MOTIVATION in the home office … impossible or possible?

For a few weeks now, there has been a trend towards reflecting more and more on the subject of “opportunity” and “strategy for growth”.

How can you make perfect use of the chance for change? Now when it comes down to changing like a meteoric quickly. Because otherwise you fall by the wayside.

So it feels like there is even more pressure than already exists in everyday business. And then all colleagues sit in the home office and you only see each other via a camera …

All the tips from change process coaches are of no use if your own motivation and personal goals do not go hand in hand with them.

The most important question is: am I burned out after the exhausting months of the pandemic or am I still burning?

Am I a candle or a blazing fire?

 

 

Let’s not fool ourselves. People are individuals with emotions. With different requirements, different mind sets.

One solution cannot apply to everyone.

Especially when you are suddenly confronted with tasks that were not previously part of the person’s area of ​​responsibility. Who will change the job description permanently, as we are currently experiencing?

 

And then you get to the point where people make the difference. And realize there are a few things in life that need to be done. Even if our insides are not immediately enthusiastic about it. Because only with this inner change the topics of “seizing opportunities” and “implementing strategies” can succeed.

In such situations you have to keep the long-term goal in mind and remember your own purpose and what you want to achieve with it in the long term.

 

 

Let’s see what the word motivation is made of …

Motivation is the motivation that makes a person do something specific. The term comes from the Latin word “motus” (movement), whereby the motivation is not only the drive (motor), but it also keeps us active (motivated).

 

And where can that lead?

Motivation means movement, so it is not surprising that there are two directions in which motivation can move.

On the one hand, there is the away-from-motivation, in which we work against a state. We want to avoid a certain situation occurring, which motivates us to work against it.

On the other hand there is the motivation to move forward. One can already guess what this direction means – we are working towards a goal / desire and are motivated by the fact that we want to achieve a certain state.

 

 

And now it’s getting scientific ….

… intrinsic and extrinsic motivation

Now there is still the question of whether the motivation comes from inside or outside. Over the years in which scientists have asked themselves this question, they have come to one conclusion: there are two main forms of motivation that need to be distinguished:

Intrinsic motivation

The intrinsic motivation is the self-arising motivation. Our goals, passions and desires play a major role – they motivate us and encourage us to act. With this form of motivation, we create internal motivation without external factors being involved. We do things because we enjoy them or we are interested in them.

Extrinsic motivation

The counterpart to intrinsic motivation is extrinsic motivation. Here it depends heavily on external factors, how they guide us and what kind of influence they have on us. For example, when material factors are hugely important to us, we see them as a goal to work towards. This goal then motivates us to work to achieve it.

The interaction

Both forms of motivation can work together, which means that we are doubly motivated. However, it can happen that the intrinsic motivation is replaced by the extrinsic motivation at some point.This can happen, for example, when you turn your hobby into a job. Things that we actually only do in our free time for fun are suddenly associated with money and other values. It couldn’t be better!

Actually everyone should be able to and have achieved this goal at least once in their life!

 

What is also made very clear here is that the intrinsic motivation was there first. And that’s a point to keep in mind.

It’s like a marathon. You look at the long-term goal and then start running.The marathon can only be achieved if there is intrinsic motivation. After almost 43 km we have reached our destination and know why we unpacked our “thrust reserves” in the last third!

 

 

Now it’s time for a few tips. Because everyone has a low point sometimes at which it can be helpful if you know how to get yourself out of it. Especially when you are sitting in your home office, where your opposite is usually your own living room or bedroom wall.

 

Top 1) Smaller Goals and Rewards

We’ve talked about long-term goals several times now – but these big goals can only be achieved if you set yourself small, tangible goals along the way. In this way, the mountain of work that you are faced with at the beginning becomes smaller and smaller. And you will see: you can reach your goal even with smaller stages. And of course a reward in between can increase the “thrust” again and fill up the motivation cushion 🙂

 

Top 2) Practice creates masters

This old adage might sound annoying, but it’s more real than ever in these times. Because so many companies now have to break new ground with their team. And they have to be learned and implemented first. Mistakes are the best way to move forward. So don’t wait until everything is perfect down to the last detail – go ahead and march off! You always come to points in your life where you don’t know which way is the right one. With enough endurance and learning by doing, you can master any crisis.

 

Top 3) Comparisons bring frustration

It is an absolute motivation killer when you compare yourself to others. When you see that the others are working faster, better and more precisely. It’s not good for anyone. That is why you should always concentrate on yourself, ignore others and be aware of what you are best in. It is not important what others do, but what you make of yourself! Trust in yourself and in your own work is an important mindset.

 

Top 4) Say cheese to you!

Children laugh around 400 times a day! Adults only raise the corners of their mouth an average of 15 times in the same time. These statistics show that as an adult you clearly laugh too little. Have we lost our laughter? Another sentence that should be deleted from your hard drive! When you laugh, the lungs absorb a lot of air, which means that the oxygen gets into the red blood cells. The heart beats faster and pumps the oxygen-rich blood around the body. This lets the organism become active for a short time and has been proven to make you happier.

 

Top 5) Find your WHY?

Making a list of opportunities or hanging up your own vision – preferably with pictures as a mood board – can help motivate you every day. Sounds simple? Then why do so few do it? Daydreaming can set free absolute strength! A kind of to-do list is also great self-motivation, in which everything that has been completed is not simply ticked off, but rather highlighted.

 

 

With all these tips, you should be able to reawaken endorphins even in a gray and cold winter and not lose motivation in the home office!

For more tips and tricks, please contact us via our website or take a look at one of our social media channels such as facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Xing.