Office Vibes & Motivation
I don't know about you guys, but one of my main hurdles in life is to stay motivated on a steady basis.
Working for a start-up you're predispositioned for consistent movement and I've found that that can be difficult for a lot of people (including myself at times.) Don't get me wrong, I love my job and the challenges that I face. In fact, I think by taking this position, I've gained experiences that most would have to work for 10 years to gain. However, I am human and burnouts do happen.
One of my biggest goals for 2017 was to have more structure and follow through with personal projects (**cough blog cough**) and work without becoming to overwhelmed. With this being said I really wanted to express myself in terms of how difficult it really can be to generate a consistent stream of creativity and find the time with a full time job to execute this. For this post I'm going to share what keeps me motivated and go through some things that help me on a daily basis to stay motivated and creative, and hopefully they will help you continue to be the best you!
SET THE TONE
Music is such an important part of my life, so setting the tone is my first go-to for a killer day. I recently listened to a podcast that explained how music impacted your productivity. In the office (of about 20) I bought 3 Sonos speakers, they have been a blessing. For accounting I listen to classical music or Iron & Wine. When I need to be creative I go to Radiohead or Odessa, when it comes to crushing the day I listen to rap or house music. Bonus - Looking for something to play in the office to uplift the mood try XM FLY (90's 00's hip hop); For a chill environment try XMU or XM Chill. Yes, I'm a huge fan of XM radio. Click here for my spotify playlists that I also rely on heavily.
ENCOURAGEMENT
Everyone needs a pat on the back sometimes, and certain people need it more than others. Where do you rank? I rank in the middle, but fortunately I am one of those individuals that is not shy to ask for a pat on the back. Find someone that you work with or find someone in the social media community that will tell you, HEY GREAT JOB! Reminder: Always remember to tell others that they are doing a great job as well. I keep these Ban.do cards at my desk at all times, and I use them! One last tip that I use regularly is to not only jot down what you have to do, but to jot down or keep track of what you have accomplished. Small accomplishments can get lost in the madness so it's a nice reminder to see what you have done.
TAKE IT OUTSIDE
My younger sister actually taught me this one... get up and take a walk around the ________ (building, block, office) get outside and get your blood flowing again! Need to have a meeting? Take it outside. We recently bought 2 bikes for our office for anyone to use and we've had a great response to this. Fresh air and nature can cure a lot!
PRETTY LITTLE THINGS
It never hurts to buy cute little things to make your desk space your own. I have roughly 4 journals all from paper source and a gorgeous calendar to add a little art! Don't have the resources to spend a small fortune at the stationary store, get new desktop wallpaper! Here's mine:
THERE'S ALWAYS TOMORROW
When all else fails and you are feeling like you are headed down the 'burnout' path. Remember there's always tomorrow, and most everything can wait until tomorrow. Then take a deep breath and start a to do list, then take a deep breath and prioritize it... and maybe take a yoga class. ;)