If you find yourself struggling to maintain your focus at work, your first thought might be to look to factors outside of your working hours. You might examine your sleep schedule, diet, or exercise routine. However, if you still find yourself struggling to maintain your motivation, the problem could lie with how engaged you feel while on the job.
Many studies show that work takes much less out of you if you feel positive about it. In fact, it can energize you. And that positive energy spills over into all areas of your life. The Gallup Organization found that engaged employees are more optimistic about their personal lives and less likely to bring stress home — so “plugging in” during office hours could lead to improved mental & physical health.
Committing to your work
Feeling invested to your job is an important component of feeling engaged. To feel more satisfied at work, you might consider the following suggestions:
Make the choice to be engaged. The advantages are clear if you make the choice: better results, more energy, and more satisfaction.
Once you decide to do something, own it. Give each task your best effort and complete it on time. Don’t make a commitment you won’t be able to meet.
Look at what’s preventing you from giving it your best and try to fix it. Many things can get in the way of your best intentions, from overload to personal issues to a bad boss. How is your relationship with your manager? How are your time management skills? If you know that something is preventing you from giving it your best, work on it. You might find it useful to call the assistance program for guidance.
Have a positive attitude. Focus on what you like about people rather than on what you don’t like. Think about what you can do at home and at work to make your day run more smoothly. Even on bad days, try to find something that went well.
Find role models you admire. People who excel at what they do often have good role models or mentors in their field. The ideal role models are those who give it their best—people you can respect and admire who you’d want to be like.
Avoid blaming others when things go wrong. Negative feelings like aggravation and blame can be counterproductive because you fixate on what’s wrong instead of coming up with a solution. Instead of blaming others, they take action to improve matters going forward. Try to forgive and move on.
Look at the big picture. People who truly enjoy their work learn about the products and services they’re working on, their customers, and their competition. Network within your organization to find out who can give you this information and what reading materials or websites will be helpful. Ask your manager for these resources as well.
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