Advance your career: Effective strategies to stay motivated
Do you feel you have everything to grow professionally? Want to plan each step in detail? Even when you have planned: stages, goals and promotions, the reality is that career growth doesn't happen overnight. Of course, there will be times when you will progress quite quickly, but there may also be times when opportunities will slow down, or your performance will simply not be enough to make it happen.
Times like these should not be underestimated, because if you get discouraged, you will probably start procrastinating. The trick is to stay motivated.
The link between emotions and motivation
The key to staying motivated is feelings. According to Eric Barker in his Time article"How to Motivate Yourself: 3 Steps Backed by Science",emotions almost always outweigh reason. When you are unhappy, discouraged or stressed, these negative emotions almost always result in procrastination. On the other hand, when you feel happy, confident and excited, these positive feelings help you to act. In other words, positive emotions are an integral aspect of motivation.
Visualize your goals. Positive images are a powerful way to get inspired to move on. Think about your goals every day. Imagine your life after reaching your professional goals and put these images in view to motivate yourself.
Be realistic. Advancing your career means achieving your goals. However, goals must be realistic, otherwise, you are preparing for failure. Remember that whenever you reach a goal, you are moving in the right direction. Review your responsible plans and determine if you need to add more achievable intermediate goals that will help you feel more confident in this process on the way to your goals.
Strategies to stay motivated
Have a contingency plan. It is essential to be prepared to face any risk or setback. Approach them as a learning opportunity, analyzing what you could have done better and how you can improve your performance in the future.
If you are afraid of failure and tell yourself that a task is very difficult, you probably will not do it well. If, on the contrary, you tell yourself that a task is a challenge and an opportunity to test your skills, you are creating a positive situation for yourself, in which you are not limited by your own apprehension.
Create a competitive environment. Friendly competition can help you improve your performance and exceed your expectations. Find one or two employees or friends who are also looking to advance their careers and inspire each other.
Don't just celebrate when you reach a goal, set aside some of your time to simply reward yourself for your hard work. For example, if you set a goal to study at the end of each week and have achieved it, or you achieved excellent results at work, enjoy a movie, a good dinner or any fun activity.
Growing professionally requires time and hard work. Apply these tips to stay motivated and you will understand that it is easier to move up a career when working on your happiness and satisfaction.
