10 Ways To Stay Motivated When You're Jaded

Do you feel like you’re on a hamster wheel trying to get ahead in life? And working your way to the top is starting to get monotonous?

You’ve lost enthusiasm for your job. You can barely muster the motivation to go to work each day. And you wonder if this is what life’s all about. Well, you’re not alone. This is a feeling we all experience during our career journey. Here are a few ways to recharge yourself to get back into the game.

Reflect on the reasons you hustle

You’ve heard it many times before. You have to hustle to get far in life. But knowing you have to hustle is not enough to spark a fire in you. What does push you to stay motivated is reflecting on why you’re hustling so hard.

Is it to support your family? Is it to leave a legacy? Is it to build an emergency fund? If you need a daily reminder take pictures of your family to work or write your reasons on post-it notes to motivate you throughout the day.

List your accomplishments

Are you sick of the rat race because success isn’t coming fast enough? I guarantee that you’re forgetting how far you’ve come, even if you’ve only made baby steps. So, list out your accomplishments on paper.

Have you graduated from high school, college or graduate school? Have you ever been promoted? Have you ever received a raving review? Give yourself some praise.

Decide what success means to you

You should have ambitious career goals. But they must be realistic, otherwise you’ll fall short and lose enthusiasm. Think about what success looks like to you and if it’s attainable in the time frame you’ve set. If not, break your goals into mini-goals that you can accomplish on the way to becoming successful. Small victories will keep you motivated to push forward.

Read 10 Reasons You’re Not Seeing Success

Change the way you work towards your goals

It may be the way you’re approaching your career that’s making you unmotivated. You may need to make some changes to locate a more fulfilling path. And finding a course that works for you just takes investigation and persistence. For example, if you’re feeling jaded by the corporate culture of your current employer, research companies that have a culture that’s in-line with your values.

Read Do’s and Don’ts of Changing Your Career

Use personal or sick time

Sometimes you just need some alone time to think things through. Cash in on some personal or sick time and recharge your batteries in peace. Everyone deserves a break.

Get a change of scenery

Take a road trip somewhere and leave it all behind. And take a buddy along for the ride. Time away from your current surrounds and the rat race can give you some new perspective.

Give back to the community

Remember, you have a purpose on this earth outside of your professional career. And it’s so easy to forget that there are people who have worse troubles that could use your help. Look for opportunities to volunteer in your neighborhood. Consider becoming a big brother or big sister to help someone else in need of guidance.

Find ways to have more fun

When you’re unmotivated at work it’s easy to let the lack of enthusiasm cross over into other areas of your life. Don’t forget to do the things you enjoy. Go see a movie. Go on a blind date. Go out with friends. Do everything you can to break out of the monotonous cycle of, home, work, home, work to breathe new life into your routine.

Spend time with people that support you

Family and friends can give you the push you need to get over a hump. Just enjoying their company may be enough to refresh your mindset. You can also use them as a listening ear to vent frustrations. And who knows? They may clearly see the perfect solution to your career crisis when you’re struggling to find an answer.

Put everything in writing

Keeping a journal is free therapy. Your emotions on paper will give you clarity as to what and why you’re having certain feelings. And later down the road when you do reach important milestones you can look back and appreciate the journey. Whenever you feel jaded again you have proof that through dedication you can turn things around.