THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF MOTIVATION

Staying motivated and productive can be tricky when you’re expected to keep your own creative fire burning strong. Freelancers and independent-minded agency staff are relied upon for their initiative and ability to “self-start”. Even more is expected of senior creatives who not only have their own role to consider, but also the health and future of their enterprise.The prospect of losing your motivation is a scary thing _more so when you don't have a plan in place for getting back into your groove. But everyone’s drive to push forward slows at some point. How will you cope when it happens to you? To minimize any fallout from burning out, it’s worth your time to rediscover what motivates you and your strategy to stay fresh.

What Motivates You

Do you know what drives you? It’s surprising how few of us do. Often, where we end up isn’t where we expected to be. But there’s always a reason why we say “yes” to opportunities, no matter how unexpected they are. We make decisions based on what we want, and it’s not always apparent what that desire is or where it comes from.Your responsibility to yourself is just to know why you want to do what you do.

Why We Burn Out

There isn’t one simple reason for why we lose our motivation. Often, it’s simply because you don’t know what drives you in the first place (see above). But even if you know your career goals thoroughly and have planned step-by-step actions for how to achieve them, there are always factors beyond your control that can hasten feelings of burning out.

How to Stay Motivated

The key to staying motivated is in taking ownership over the role you’ve got right now, not the one you want in five years. That takes special awareness to why you’re working where you are, and the potential threats to your motivation. Once you’ve locked those down, you’re in a much better position to give yourself a pep talk should you start feeling burnt out.

A solid pep talk goes something like this:

• ·         State your goals (“I want ____”). Be realistic and keep focused on what you think you should be able to achieve in your current position.
• ·         Name the stakes, or what you stand to gain by achieving those goals. Or, conversely, what you stand to lose_though negatives aren't always successful motivators.
• ·         Identify milestones you must hit, regardless of how significant you think each one is in the big picture. It’s difficult to achieve your goals if you aren’t accountable to your plan for achieving them.
• ·         Reward yourself for every bit of success. Whether it’s a few cocktails or a new pair of pants, it’s extremely important that you tell yourself you’re on track. A positive mindset is the greatest motivator.