6 Be open to criticism.

6 Be open to criticism.

Whatever you’re working on, you want to deliver it on time and without much hassle—but more than that, when you feel driven or want to help drive others, you’re interested in how the process could run better next time.

Sometimes that perspective can come from a boss or a mentor ; other times you might get it from a peer who hails from a different background and who would try a radically different approach.

28 reads

MORE IDEAS ON THIS

9 Say thank you.

Those two words have tremendous power to do good. Whether someone helped rid your presentation of an awkward Malaprop or kindly offered a needed referral, it’s worth showing your gratitude . Just hearing someone say “Hey, you’re doing a good...

43 reads

7 Exude good vibes.

7 Exude good vibes.

Sometimes you have to fake it until you make it, particularly when you’re trying to up your team’s enthusiasm. By adopting a let’s-make-this-happen attitude and not just brusquely urging folks to work faster, you can energize the people around you—and p...

30 reads

4 Set deadlines, even if they’re arbitrary.

4 Set deadlines, even if they’re arbitrary.

Beyond the tried-and-true axiom that work expands to fill the time allotted for it, this one is especially helpful when you’re part of a team and need one person’s work to finish before a colleague can incorporate it into their n...

39 reads

3 Break overwhelming tasks up into smaller pieces.

3 Break overwhelming tasks up into smaller pieces.

An author trying to write a book by sitting down and thinking “okay, today is the day I mash out my entire opus” may not remain an author—or a sane person—...

55 reads

5 Step outside your comfort zone.

5 Step outside your comfort zone.

Sometimes a lack of motivation stems from feeling underutilized. Finding ways to try new things could be the trick to breaking out of your funk—and the same goes for colleagues who might appreciate a new challenge.

“I think that’s ho...

40 reads

1 Think about your impact.

Sometimes, feeling motivated is as simple as remembering the people your work serves. If you feel like you’re making someone’s life better—even if it’s a stranger—pushing through can feel a lot easier. Larry Page once said this about what drives people at Google: “If you’re changing the world, yo...

177 reads

8 Reward yourself—and your colleagues.

8 Reward yourself—and your colleagues.

Give yourself something to look forward to . Depending on what you’re trying to get motivated to do, the rewards can range from smaller treats, like a trip to the bre...

30 reads

2 Consider your work in context.

2 Consider your work in context.

Even dream jobs come with their share of frustrations, as well as the occasional assignment that, while less than glamorous, can’t be ignored. In such moments, it can be helpful to remember that it took some effort to get where you are—plus...

85 reads

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