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How to keep motivated in the New Year

Confident Businesswoman Walking with Coffee Outside Modern Office Building

Staying motivated in January can be tough. However, there are strategies you can use to keep yourself performing well in your work or study. In the article below, we will explore what you can do to be your best in the New Year. You might find it helpful to pick and choose from the tips below to keep you motivated in the New Year.

Look back

Most of us tend to forget about the challenges we have successfully overcome in the past. The more difficult these situations have been, the more we need to keep in mind how well we have handled them. Take a few minutes to jot down at least 3 challenges you have recently tackled. Your list will be a useful ally especially if you often underestimate your abilities (as most of us do). It will help you to develop confidence in your abilities and stop doubting yourself.

Look forward

People with a clear direction come across emotionally stronger. Having a sizeable aspiration boosts their inner strength. Think of the immune system. When you have an appealing vision of what you aspire to, your ‘emotional immune system’ becomes stronger.

Identify the ‘why’

This is the core of your motivation. When it comes to your why, there are no right or wrong answers (as long as these are moral and ethical). Some people are motivated by learning and constantly stretching themselves. Others aspire to step up in the career ladder in order to be better recognised financially. Some others may want to be in charge, make some significant decisions, and positively influence other people’s lives. Many people are inspired by developing a healthy balance between work and other life areas.

For some people, their rationale could be the most challenging thing to put into words. You might have itchy feet to move on to something bigger, better and brighter, however, you might not be able to explain the reasons immediately.  It is wise to stay with the process a bit longer and devote some soul–searching time for exploring your rationale. Being clear about your why is an essential step. When you have tapped into your real reason for change, you will find it easier to come up with steps to get there. Identifying your why will help you reconnect with what you are passionate about and how you want to make a difference in the world. For more details on how to identify your why, do look at this Forbes article.

Be aware of burnout

At the start of the New Year, you may feel energised to do it all. You get up at 6 am to do yoga, meditate and journal. You decide to cut out sugar and coffee and eat only organic. You decide to go for a run at least every other day. It is great that you want to make positive changes however starting all of them at the same time can be exhausting. Soon enough, you probably feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things on your list. Do take a good look at your actions. How can you free up more time? Are you checking liking and commenting on social media to distract yourself? Do you read the news more often than necessary? What do you tend to put off on a regular basis?

If you need any emotional support such as 1-2-1 counselling, you might it helpful to visit the Education Support’s website.

Slow down

When you feel overwhelmed with the burden of chores, you might feel that your life has turned into a never-ending ‘to-do’ list. You want to complete tasks quickly so that you can cram even more into an already overflowing schedule. When you rush, you create additional stress. Haste creates waste. You miss opportunities to connect with people. You feel scattered, drained and exhausted. As you keep on accelerating, it becomes harder and harder to handle challenges. Simplifying means slowing down the dizzying pace of your life.

Create daily steps

Most people can learn almost any subject or accomplish seemingly impossible goals if they just spend one hour daily towards accomplishing it. A few years ago, I shared this piece of advice with a lifelong friend who had less than a year to master a foreign language. She decided to study the language for one hour each day of the week. Her progress has been nothing short of miraculous. She was able to speak the language quite fluently just after a few months. This principle works magically because daily practice boosts motivation. You quickly create momentum. You eliminate precious time spent on recalling information.

Plan like you did in 2005

There is real power in good old-fashioned pen-and-paper planning. At the end of each day, take five minutes to make a plan for your next day. Do not be tempted to use fancy technology. Create two columns: one for the morning and one for the afternoon. List the tasks you would like to complete as well as how much time you would expect these to take. Be warned. Human nature is to underestimate how long tasks would take. Build in some extra time to avoid making impossible plans.

Set up a reward system

I have a colleague, Kate, who struggles to find the motivation to complete chapters of her PhD dissertation. Recently Kate shared with me how she manages to motivate herself. She has set up an exciting reward system with milestones. When she completes each stage, there is a pleasant reward waiting for her. She might go to a concert with friends, indulge in a newly published biography or visit a place she has never been before. The rewards help her to get up at dawn and spring into action. They will keep her focused on the goal.

Find a mentor/ coach/ accountability body

A skilled mentor/coach could act as a soundboard. They may give you advice based on their professional experience and listen carefully to your challenges. They would brainstorm solutions with you and help you move forward. They could help you to see your situation from a new perspective. Many universities offer in-house mentoring and coaching for academics and lecturers. For more details on mentoring and coaching, please visit the CIPD’s website here.

When you talk about your goals and your intention to achieve it, you become accountable. Your accountability body can be a trusted friend, colleague or a family member. You could agree to get in touch with each other at least for a few minutes each week to see how much progress you have made on your objectives. When you set clear goals and consistently take steps towards achieving them, you are more likely to succeed.

The balancing act – how to keep your team happy and motivated

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Henrietta Nagy

Henrietta Nagy is a seasoned portfolio worker with over 10 years’ experience in the UK education sector. Henrietta writes educational content, designs academic courses, delivers university lectures, mentors entrepreneurs, and provides career development coaching. One of Henrietta's recent organisational clients is the Oxford University where she has facilitated over 100 hours of learning events. With 9 years of higher education studies internationally (including an MBA), she has worked with CEOs, academics, scholars, managers, women entrepreneurs, academic administrators and other consultants.

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