For many young professionals, finding the motivation each day to work or achieve their goals is one of the biggest challenges they face.
There are many reasons why individuals struggle to remain motivated with their work, but by establishing the reason your motivation is lacking, you’ll be that much closer to being able to fix this issue. Keep reading as we share five of the top reasons why young professionals are struggling to stay motivated.
The 5 Second Rule
by Mel Robbins
⏱ 11 minutes reading time
🎧 Audio version available
You Have No Clearly Defined Goals
The number one reason that many individuals lack motivation is a lack of clearly defined goals. This doesn’t mean that you need to have a five or ten-year life plan laid out, but even monthly or annual goals could be helpful.
As far as your work is concerned, you should have a clear idea about where you would like to see yourself in the future. If you know you are aiming to remain in your current industry and get promoted, you’ll be much more likely to find the motivation to return to work each day and keep working hard.
It’s also important to have goals outside of work, whether they are financial, fitness, or personal goals. These can help you to remain motivated in your work; if you are saving for a down payment, you’ll be much more likely to get up each day and tackle what’s in store for you. When setting goals, ensure they are realistic and achievable instead of creating goals that are absolutely impossible to reach.
You Are Too Busy
Many of us try to fit too much into our days, cramming every hour with activities and tasks. If you never take the time to rest your body and mind, you’ll find that, at some point, you become burnt out. While it’s good to be productive and stay involved with other activities outside of work, balance is needed if you want to stay ahead in your professional life.
Being too busy is something that many young professionals wear as a badge of honor, but this culture is incredibly toxic. Exhausting yourself too early in your career can lead to disinterest later on. Make sure you put time in your schedule each day and week to rest and be careful to get the recommended amount of sleep every night.
You Are In The Wrong Job
Ultimately, a reason you may have no motivation for your current job is that you are in the wrong job. This might be the wrong industry, the wrong workplace, or simply working for a problematic boss. Whatever the reason for it is, if you find yourself feeling like this for an extended period of time and nothing changes, start looking around and assess your options.
There’s nothing wrong with changing jobs if you are struggling to remain motivated. In fact, the sooner you acknowledge what is wrong with your current job, the quicker you’ll be able to make a change and find your groove again. Even if you enjoy the work you are doing, a toxic work culture could be to blame for your lack of motivation. By changing companies, you could find a workplace where you are valued.
You’re Taking Work Home From the Office
In the past year, many of us found ourselves working from home. This increased the phenomenon of blurring the boundaries between our work and personal lives. This is one of the biggest culprits for a lack of motivation. If you don’t switch off at 5 pm or 6 pm, when you should be done for the day, it’s no surprise that you aren’t excited to head back to work the following day.
Whether you are working in the office or are still working from home, it’s time to set some boundaries as far as your work-life balance is concerned. Unless it’s an absolute emergency, try to leave your work phone and emails until the following morning when you leave the office for the day.
Try not to look at them again when you leave work, to give yourself a proper break and to switch your mind off f work-related matters in your personal time.
No Development Opportunities
It’s important to acknowledge that feeling unmotivated isn’t something you should blame yourself for, as it’s often because of the environment you work in. Some workplaces lack career progression and development opportunities. If you don’t see yourself moving up from your current position, why would you care about working hard each day? This is a common issue with young professionals, and it’s something we encourage you to take control of yourself.
Speak with your line manager about how you feel and ask about any potential schemes or training opportunities they may offer. If you don’t get any further with this discussion, consider if you could take additional courses in your free time.
However, if your organization is simply not interested in promoting young talent, this is a clear sign that it’s time to start looking elsewhere. It’s better to change jobs now than hang on for a few more years and hope that things will get better, which is unlikely in a company that isn’t set up for progression and development opportunities.
These are five of the top reasons why young professionals are struggling with motivation. If you find yourself unmotivated every morning , take a hard look at your current situation and see if any of these reasons listed above apply to you. There are ways to combat every type of issue in the workplace and your personal life, so take control of your life to rediscover your passion and excitement for work.
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