Summary

The article outlines five strategies for self-motivation in the workplace, emphasizing the importance of finding personal meaning, connection, and challenge in one's work, as well as embracing a role model mindset and maintaining a work-life balance.

Abstract

The article "5 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Work Hard" addresses the challenge of generating self-motivation in professional settings. It suggests that motivation should come from within and provides actionable strategies to cultivate it. The first strategy is to actively seek meaning in one's work, akin to building a cathedral rather than merely laying bricks. The second strategy involves identifying aspects of the job that one loves and finding ways to engage more with those tasks. The third strategy is to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, which can lead to a greater sense of accomplishment. The fourth strategy encourages individuals to adopt a role model mindset, setting an example for others through their work ethic. Lastly, the article reminds readers of the importance of maintaining perspective, recognizing that work is just one part of life, and that personal relationships and self-expression are equally vital for a fulfilling life.

Opinions

The pursuit of passion and meaningful work is particularly relevant for the millennial generation.
Finding meaning in work is not about changing one's situation but rather about adjusting one's attitude towards it.
Motivation is closely tied to the connection one feels with their work, which requires authentic engagement and reflection.
Life-long learners are motivated by continuous challenges and the development of new skills.
Adopting a 'role model' mindset can enhance personal responsibility and drive individuals to work harder.
It is crucial to balance professional achievements with personal relationships and other aspects of life.
Each day at work presents an opportunity to connect with deeper values and contribute to a larger purpose.

5 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Work Hard

How to work hard even when you don’t want to.

Motivation is an alluring concept that promises to provide us with instant energy. Who needs coffee when you are pumped about your to-do list? While it would be great if we could bottle this energy up, the reality is it has to come from within. So how do we generate our own motivation to work hard? In this article, we are answering this question by exploring concepts that allow us to find bits of motivation every day.

Let’s face it, work can go one of two ways. You can either commit to getting a good job done or you can mail it in. There is no way around it. There are days when we just don’t want to work. These five concepts will give you an extra push when you need it most.

1) Get serious about ‘extracting’ meaning from your work.

In a world of entrepreneurship, the advice to follow your passion is prevalent. It’s good advice, especially for the millennial generation. Many of us resonate with the idea that life should be fulfilling and meaningful. I am in total agreement. Make meaning the goal no matter where you are at in your career. Finding meaning can scare a lot of people. Maybe, you’ve heard Simon Sinek talk about finding your why and you’ve been searching for the elusive ‘why’ ever since. Finding meaning at work doesn’t have to be scary. It can be easy with the right approach.

Many of us approach the idea of finding meaning as a pursuit of something different. This is the wrong approach. Every job has its ups and downs. The happiest people are able to find a connection in what they do.

“…the story of a man who saw three fellows laying bricks at a new building: He approached the first and asked, What are you doing? Clearly irritated, the first man responded, What the heck do you think I’m doing? I’m laying these darn bricks! He then walked over to the second bricklayer and asked the same question. The second fellow responded, Oh, I’m making a living.

He approached the third bricklayer with the same question, What are you doing? The third looked up, smiled and said, I’m building a cathedral. At the end of the day, who feels better about how he’s spent his last eight hours? Bill Vaughan

There are so many people trying to sell the idea of starting a new thing to change your life. These sale pitches often identify our current circumstances as the pain point that needs to be changed. It’s not your situation that needs to change. It’s your attitude about what you do that needs to change. Hating what you do that means you’ve never given yourself a chance to discover parts of your work that connect with you on a deeper level.

2) Find the connection points.

Motivation is something we want to feel. There is no better feeling than figuring out what drives us than going after it. Pursue motivation at work like you would pursue figuring out what type of business you’d like to start.

Really think about what you do every single day. Here are some good questions to ask yourself that prompt reflective thinking:

What are the parts of the job that I really love?
What are the tasks that I absolutely despise?
How can I do more of what I love and less of what I hate

If you are at a job that you spend 8 hours every day, you have to find something that makes you feel connected to your work. There is no other way around it. You can’t muster up motivation through coffee, it comes from the mind and your connection to who you are.

To extract more meaning from your work you need to look at every task you do in a day. The connection has to be authentic. The more we can find the veins of connection the better we have a chance to succeed. Make it a mission.

3) Embrace the opportunity of challenge.

To constantly grow you need to have access to constant challenges. If you are a thinker and/or learner, challenges will be the key to your sustained motivation. Not every role has this. For some, this is ok because they find happiness in comfort. But if you are finding yourself constantly lacking motivation, you may want to find a way to challenge yourself. Life-long learners know that the best way to increase their enjoyment is to continuously learn new skills. While a class is a straight forward way to learn something new, there is an opportunity in taking on hard tasks. Work is meaningful when we feel challenged but capable of overcoming the hurdle. Taking on something hard requires belief in one’s self. You must look at the obstacles in front of as true tests of your skill. One day this will be easy. The more we can reframe barriers as tests of might the more motivation we can create.

4)Lead like the leader you want to be

Personal development coach, Brendon Burchard often cites the ‘role model’ mindset as a way to influence change. This idea can help us to stay motivated to work hard as well. When we raise the stakes of who we are responsible for — it becomes easier to push. Imagine that the work you do today is what others will one day emulate. You wouldn’t want to sail it in right? You’d want to show your team that you have what it takes to work hard. This idea of being a role model helps us to envision how we want others to look up to us. Describe yourself as the perfect role model/leaser Ask: How would I act How would I think How would I react to challenging situations in front of me? How would I motivate myself to motivate my team? The idea here is to create intentions that give you emotional energy.

5) Remember, work isn’t everything

Those of us that are lucky enough to find satisfaction in our careers can easily start to mold our identities around working. I’ve done this and continue to re-assess where I am. It’s not all about work. In fact, work is only a small part of who I am. Because there is so much structure and ease of finding pieces of myself in it, I can get wrapped up in idealizing the dream life through a dream career.

It’s only through the constant reflection of what’s really important that I realize how much I still need to invest in my relationships. It’s a balancing act. You may look at your day ahead knowing that it might be challenging. Go back to the beginning of this article and remember to find meaning. Extract why it's important. When you spend hours of your life working toward something, make sure you figure out which parts connect with your soul. Sure, this can all sound pie in the sky but life is too short to not believe that each and every day can matter.

Feel pain. Enjoy the moments of bliss. Learn the lessons. Fight through challenges. Teach others. Most of all express yourself. Think about what you want to world to look like. Share the ideals while also living them as authentically as possible. What motivates you to work hard?