I know we have all been there, especially when we are under the constraints of deadlines or deal flow. The moment when you just lose the momentum and boom…… you are no longer motivated!
Come on… Even us super achievers have been there. We get going strong and something happens and we just lack the energy or drive that we had in the beginning of a project. Perhaps the project is getting tedious or it is taking longer than expected. What if you really weren’t excited about the project in the first place?
There you sit… no more wind in your sails? Or in business no more wind in your sales…..
Achieving momentum is easier than you may think and here are some simple suggestions to get you going again.
Don’t give up.
Yes, I said it… keep going, no matter what. Close your ears to your “mini-me” in your head who is giving you all the reasons why you should just give up and do something more interesting. When I started my online business, it was hard. I thought I would put up a website, write a few blog posts and boom, the cash would start rolling in. It didn’t happen like that. It took time to nurture and build, just like your career will. When you are given an opportunity to work on a new team, or project remember, do not give up. Most likely the rewards are around the corner and just like any race, you have to cross the finish line to reap the rewards.
Stay engaged.
There is a saying that Success comes when the opportunity meets preparation. Meaning the stars are aligned. You want to stay committed to the project and stay engaged. At this moment, it will be easy to not raise your hand for more or to pass off some of the task to a team mate, this is the time to stick with it and stay engaged. Work on what you can, keep pressing along and be consistent. I promise it will pay off in the end.
Be aware, Be creative.
Sometimes when we lose our motivation it is because we cannot figure out a solution to a problem. Open up your brain to be aware of everything around you. Be alert to how things are being done and look for opportunities to enhance or improve the process. You will be amazed at how many multi-million dollar ideas came out of this type of creativity. Look up how the Post it Note was invented… clue – it was a mistake.
Work in Chunks
Rather than looking at your entire project, look at it in terms of chunks and celebrate the mini milestones. Another tip I recommend is called blocking – where you chunk similar tasks and finish until complete without distraction.
Keep Positive.
Even in the toughest of storms. A positive attitude can go a long way. Instead of looking at your project as something that you dread. Find that one thing in your project that you can learn from or that brings you joy. Perhaps you know that at the end of this project, you will be extremely visible to the senior executives in your organization.