who are the specific individuals or groups?	How can I engage with or get support from them?	When and how often should I ask for support?	How does this help me?
One-on-one	Friends, family, mentors	Let people know of my goal, ask for help and let them know I may need support down the road	On an off-day, whenever I’m slipping, whenever they see me slipping	Gets everyone on board and ready to help when needed
Community	On-line communities, websites and blogs about my interest, networking groups with the same goal	Attend events & classes, sign up for blogs & feeds, take part in forums & communities, ask people to refer me to places helpful to them	Regularly keep tabs on what is available, review websites and attend functions as needed to keep up motivation	Provides additional places to go for motivation, inspiration and support
Personal	Me, any greater guiding force I may happen to believe in	Positive self-talk, daily affirmation of my goals	Every day, when I need it and even when I think I don’t	Keeps me positive and focused
Negative	Certain friends, family, a sassy co-worker	Prepare and discuss how they can best support me (have talking points prepared in advance)	Before there is any chance to undermine success with negativity	Gets it out in the open

This example lists several major categories of groups that are probably out there for everyone. If you know of more, add them to your list. Under the “Who…” section you may even find it helpful to list specific individuals.

Using a Support List

Once you have your support list created, put it to work! Keep it in a place where you can see it regularly and be reminded of where to go for guidance and inspiration. As you move toward your goal, you will likely find new and different ways of getting support, or you may decide that certain individuals should be moved from one group to another. Add to or alter your list as needed; this will be a document that will change over time.

One note on those who could negatively impact the success of the goal – there are two potential paths you could take to deal with negativity in advance. The first path is to decide if this person really needs to be involved, and if not, avoid being around them. Don’t put yourself in a position where you will be subject to any negativity. Sometimes, though, that’s unavoidable.

If the individual is someone that you cannot avoid, take the second path: have an honest conversation regarding what you want to accomplish and how that person can best support you. That’s often easier said than done, but if the goal is important to you and this person truly could keep you from reaching it, it’s important that you take the time to address that. You could even review your other support areas to find those who could help you with this conversation or give you some positive ideas on how to approach it.

Do you have a list of places or people you can go to for support in reaching your goal? Take some time to think about it. Leave us a note and let us know how it goes!

Weekly Fun Finds Volume Four

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Heather

It’s November, which means we’re officially in “The Holiday Season.” In the working world, this can mean either extreme chaos or extreme boredom for you while everyone else takes vacation. Depending on your situation, you may find yourself looking for ways to keep up with the craziness, or to keep yourself motivated. To help with that, this week’s fun finds are dedicated to helping you get your work done.

As usual, our quick disclaimer: while we personally visit each of these sites, we can’t vouch for anything that goes on there. These are external links not associated with Happiness Window. All we can say is that they looked pretty cool to us.

With that, here are this week’s fun finds…

Mindmeister. Mindmeister.com is a website with mind mapping software that’s both easy and fun to use. If you’re not familiar with mind mapping, it’s a tool used to generate and organize ideas or tasks. You can use it for anything from solving project problems to organizing your Christmas brunch. Most people who are familiar with mind mapping have probably used it when writing out ideas on paper or up on a white board. This on-line version allows you to add, delete and move things around much easier than you can on paper. You can create a minimum amount of mind maps for free, or upgrade to unlimited maps for a monthly fee. http://www.mindmeister.com/

43 Folders. This blog site, written by Merlin Mann, is dedicated to helping you find ways to do your best work. The posts are often pretty funny, and although the site is trying to help you become more productive, you could easily find yourself spending a good deal of time here just surfing the various articles (warning, occasionally the language is a bit raw, so could be offensive to some). http://www.43folders.com/

Toggl. Do you ever wonder where all your time is going? Well, wonder no more! At Toggl.com, you can sign up for a free account that lets you track your time on tasks throughout the day. Enter a project or task name, hit the start button and the clock starts. Hit stop and your time is recorded. At the end of the day or week, you can create a report that shows your list of tasks and how much time was spent on each. Great for freelancers! http://www.toggl.com

Simple Productivity Blog. If you just want some simple tips that can increase your productivity, this website regularly posts short articles that include ideas on organization, motivation, simplification, productivity and life balance. http://www.simpleproductivityblog.com/

David Allen – Getting Things Done. If you haven’t heard of him before, David Allen is a famous author and lecturer on the subject of getting things done. He’s written a number of books on the topic, and also offers several on-line learning and home based courses on productivity. You can find all of these on his website, along with a number of free articles to help you stay productive. http://www.davidco.com/individuals-overview

So there you have it – websites that can help ease the strain, or give you a push to keep you going over the holiday season.

