Your Productivity is Linked to Your Motivation

Motivation and Productivity

Before you begin to work on a task, always ask yourself, "Am I motivated to do what needs to get done?" If you answer no, then you might as well give up, or find ways to become and stay motivated during a task.

So, what is motivation?
It's determining what is the motive behind you completing a task; in other words, what's causing you to act? If your motives aren't truly inspired by a deep down passion or desire to accomplish a certain task, then you will not be as productive as you could be.

How do I become motivated?
Well, it truly depends on you. Unfortunately, there is no 12-step program to becoming motivated. You either are or you're not. That may be tough to swallow, but companies that spend thousands of dollars on employee retention and motivation training programs (and other incentives) may get their employees excited about the company or the product, but it's still up to their employees to find that inner drive to want to get the job done.

What if I lose my motivation?
The answer, again, depends on you. What were your original motives for starting a task? Were you inspired by a spouse, friend, family, classmate, idea or money? Temporal ways of becoming motivated are the quickest ways to lose your motivation. If it takes outward motivation for me to complete a task, then I always check my motives to make sure that I'm in it for the right reasons. I'm usually more productive if I have an inner passion for what I try to accomplish, and the outward motivation I do receive from others, complements the inner drive. Regardless of how much you're challenged, that inner motivation will keep you going (even if you don't have someone cheering you on every step of the way).