Motivation can be in short supply in times of economic hardship, but when the chips are down it really is the most important time to be motivated. Motivation to work, whether you’re self employed or working for someone else, can be hard to come by. The nature of my writings here at Escape Nine to Five encourage you to chase your dreams and passions, and not to get stuck in a dead end job, which can be misconstrued as some sort of laziness or unwillingness to spend your days working hard at least, but it really isn’t. In fact, my encouragement to chase your dreams should be the opposite, a rallying cry to work harder than ever to get to where you want to be. If you currently are working in a job you don’t enjoy, you still need the motivation to get up and head to your place of work, plus approaching it with the right attitude will probably help you hate it less. Here are my tips on motivation in the workplace.

1. Remind yourself why you are there every day. You have a reason for working, right? It might just be money to make sure you get by and lead a good life, you might be supporting a family, or if you’re one of the lucky ones you should be chasing a dream. No, scrap that, EVERYONE should be chasing a dream. Remind yourself of not only your dream, but of the family you are supporting, the mortgage you are chipping away at, the reward you’re giving yourself once the paycheck comes, and most importantly, where working hard now will take you in the future.
2. Make a ‘vision board’. A collage of where you want to get to in life, your dream car, house and job. This is why you are working, right? If you’re not moving towards this, GET OUT! If you are, keeping a vision board handy will help remind you of all the good things that will come of your work.
3. Make sure you know the next step of your progress. What is the next promotion? What is the next target? Work towards that, and take it one step at a time. Knowing what your next goal is can keep you working towards it.
4. Come prepared. Don’t wake up five minutes before you have to leave for work, wake up, have a good breakfast and go in to work with the right attitude.
5. Give yourself something to look forward to. Reward yourself with your favourite meal or chocolate bar at the end of the day, or rent a film, buy a six pack of beer with some of your earnings, the things that keep you smiling and make you happy when you step in your front door. Simple pleasures.
6. Think positive. Easier said than done, but if you possibly can, make sure you stay positive about your work, even when times are hard. Think about the things that are going well at work, it could always be worse.
7. Know when you’re going to quit. If your job is a ‘means to an end’ (trust me, I’ve had loads of these jobs), you may know how much money you need to earn or how long you need to work for before you can quit for good. Knowing that you’re not stuck in the job forever can help you stay motivated.
8. Have friends. Friends at work can really keep you motivated. They’ll help you when times are hard and praise you when you’re doing well.
9. Make sure your work is fulfilling. This is simple but true, if you possibly can, work in a job that makes you happy, you will work harder and be more motivated.

Let me know if you’d like anything added to the list or if other tips have worked for you in your motivation to work. As always, this article is a work in progress, and I really hope it helps.