Productivity

Motivation Is Not What You Need to Be More Productive

Motivational content has become more common over the last few years. As the distractions of the world continue to increase, we are finding it harder to concentrate. As a result, many of us have subscribed to the belief that many people lack the motivation to do the work they need to do.

Motivational content has increased over the years. I remember seeing some of the very first motivational YouTube channels. They had a huge following, and people would always share the speeches or quotes they came across.

During my exams, I often found myself listening to motivational content regularly. I believed that fuelling myself with positivity would improve my results.

Although motivational content made me feel good, it had no effect on my performance. I know this because when I stopped listening to that content my results improved.

Contrary to common belief, motivation’s goal is not to increase your productivity. It is there as a magnet to attract you toward your goals. That is why most motivational content focuses on the reward after completing a task. It hopes to pull you towards what your life could look like if you completed your work.

If you are feeling low about specific results in your life, motivation may help you overcome some of those negative feelings. However, if you are trying to get things done, it may not be what you need to be productive.

Empowerment is a much better thing to consider when trying to get things done. It gives you the ability to work, not the desire to. Unfortunately, our desire to work is ever-changing. Some days we will feel full of energy and ready to tackle our tasks, and on others, we will feel tired or frustrated.

If we try to improve our results by desiring to work more, we will always get peaks and troughs in our work ethic. What we want is a steady flow and the ability to work on both the good and bad days. And this is where empowerment helps us.

Focusing on our ability to work rather than how we feel to get work done will assist us in the long run. Here are three ways you can start developing your empowerment.

Self-Belief

Our self-belief does not come from motivational speakers telling us we are the best. Although these are nice things to hear, self-belief is about showing up for ourselves. That means achieving the goals we set out to achieve.

Developing belief in ourselves puts us in a position to feel empowered to complete our work. Those who do not believe in themselves may find motivation helpful, but self-belief is what we need.

We can develop our self-belief by firstly acknowledging our own strengths. Understanding where we have the ability to add value to others is a good place to start. Also, reminding yourself of areas where people compliment you most will be beneficial.

Finally, taking time to acknowledge the wins in your life is a vital part of building your self-belief. Do not take to your successes lightly. Instead, give yourself the chance to reminisce on those successful times.

Having the Right Tools

A big part of feeling empowered is having the right tools and resources to accomplish your work. I remember spending a lot of my time feeling motivated to work and discouraged. And this all came from having limited access to the tools I needed to get my work completed.

Taking time to buy the equipment you want and investing in the productivity tools you want to use is vital. That might mean investing in a sleep app, a new laptop, or a better phone to get the results you want.

It is essential to point out here that getting what you want, not need, is the key. Most people do not need an expensive laptop, a productivity tool or a sleep app to improve their sleep. Most tasks people complete can be achieved with a cheap laptop, and self-discipline can improve sleep and output.

However, investing in the tools you want will make you feel better when you are completing work. Having your favourite laptop and apps on your phone will give you the power you need to complete your tasks.

Having the Right Environment

Finally, the environment you work in is vital. Being in environments that do not fuel you will only reduce your ability to complete your work. You could be as motivated as Elon Musk, but without the right environment, you will struggle.

Ensuring that we are working in encouraging teams and places that we are fond of is key to our overall progress. Therefore, it is essential to take time out to identify those environments you are most productive. Then change your current environments to suit those.

For example, you may find that you are productive in a library. Therefore, maybe try introducing aspects of a library environment into your living room or office space. Try to keep it as quiet as possible by adding soundproof equipment, and maybe add a bookshelf in there. You could even change the overall aesthetic of the room you work in to become more vibrant or relaxing depending on what you like.

Taking time to evaluate what you like in a working space will help with your overall progress.

Conclusion

As highlighted in the article, you can be the most motivated person in the world and still not get anything done. Motivation can only take you so far. It may get you into the room or place where you need to get the work done, but after that, it is left to you.

Therefore, setting up an empowering system is essential to start getting results. Having an empowering system will make you less dependent on external motivation. Instead, you will be dependent on your own abilities.

So, take time to consider the three elements discussed in this article. Then take action to build the system of your choice to become more productive.

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