10 Hidden Factors that Could Affect Your Motivation
Article by
Nada Khalil, Vice President
nada@leadershiplabllc.com
How to stay motivated is an important and exciting subject that is essential in all aspects of life. Motivation can be challenging to maintain at work and in life. When you rely purely on yourself and your self-motivation, you can inevitably feel the enthusiasm slowly ebb away after some time.
We know that staying motivated is not easy, but there are tried and true ways to manage your drive. Here are ten hidden factors that you may not even know affect your motivation:
1. Poor Planning
When you start working on a work or personal project, plan ahead of time. See what concrete steps you need to take to achieve your goal. If you're winging it or you're trying to guess what to do next, poor planning can hurt your motivation. Making a plan, having concrete goals and objectives, and learning what to expect can make it much easier to stay motivated. Always trying to figure out your next step on the fly diminishes your motivation.
2. Health and Wellness
Your health and well-being can also affect your motivation. How you’re feeling, both physically and mentally, can help or harm how motivated you feel. A healthy diet with lots of fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, nuts, berries, and other superfoods will make you feel better. Working out, whether yoga or spinning, is also guaranteed to improve your overall well-being. When you're feeling well-rested and have fueled your body with healthy food and consistent workouts, staying motivated is easier, no matter what you're doing.
3. Sleep
Sleep is one proven factor that can affect motivation, aside from other aspects of your life. Even without reading sleep studies and research, most people will notice the difference in how they feel the next day, depending on how much they've slept. You can have a different personality depending on whether you've had 8 hours of good sleep versus staying up all night. When you’re sleep-deprived, it’s harder to maintain motivation. Getting enough hours of sleep can help you stay motivated and focused, no matter the task.
4. Your Personality
Sometimes it feels like some people are more naturally motivated than others. Research has shown that our personalities do play a role in staying motivated. According to the Need Achievement Theory related to motivation, a person will either a) decide to take part in a situation or b) withdraw from a problem. We might consider which is more decisive for the person in that particular situation - fear or intrinsic motivation. Some people have the type of personality that often lets fear get in the way. Others are predisposed to having their intrinsic motivation stronger than fear, no matter what they face. Knowing which direction you usually take can help you catch yourself when fear starts becoming stronger than reason. Stay aware and mindful of your thoughts and actions to help you make the necessary adjustments to maintain motivation.
5. Your Environment
Your motivation is greatly affected by your environment. In terms of the physical environment, an appropriate office or work area will help keep you motivated. An organized desk in a well-ventilated and well-lit area will do wonders to help keep you motivated. Don't try to work on your dining table cluttered with your toddler's snacks. An open, honest, and supportive work culture is also vital in encouraging motivation.
6. How Do You See Rewards
Most people assume that money is the best motivating factor. Many companies often use money as an incentive. Even parents use money as a reward for their children. However, money is not always the most significant motivating factor. Maybe you're not someone who sees money as a determining factor. Perhaps you prefer a sense of fulfillment or the possibility of more responsibilities. When you know what kind of reward is sufficient for you can help you maintain motivation.
7. Your Mentors & Leaders
In the workplace, your superior or team leader is a crucial factor in motivation. You might think you can stay motivated no matter who surrounds you in the office or to whom you report. Still, leaders and mentors play a significant role in motivation. Your leader has the power to make you a motivated or unmotivated employee. Please take a look at who has this role in your life and see how it affects your motivation, maybe even without you realizing it.
8. Your Daily Schedule
Do you know that doing your most demanding tasks in the morning can help you stay motivated throughout the day? Most people do easy jobs first, thinking they should warm up and then save the most difficult tasks for later. However, when you do this, your motivation and energy slowly get eaten up by all these easy tasks. Get the hard things done in the morning and feel your inspiration last all day long.
9. What You Read & Surround Yourself With
It may seem like starting the prominent, but self-help books, inspirational podcasts, and positive friends will help you stay motivated. Simultaneously, when you surround yourself with negative people and bad news, the effect is the same. If you want to keep your energy high in whatever you want to do, develop closer relationships with those who encourage you and inspire you to keep moving forward.
10. Keeping Your Goals to Yourself
You might want to keep your dreams to yourself before you achieve them, but sharing your goals with people you trust may help maintain your motivation. There’s nothing like the love and support friends and family can give when you’re working on achieving your goals. When you feel like it can help your motivation, tell a trusted confidante your plans.