What motivates you?
It’s a simple question. But the answer varies depending on the person. A lot of people might immediately say “money” or “success.”
But if the pandemic and the great resignation have taught us anything, it’s that money and success are not synonymous.
According to a recent article in the The Financial Post “Two years into the pandemic, people have a new perspective on what’s most important — and work no longer takes top billing.”
In my book, Resilience Ready, perspective is one of the foundational elements of becoming more resilient.
And for a lot of us – that perspective has changed quite a bit over the last few years.
As a leader, you need to lead through example. Your team, and indeed all stakeholders, look to you.
To effectively manage difficult situations takes a goal, a plan, a strong will, and a can-do mindset. Sometimes a goal may seem unachievable or so far away that it seems like it is barely worth pursuing.
These are the times when negativity sets in. And if you stay in this space, you will spiral down, give up, and fail.
So how do you keep yourself from getting derailed? How can you make every day count? Quite simply you need to shift your mindset. You have to see the glass as half full and intentionally work on being positive and inspired.
Here are three strategies to boost your inspiration:
1. Shift your mindset
You can’t get anywhere unless you beat back the self-doubt. This Wall Street Journal article, “Steps to Turn Off the Nagging Self-Doubt in Your Head”, lays out some simple steps to help you reframe your negative thoughts and feel more positive.
2. Activate your motivators
Professional motivators are driven by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors and can be categorized into five important areas (See“FuelForward Chapter 2. Careers: A Mindset” for more information on these):
- Values: What are your values, the character traits that steer your moral compass?
- Vision / Personal Goals & Aspirations: What things are most important in your life? How do you define success, both personally and professionally?
- Having Purpose: What is my life’s work?
- Feeling Valued & Appreciated: Am I contributing to something meaningful?
- Hope for Future Fulfillment: Where do I see myself in the future, both personally and professionally?
3. Focus on what you can control
You can’t always control what happens around you or what others do, though you often feel the pressure to. You can only control your actions and how you respond to various situations that arise. A lack of control often brings up fear or powerlessness. Flip the script on the questions you’re asking. Instead of ‘Why can’t we?’, ask ‘How can we?’. And, focus on what you can do right now to begin moving forward, one step at a time.
The answers you have today are possibly quite different than those you would have given 3 years ago…or even 3 months ago. Life changes and we must change with it. So, bookmark this article and come back periodically. Let this be a resource to keep you inspired.
