Monday Morning Blues? Try this…
I am lucky enough to love what I do! I use the word ‘lucky advisedly’- I actually worked very hard to get to a place where I am doing work I really love, where work really doesn’t feel like working! (Which is almost the title of my book, as it happens!)
Some days I just plunge in and get going but other times I am a bit more reflective. On the days I am feeling reflective this is what I do:
First, I’ll cast my thoughts back over the previous week (see this post) and really give time to thinking about what worked for me. You may find yourself dwelling on what didn’t work but try very hard NOT to go there. It isn’t particularly helpful and will dampen your mood.
Three Things
Then I’ll make a quick list of three things I want to happen in the forthcoming week. I don’t necessarily mean tangible things like a ‘to do list’, although sometimes they feature. Often it’s to do with how I want to feel. And I remind myself that how I feel, how I manage my feelings about what happens is in my gift. Our thoughts are hugely powerful and choosing how we think about things can make us feel very powerful too.
And writing it down helps reinforce the intention to achieve those things. Just a few minutes of your time but it could have a powerful impact on the rest of your week and cure those Monday Morning blues!
How do you start your working week?
PS If Mondays really are a bad day for you then you are getting a powerful message about how you’re spending a lot of your life! Even in a recession it is possible to make changes, with care! It’s a common issue when coaching, women don’t like what they do but feel ‘frightened’ to change, or often don’t know what they want to do instead. If that sounds like you I wrote my book with you in mind! It’s a work book designed to help you get ‘unstuck’ and begin to make positive change in your life. You can read more about it here, and don’t forget the free audio download link on the same page! You can download it immediately and get started straight away!
Photo credit: Rose Ann
How to Stay Motivated When You Hate Your Job? Tip 3
In times of economic downturn people are less likely to move jobs and the market becomes stagnant. This can cause motivation issues even if you love your job (no progression etc), but if you really can’t stand your job…it’s hell! There are a lot of people staying in jobs they’d rather leave. So how can you keep yourself motivated?
In tips one and two we looked at managing feelings, and doing some groundwork on CVs. In tip three I am suggesting that you take some time out to really understand what it is about your current role that you don’t like.
WORK OUT WHY YOU DON’T LIKE IT
Ask yourself the following questions and answer as honestly as you can:
- Is it the attitude of other workers?
- Is it too undemanding of you?
- Is it too much of a stretch for you at the moment?
- Do the value of the organisation jar with your own value system?
- Is it the management style?
- Is it lack of prospects?
- Is it poor pay?
- Is it the office environment?
- Is it the geographical location?
It’s important to understand why this job doesn’t do it for you, so you can be more specific about what you actually do want!
There are more exercises like this in ‘When Work Isn’t Working’., a workbook to help you find your perfect job!
How to Stay Motivated When You Hate Your Job? Tip 1
How can you stay focussed and motivated when you really hate your job? How do you manage work stress?
One of the consequences of the economic recession is less movement in the job markets. People are staying put for fear of ‘last in, first out syndrome’. And of course, there are fewer jobs out there and more competition for those that are around.
So how do you keep your motivation going? How do you drag yourself out of bed every morning to do a job that you hate? It’s not easy and if you are in this position you have my sympathies. It’s horrid.
Self Pity
But don’t go too far down the self pity route! At least you do have a job and aren’t reliant on benefits. You’re still in the world of work. So my first tip is:
MANAGE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT WORK
If you’ve ever done any of my training, read my articles or my book, (When Work isn’t Working) you’ll know that I firmly believe we need to take control of our feelings, and that we CAN take control of our feelings even when it feels like pretty much everything else is outside of our control!
If you start each day giving yourself a really negative message, your day is only going to get worse. You are what you think. If you think devalued and worthless thoughts about your work it comes across and you feel worse. Whatever else is happening, your thoughts are your own (‘they‘ can’t make you feel anything-honestly!). Decide now to give yourself a positive message every morning that will help you through this period of your life, not one that will bring you down. (Check this out for some confidence boosting tips)
Your Action Points
- Identify your automatic negative thoughts about your work.
- Notice how often you speak to yourself about work in an unhelpful way
- Notice how this makes you feel. Does it make you feel better or worse (I’m not talking about sharing a moan with a pal, that can be therapeutic!)
- How can you change your negative internal mail into something that will help you through this period of your life?
- Try replacing all negative thoughts with positive ones for one week. What difference has this made to your week?
This is the first in a series of tips to help you through difficult times; if you have found it helpful you might like to receive my newsletter -just sign up in the blue box opposite the picture. And please do share this with others and add your own tips and hints! It’s great to get your comments!
Why Do You Work?
Here’s a quick question for you to ponder:
Why do you work?
The obvious answer is money but dig a bit deeper than that. What does work give you?
Your list may include:
- friendship
- training
- personal development
- status
- getting out of house
- connection with wider world
- opportunity to network
- opportunity to take a few risks
- opportunity to stay in comfort zone
- ability to contribute, to make a difference
- being part of a team
- keeping you up to date in your field
Of your own list, what is the most important to you?
What Do You Best?
In terms of work, what is it that you do best? What makes you feel good about yourself? When do you feel most confident and competent?
Research
It’s important to know. Research on what makes a great workplace* placed having a daily opportunity to do what you do best high in a list of positive factors. In fact, it was number three in 12.
Money is a motivator, of course, but for most of us money alone is not enough and it rarely comes out top in any survey of what motivates people. Work is usually so much more than simply a means to earning a living. We need to get something meaningful from it.
Self Worth
And one of those things is the feeling of self worth that comes from doing what we’re good at, at least once a day. If you are not currently getting that feeling of self worth from work, maybe it’s time to explore other avenues? Perhaps there are other ways of meeting that need, like voluntary work, a second job following your passion? First stop is to see if work can provide it, but if not, try looking beyond the boundaries of paid employment and see what is out there!
Do you have an opportunity to do what you do best every day?
*Gallup, Buckingham & Coffman. ‘First Break all the Rules: What the world’s great managers do differently’.
Are You Flexible Enough?
‘If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got‘ the old adage says, but actually in times of change and economic recession even just getting what you’ve always got is no longer guaranteed!
If you run a successful business you will know that you have to keep a weather eye on the economic climate, competitors, fashion and so on to maintain an edge. If you’re successful you know that you have to keep being flexible and offering what your clients want and need. You have to be prepared to change.
But if you are an employee are you as flexible?
Assess Yourself
I was coaching a business owner a while back who was talking about changes that had to be made within the company. Her dilemma was that she had some very good staff and some OK staff. All were loyal with low sickness records etc but she knew that over the course of the next year there would probably have to be a reduction in staffing levels. I asked her to consider which staff gave her most value and I didn’t mean staff who worked for less, or longer unpaid hours. They weren’t offering her any additional value; simply turning up and doing your job without mishap is not enough when jobs are at risk. We were talking about staff who were enthusiastic, offered ideas, undertook training, sometimes even of their own volition.
If you are employed it might be worth taking time out to reflect on your flexibility. What changes are afoot in your industry or business? Can you see a new skill base being required in the not too distant future? How can you add value to what you bring to your role? If the future looks uncertain have you considered alternatives? When did you last undertake professional/job related training?What alternative sources of employment are there in your vicinity? If you were suddenly to be unemployed, how would you manage?
Being prepared to face up to potential problems can lessen their impact and put you ahead of the field.
And if you did have to change your current role, what opportunities might there be?
If you’ve been in this position I’d love to hear from you and how you coped. Did you use an outside resource like a careers advisor? A coach? A CV expert? Did your company provide helpful support? What would you advise others? Did you see the change coming?