If you have any fun or interesting websites that you would like to share, please leave a comment and we’ll check it out! We may even use your idea in a future Weekly Fun Finds post!

How to Achieve Goals with a Plan of Action

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Heather

What do you want to achieve? Is your goal to start a new career, or move ahead in a current one? Do you hope to tour Europe someday, or have more time to spend with family?

Regardless of what you hope to achieve, a successful outcome requires more than just luck. Without a little planning and activity, a goal is just a nice idea waiting to happen. Creating a plan is an active step you can take toward making your goal a reality.

What is a Plan of Action?

A plan of action can be thought of as a roadmap from point A to point B – from the current reality to the goal. It’s a way to get from where you are now to where you want to be.

Steps to Creating a Plan of Action

Step 1: Assess Your Situation

Take a minute to assess where you are right now in terms of your goal. How far away from this goal are you? Do you expect it to take days, months, or years? How much do you actually know about how to achieve this goal? If you’re starting from ground zero, that’s okay. Many people have started from scratch and gone on to achieve some amazing things. If you’ve already made progress, that’s great too! What is most important in this step is that you have a realistic idea of where you will need to begin.

Step 2: Make a List

Now that you have a starting point, make a list of things you will need to do in order to move closer to your goal. For instance, if your goal is to travel to Spain, your list might include, “determine flight costs” or “research places to stay.” Start with the things you know. You can always add to the list later.

If you aren’t sure what you will need to do to achieve your goal, make finding out the first thing on your list. It’s okay for your entire list to start with words like: learn, research, ask, interview, search, read, find, etc. You have to start somewhere!

Step 3: Prioritize

Once you have a list of tasks, you will need to prioritize them. Ask yourself which of the tasks on your list are most important. What needs to happen first, second, third? Is anything on the list dependent on another? Which would give you the biggest return for your time spent? Give each task a priority based on your answers.

Step 4: Get Specific

Go back through your list and ensure that each task includes a specific outcome. Is it clear what you specifically need to accomplish? For instance, if you’ve listed “research” as a task, it may be difficult to check this off your list later because when is “research” actually done? Consider, instead, breaking large items down into several tasks that you’ll be able to check off later. For research, this might look something like: research websites, check books at the library, talk to a travel agent, etc.

Step 5: Give Yourself a Deadline

If you really are committed to your goal, assigning deadlines is crucial. Deadlines keep things on track and increase the likelihood that a task will get done. Assign a desired completion date to each of your tasks, and follow through. You may miss or need to adjust a deadline every now and then. It happens – don’t let it trip you up. Assign a new date and commit to it.

Step 6: Get Started

Having a list of tasks is extremely helpful – but only if you use it. Start with the first task on your list, complete it, and move on to the next. Keep it up, and you’ll find yourself making steady progress toward your goal!

What kinds of goals are you working toward? Do you have a plan of action in place?

7 Tips That Can Help You Achieve that Goal

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Heather

How are you at meeting your goals? If you’re like most, you have at least one you’ve yet to achieve, despite a burning desire to do so. Here are a few tips that can help you make further progress toward finally achieving that goal.

#1 – Write It Down. Writing goals has long been touted as a key to success by great thinkers and goal gurus. By writing out goals, you are forced to think clearly about what you want to achieve. Many believe that this action causes your brain to create a set of instructions for your subconscious mind to carry out. At the very least, having a written goal makes it more tangible.

#2 – Make Plans. A goal without a plan is just a nice idea waiting to happen. If you are serious about achieving your goal, you will need to put some action behind it. Create a plan of action for yourself by making a list of things you need to do to progress toward your goal. Set deadlines for completing tasks and follow through.

#3 – Keep It Visible. Many say just writing your goal and putting it in a drawer will make a difference. Think how much more beneficial it would be to see your goal daily.

Post your written goal in a place you will see it. By keeping it visible, you are forced to put focus on it regularly. If it’s in a place where others can see it, they may even decide to help you. If your goal truly represents an outcome you wish to achieve, keep it in front of you and make decisions based on whether they will take you closer or further away from the goal.

#4 – Identify and Remove Roadblocks. Take some time to identify anything that could hinder your progress toward your goal. If there are personal issues, problems with people, outside situations or other things that are creating difficulty, address them. You’ll never meet your goal by wishing things would get easier. Many things worth having also present challenges to overcome.

