Q: How can I motivate myself? I used to enjoy the prospect of going to work. However, of late I find it difficult to meet deadlines, and will often work well into the night to meet them. I’m not sure if it is over-familiarity with my job leading to boredom, but whatever it is, I need a change in attitude.
A: First, remember that life is too short not to enjoy your work, so evaluate whether it is the job or your personal circumstances that is getting in the way. As you used to enjoy your work, ask yourself what has changed. Are there new elements of the job that discourage you? If you are undertaking the same tasks each day then avoid ‘flying on autopilot’ – it is important that you occasionally take an outsider’s perspective of your job. Removing yourself from the daily routine and looking at your role with an objective mind will help you identify things that you could benefit from changing.
Meeting clients and advising them on their financial options is a challenging yet interesting role, but if in fulfilling it you are travelling a great deal, this may well be the cause of your problem. Look at whether your diary could be better structured – a simple change of organisation may well be the answer. If you feel stressed, you need to evaluate your workload. Look at whether you have the right work-life balance. Try not to take work home with you – if you do, ensure that you limit emails, telephone calls, etc. If you are unable to undertake your work duties in the hours allowed, you may need to delegate tasks to colleagues or try out better ways of working.
Feel free to speak with your employer about the issue – it has a duty of care to ensure your welfare, including minimising stress-related problems. Modern technology now allows us to communicate in different ways, so look at taking advantage of such technology which may help reduce your travelling time.
Have you considered changing your routine? Important calls in the morning, client visits in the midday – small changes to your routine could break up the daily grind.
Or maybe it is travelling into the same office each day that is the source of the problem. Look at a change of work environment – this could provide you with a different perspective. Consider – provided your employer allows it – working from home rather than commuting each day.
Hopefully some of these small changes can realign your thinking. However, if these solutions do not help, it may be time to re-evaluate your career.
David Price is managing director of Health Assured
