The pandemic has presented several career challenges. For many employees, one of these challenges is finding the motivation to work.
It’s difficult to stay motivated to do anything, especially work, in the middle of a global pandemic. The sudden change from office to work-from-home setup can also be overwhelming. Sure, many months have passed since this shift, which is plenty of time for employees to adjust. But it’s not that easy. Since their workspace and living space are mixed, there is no clear boundary between them. Employees feel like they can’t escape work. The result? They are working longer hours than before, which can demotivate and drain them.
If you’re in the same situation, know that it’s in difficult times like this that you can thrive. Through adversity, you can discover your shortcomings so that you can work on them. One important factor in claiming back your motivation and succeeding at work is a change in mindset. In particular, you need to develop a growth mindset.
What is a Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset means that one believes that knowledge and talent can be developed. For example, let’s say that a person is bad at math. If they have a growth mindset, they believe that they could become better at it if they work hard, instead of letting things be and concluding that they’re not a math person.
Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset
Having a growth mindset can help you become more motivated at work and perform better. Here are some ways to develop this mentality.
Commit to Lifelong Learning
Given the foundation of a growth mindset, you need to commit yourself to lifelong learning to develop it. For example, to boost your productivity, you first need to understand your triggers or the things that motivate you to work. Then, you need to learn different productivity strategies, find which ones align with your triggers, and apply them.
You can also consider learning automation so that you can implement it in your work, if applicable. Automating some of your processes will reduce your workload so that working won’t stress you as much, and you won’t feel unmotivated.
In the long run, committing to lifelong learning will benefit you professionally. It’s like a credit card’s rebates and incentives. Whatever amount of effort you put in to learn and develop your skills, you get back through an increased skill set. And this comes with rewards, such as job security, better work performance, and better pay.
Learn from Your Mistakes
Another way to develop a growth mindset is to see the silver lining in your mistakes. Your failures can serve as learning opportunities.
For instance, let’s say that you failed to meet a deadline because of being distracted. You can analyze your distractions so that you can change your work environment accordingly (e.g., putting your phone away while working, activating DND mode in your gadgets, etc.).
Embrace Challenges
You need to take risks to foster a growth mindset. Staying in your comfort zone will limit you and is the opposite of the growth mindset. You don’t have to take on big challenges on the get-go. You can start small.
For instance, if your comfort zone is working during the afternoon, one challenge you can try is starting work earlier. This way, you don’t have to rush tasks and can get more things done. As a result, you will have a better mood that can motivate you at work.
There is also scientific evidence that early risers are less likely to procrastinate. Delaying tasks can make you feel overwhelmed once they all pile up, making you less willing to start doing anything. By not procrastinating, you’ll become more motivated and less stressed at work.
Set High but Realistic Expectations
In addition to going out of your comfort zone, you also need to set high expectations for yourself. When you set high standards, you’ll be more inclined to push yourself and work on your motivation issues.
But you need to ensure that these expectations are still realistic. For instance, expecting to finish all your urgent tasks before lunch may not be realistic. And when you’re unable to achieve your goals, you will only get discouraged. Thus, you need to ensure that your goals are still attainable. For example, it’s okay to aim to accomplish all your urgent tasks before the end of your shift. This is more achievable and won’t stress you out.
Stay productive and motivated at work in the middle of a global crisis is difficult. But having a growth mindset can help you turn things around.