#5 – Maintain Your Goal. It’s unrealistic to think that, once set, a goal will never change. As life happens, new opportunities present themselves, situations and events change our thinking and we may find that the goal we’ve been working toward no longer interests us. It’s okay. Anything learned to that point may have been just what we needed to launch a new idea or set off on a slightly different path. Maintain your goal by asking yourself, “Is this still important to me?” on a regular basis. If you find yourself losing interest in your goal, it may be a sign that you need to alter it to something that you really want.

#6 – Get Help From Others. There are mixed reviews on whether it is helpful to tell others about your goals. Some believe that it encourages you to act, others that it can cause undue stress. Both are true. However, telling a few trusted friends about what you plan to do and by when can keep you on track. Just be careful to steer clear of anyone who tends to be negative, who may chide you for not achieving goals quickly enough, or who may feel threatened by your goal.

#7 – Be Patient and Persistent. Remember that great things do not happen overnight. Patience and persistence have been the keys to many of the world’s greatest achievements. Do the best you can, have a little faith, and keep working toward your goal – you will get there!

Do you have any goal tips to share? Leave us a note and let us know!

3 Big Reasons to Start Working Toward Your Goal Now

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Heather

Do you ever think about the future? About the things you’d like to have, do, or be? If so, what are you waiting for? If you find yourself dreaming about tomorrow but are unhappy today, maybe it’s time to begin working towards a goal that will bring you greater happiness. Perhaps there are reasons why you can’t start working toward your goal now, today, tomorrow, or the next day – but here are three big reasons you should try.

Reason One: Every Tiny Step Takes You That Much Closer

Have you ever heard of The Daffodil Principle? The story goes that sometime in 1958, one woman in Southern California decided to begin planting daffodils on her rocky, barren, five acre property. Over 40 years she planted some 50,000 bulbs, and transformed her property into a beautiful, colorful landscape – one bulb at a time. That’s the basis behind The Daffodil Principle. That one person, through small acts over time, can accomplish some amazing things.

Since I heard that story, years ago, I’ve been intrigued by the idea that tiny steps can lead to large advances toward meeting a goal. I think of this whenever I’m making excuses as to why I don’t have time today. Just giving up ten minutes a day to do something, anything, towards a goal adds up. Ten minutes a day equates to over an hour each week, four to five hours a month, 52 hours a year. What could you accomplish if you had 52 hours? If you wait until you have more time, how much time will you have wasted already?

Reason Two: Today You Have a Chance to Learn

Maybe you’re not at the point where you can make big changes to take you closer to your goal. Take the opportunity, instead, to just learn more about what you hope to achieve.

Learning and making mistakes is an essential part of making progress toward a goal. Once you jump in with both feet, you may not feel you have the luxury of time to just sit back and soak in knowledge. So, take the time now.

Start by picking up a book or doing an internet search. Learn how others have met the same goal; about any obstacles they faced and how they overcame them. Is there anything you should know that you could take the time to learn now? Rather than doing nothing, why not prepare yourself?

I’ve discovered (and I’m sure you have too) that the more knowledge I gain about something, the less scary it becomes. If you take the time now to learn more, when you’re really, truly ready to go after that goal, you’ll be so much better prepared.

Reason Three: If You’re Not on the Right Path, You May Never Get There

I remember something my dad said to me once when I was in high school. I needed to find a job to pay for my car insurance, and an ever increasing wardrobe buying habit. I complained to my dad that it wasn’t easy to find a job, and he asked where I’d applied. I just looked at him, (kind of stupidly, I imagine) and mumbled something about how I’d been spreading the word with my friends that I was looking for work. They were all, of course, unemployed.

My dad just sighed, shook his head and said, “If you’re waiting for someone to just knock on the door and say, ‘Hey, we have the perfect job for you – won’t you come work for us?’ you’re going to be waiting for an awfully long time.”

I’m sure at the time I was highly annoyed, and positive that my dad (a man who worked 60 to 80 hours a week, sometimes holding more than one job) had no idea just how horrific and time-intensive it was to actually go around asking for job applications.

Obviously, I’ve learned a few things since then, but my dad’s words have stuck with me over the years. The real moral, to me, is that in order to get closer to a goal, you have to put yourself in a position where it’s actually possible. Maybe you aren’t ready to take any big steps now, but there are small things you can do to put yourself on the right path.

