Are you sitting comfortably? Welcome to my series of podcasts that will help you to navigate those inevitable difficult events at work that are part of being a manager.
Today I want to talk about how to get your mojo back at work.
You know the feeling; you return to work after a holiday with a feeling of dread and instead of heading back into the office with a plan to hit the ground running, you feel like you’re heading back to the ‘same old, same old.’ Or maybe your job role and place of work is not what it used to be. You sleepwalk through meetings, watch the clock constantly and your motivation has gone out of the window. You’ve lost your mojo.
How would you define your mojo?
Well, it’s your energy, your confidence, and your motivation to be the best leader you can be. It’s the passion that makes you get up in the morning and makes you believe that your actions at work are making a difference. But what happens when you lose that passion for what you do? The answer is you stagnate. Stagnation is bad for your organisation and it’s bad for you.
How can you get your mojo back?
The first step is to focus on why you’re doing what you do. What drives you? It’s very easy to lose sight of this when we have endless obligations to meet but remember your ‘why’ and you’ll get your motivation and your mojo back.
The next thing is to change your perspective. If you feel stuck at work, have you tried new ways of doing things or have you simply been trying variations on things you know don’t work? Change the way you look at things and you might just regain your mojo.
It’s also important to steer clear of negativity, both within yourself and from other people.
A negative mindset can lead to destructive and unhelpful behaviour, and negative people will only reinforce this way of being. Be positive and surround yourself with people who support and encourage you.
Speaking to someone supportive is my next tip.
You don’t have to know everything or do everything on your own. A trusted colleague or friend can give you a different perspective on things, of who you are, and what you’ve achieved. This is not just an ego boost; it’s a great way to start feeling positive and passionate again.
Another way to start feeling motivated again is to set new goals and take small manageable steps towards achieving them. Do you want to win that dream client or win an industry award? What do you have to do to get there?
Many of the tips I’ve mentioned have been about changing your perspective and changing your focus, but many of the things that make us feel jaded are the day-to-day things at work, whether it’s monotony or pressure.
What can you do about the day-to-day things at work?
Well, you can start by spending more time away from your desk. How do you expect to feel inspired if you’ve spent 8 hours staring at a computer and some filing cabinets?
Get outside in the fresh air at lunchtime, and who knows, you might just solve that problem you’ve been wrestling with all morning.
As well as taking breaks away from your desk, you can resolve to try doing things a little differently from day to day too. If you exercise after work when you know you’re tired, try exercising in the morning when you’re fresh.
If you sit facing the wall at work, why not move your desk so you can see out of a window?
These changes might seem small, but they add up, and they’ll improve your outlook and enthusiasm.
Prioritising what is important to you can be difficult when you’re busy at work, but your zest for life soon goes when your time is spent doing admin or sitting in endless meetings instead of doing the things you really want to do, like spending time with your children or pursuing a hobby.
This is where you have to take charge and make the time for what’s important. Do you want to be there to put your children to bed or to take them to football practice? Plan to get to work earlier, or even on a few occasions bring work home so you can make it happen.
My final tip, and a very important one for helping you regain your mojo is to work with a mentor.
All leaders who are at the top of their game have had amazing mentors. It’s a great idea to have someone you can learn from, whether it’s about the day-to-day practicalities of business or whether it’s how to deal with situations like the one you’re in now.
Knowing that someone you look up to has gone through the same things and has continued to be successful is sure to give you a boost.
Regaining your mojo once it’s lost is not an easy thing, but making some changes to your focus, perspective, and daily actions can really help you remember why it is that you do what you do.
Feeling jaded at work impacts your personal life too, and if you feel passionate and motivated every day, those around you will also feel the benefits.
I hope that you got some good tips from today’s podcast, and I’ll see you next time for the next one in the series which looks at leadership styles.
This is The People Mentor, signing off.
Want to read more then here is a blog on how to Maintain Business as Usual When Things Feel Very Unusual
Want to explore more on resilience and mindset then sign up for the free mini-course here