Can you begin to talk a little more about your goal? Can you take a little time to research a few things and find out what it would take? Can you start making decisions today that will take you closer, rather than further away from your goal? Those are, at least, a few ways to get yourself on the right path. It may take some time, but if you start now, who knows where you will end up tomorrow.

Want to make a change, but don’t know exactly what that change will be? Check out our article on How to Figure Out What You Really Want.

Weekly Fun Finds Volume Three

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Heather

This week’s fun finds are all about information. These websites can help you conduct research, narrow down a search, or give you updates on specific topics. If you like to learn interesting new things or stay in the know – check these out!

With that, here are this week’s fun finds…

Blinkx. Blinkx.com is a video search engine that links to news clips and other video from a variety of sources (including YouTube). Search for a topic and you’ll be provided with a list of videos to choose from. Like any search engine, you’ll get a mix of relevant and not so relevant items, but if you’re trying to locate that perfect video snippet, this website may help. http://www.blinkx.com/

Techmeme. Want to stay up-to-date on technology news, but daunted by the number of websites and blogs there are to keep up with? Techmeme is a website that links to hundreds of other websites providing technology news. It displays news in a way that allows you to scan through it quickly, picking out those things you’d like to read more about. When you visit the main page of the website you’ll find a scrolling list of top news items, along with a few sentences and links to the full news story. Run a search on your tech topic of choice and the site will provide links to news that corresponds with that topic. http://www.techmeme.com/

Howcast. Howcast is a video website which provides a number of how-to videos on a variety of topics. While there don’t appear to be as many videos on this site as you might find on something like YouTube, there are several to choose from and many of them are high-quality and actually pretty helpful. Also, unlike YouTube, there appears to be some quality review, so you won’t spend a lot of time sorting through random videos of people doing odd, unhelpful things just to be on camera. http://www.howcast.com/

IPL2. IPL2 is an organization that is dedicated to providing links to public internet reference material that can be trusted. The organization is made up of librarians, teachers, researchers and volunteers who have been building a reference library. You can access the library of information, run a search on topics, or even ask a question. While the information is limited to what volunteers have had time to put together, you may find this to be a good source for certain topics. You’ll have internet research that is librarian approved. Nice! http://www.ipl.org/

FOLDOC. FOLDOC is the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing. It contains definitions for thousands of tech words, jargon, acronyms and theories. Great for those times when you can’t remember what things like “USB” stand for. http://foldoc.org/

FindLaw. This website provides legal information on everything from criminal law to estate planning. It allows you to browse or search topics, and even has a “Find a Lawyer” search tool. If you’re interested in learning more about the law, or if you’re searching for a lawyer who can do the research for you, this site may have what you need. http://www.findlaw.com/

NoodleTools Advice Engine. If you’re lost and don’t really know where to start on your search, you might consider beginning with this site. It asks a few key questions and then provides a list of helpful search engines and information sites to get you started. http://www.noodletools.com/debbie/literacies/information/5locate/adviceengine.html

Those are this week’s fun finds. If you have any fun or interesting websites that you would like to share, please leave a comment and we’ll check it out! We may even use your idea in a future Weekly Fun Finds post!

10 Ways to Conquer a Task You Just Don’t Want To Do

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Heather

Have you ever avoided a task you’re not looking forward to? If so, you’re in good company. There’s a reason books on overcoming procrastination make bestseller lists – we all do it! How can we get past it and overcome the doom of a dreaded task? The following are 10 ways to get into work mode and get through it.

#1 Get Prepared

Getting ready for a task usually feels less daunting than doing the task itself, so start by getting prepared. Get everything you need in front of you, get organized, make a plan if needed, and let others know you’re about to get started. The act of preparing will get your mind set for the task, and since preparation can be a large part of the work, you could find yourself further along than you thought once you begin the task itself.

#2 Break It Down

Some tasks are avoided because they seem overwhelming. If you find yourself avoiding a task because it feels too large to tackle, break it down into smaller pieces. Make a list of steps you’ll need to take in order to complete the task. Taken one by one, each step may feel like nothing compared to the idea of completing the larger objective.

#3 Complete One Thing

Whenever I find myself stuck on a difficult task, this tool is usually what breaks me free. Whether I’m unsure of where to start, or just tired of the entire project, I can usually get myself to agree to complete just one thing that will move me even the tiniest bit closer to completing the task – just one. While my mind knows this is a trick, it somehow works. One tiny thing to complete never seems that bad. I complete it and I usually find that, hey, the next thing is just right there and would be easy to complete as well – and so it continues. There is now a flow and I typically end up doing much more than I expected. It doesn’t always work, so sometimes just one thing gets completed – but that’s one step closer than I was before!

#4 Make It a Game

Challenge yourself to a competition. How much more can you do today than you did yesterday? How many items can you check off your list by the end of the day? If you have friends who are working on similar projects, how about the last person to finish their onerous task buys lunch? If a task is especially boring, making a game out of it (complete with rewards for good behavior) can add a little bit of excitement.

#5 Remove Distractions

It’s easy to find ways to procrastinate. The phone, e-mail, or chatty co-workers are all time wasters if you should be focusing on another task. The best way to stay focused is to remove distractions, or move yourself to a place where you won’t be distracted. Turn off your phone and e-mail, and put up a sign that says, “Do not disturb: focused and determined to get this thing done.” If the noise in your office is distracting, move to a quieter spot or wear headphones. You may not be able to block out every distraction, but remove the ones you can and don’t allow yourself to do things like check e-mail one last time, or make that one last call – these are usually excuses that keep us procrastinating.

#6 Assign a Timeframe

If the task you’re dreading is one that is going to take quite a bit of time, or one you have to complete on a regular basis, it may be easier to work on it if you know you’ll only have to do so for a limited amount of time. Set a timeframe around the task: an hour a day or one day a week devoted to working on it. This frees you up from constantly feeling as if you “should really be working on that.” It also gets you mentally prepared to tackle the task when the time does come.

#7 Ask for a Deadline

I always find it’s easier to work with a deadline – whether it’s assigned by someone else, or I assign one myself. A deadline allows only a limited amount of time to procrastinate before the job really has to get done.

#8 Ask to Be Held Accountable

Perhaps you’ve set a deadline and told yourself you’d finish the task by the end of yesterday – but it’s still not done. Maybe it’s time to ask for help from others. If you’ve tried and failed at holding yourself accountable, ask friends or trusted co-workers to check in with you to see how you’re progressing. There’s nothing more annoying than having someone ask you how you’re doing on a task you keep putting off. The thought of that may be just what is needed to get you up and moving!

#9 Get Motivated by Watching and Reading

Anyone who watches home improvement shows will understand this tool for getting motivated. I’ve never cared much for gardening, but after a few episodes of Yard Crashers, I’ll find myself sitting down to create a full blown plan to re-landscape the yard. While I don’t know the exact science behind this, I do know there have been studies that suggest watching others perform a task can make us want to perform that same task. I’ve also found that reading about something will do the same thing.

If I’m having difficulty with a task because I’m not sure where to start, I’ll often go to the internet and do some research. Once I have a better idea of how others have approached it, I want to try those ideas out for myself. It’s almost fun at that point to see if I can match their results with the same actions, or improve on the results in some way.

#10 Do It Anyway

When you get to that point where there is no time left – you really need to get something done, and you’re still not doing it, remember this: you can tell yourself what to do.

Have you ever noticed that there are parts of yourself that seem to be working at opposite extremes? One part that says, “I’m ready, let’s do this thing,” and one that says, “I’m not ready for this today.” Don’t worry, it’s normal. The idea is to single out that part of ourselves that is saying, “Let’s do this,” even if it’s the tiniest voice ever, and let that part take over. You do have the ability to take control and get things done. It’s up to you to say, “Do it anyway” and get through it. You can do it!

Do you have ideas or techniques that help you get through a difficult task? Leave us a note and let us know!

How to Increase Your Motivation at Work

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Heather

I think I’ve probably met only a handful of people in my life who have been able to say they truly wake up each morning excited about work. Whenever I’ve had the opportunity I’ve been sure to ask, “What is it about your work that makes you enjoy it so much?” The answer, it seems, always has to do with drive.

What is drive?

Drive is motivation, a force that keeps us moving forward in the pursuit of something. Drive gives us the impulse to continue to do more, even if the task we’re performing is difficult or tedious. Drive and motivation are concepts that have been studied for centuries by scientists, leadership and management professionals, psychologists and philosophers. The answer to the question, “What is drive?” just barely scratches the surface. A better, more interesting, question might be…

What gives us drive?

Over the years, different theories have emerged which try to explain the reasons and motives behind our actions (check out Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and McGregor’s theory X and theory Y - if you’re a nerd like me, it’s fascinating stuff!). Today, after decades of research, the concept is still too complex to be nailed down, but many believe that the answer to what motivates us is a mix of internal (intrinsic) and external (extrinsic) rewards.

Intrinsic rewards are those that can come from within: feelings of purpose, fulfillment, community, learning, self-actualization, or flow. Extrinsic rewards are those that come from an external source. They are things like money, benefits, awards or a pat on the back for a job well done.

So, what is the formula – that perfect mix of rewards that gives someone drive? It turns out that the mix is unique to you. You decide based on your genes, preferences and prior experience. Great! Now what?

How can you increase drive?

Because the things that motivate you are unique to you, you’ll need to figure out the best way to increase drive for yourself. Asking a few questions may help:

Question 1: What motivates you most?

While this list certainly isn’t exhaustive, it provides several things that could potentially motivate a person. You might think of several others not listed here. The idea is to try to get an idea of what motivates you most. You might also think about past work experiences and the motivations they offered.

Intrinsic Rewards

Being part of a team or community
A feeling that I am part of something bigger than myself
A feeling that I am contributing to my team or community
A feeling that I am making a difference in the world
Being able to work with people I enjoy being around
Knowing that I’m using my skills to the best of my ability
Knowing that I’m competent and a good fit for my work
Knowing that I’m learning new things
Knowing that I’m increasing my skill in something
A feeling that what I am doing now has potential for something better
The feeling of flow that I get when doing tasks
Task autonomy – the ability to do the work I enjoy
Time autonomy – the ability to do the work when I want to
Team autonomy – the ability to work with the people I want to
Technique autonomy – the ability to do my job as I see fit
Being able to make choices and decisions that impact my work
Other?

Extrinsic Rewards

Salary or hourly rate
Bonuses
Peformance awards
“Good job” and other positive comments from managers or coworkers
Benefits like health insurance, child care reimbursement, etc.
Vacation or other time off
Company perks like stock options, company car, etc.
Location – close to home, easy commute, etc. compared to other jobs
Other?

Question 2: What’s your drive formula?

You may have looked at the list and said, “I want all of those things.” Fine, but most people have varying degrees of “want” or “need” where motivation is concerned. Some are primarily motivated by extrinsic rewards like money. For others, while money might be important, they’d be willing to trade it for more autonomy, and the ability to make decisions in their daily work.

How would you rank the list of things that motivate you? Try to identify those things that give you the biggest push of motivation – the mix of intrinsic and extrinsic factors that would give you the push to work through anything. That’s your drive formula.

Question 3: What’s missing?

Looking at your drive formula, do you see any gaps where your current work is concerned? If you aren’t feeling drive to do the job, would it be increased if you saw an increase in any of the things on your motivation list?

Question 4: What can you do to add or improve factors for motivation?

Now that you know what must be improved upon, find ways to improve them. If you need to increase your intrinsic motivation in learning, consider taking courses that relate to your industry. If you need autonomy in when you do your work, try to negotiate a different time schedule with your manager. If you need extrinsic motivation through higher pay, that’s also a conversation that needs to take place. If you want to feel you’re part of something larger, consider volunteering or doing something outside of your job. Want more recognition for your work? Check out our article How to Get More Recognition at Work for ideas.

Once you know the missing pieces behind your drive, you can make changes that make a difference. Put those things in place and check in with yourself to see how you’re feeling. Has your drive at work increased? If not, keep making steps to build motivation into what you do. Over time increased drive can increase job satisfaction, and you may end up one of those lucky people who are asked, “What is it about your work that makes you enjoy it so much?”

Leave us a note and let us know what motivates you. Do you have drive at work? If so, what gives you that drive? If not, what are you working on that will increase your motivation?

What types of support do I have available?

Who are the specific individuals or groups?

How can I engage with or get support from them?

When and how often should I ask for support?

How does this help me?

One-on-one

Friends, family, mentors

Let people know of my goal, ask for help and let them know I may need support down the road

On an off-day, whenever I’m slipping, whenever they see me slipping

Gets everyone on board and ready to help when needed

Community

On-line communities, websites and blogs about my interest, networking groups with the same goal

Attend events & classes, sign up for blogs & feeds, take part in forums & communities, ask people to refer me to places helpful to them

Regularly keep tabs on what is available, review websites and attend functions as needed to keep up motivation

Provides additional places to go for motivation, inspiration and support

Personal

Me, any greater guiding force I may happen to believe in

Positive self-talk, daily affirmation of my goals

Every day, when I need it and even when I think I don’t

Keeps me positive and focused

Negative

Certain friends, family, a sassy co-worker

Prepare and discuss how they can best support me (have talking points prepared in advance)

Before there is any chance to undermine success with negativity

Gets it out in the open