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Motivation is something you have to work at all the time. And there are plenty of distractions that can take your attention away from your motivation. It’s no surprise that motivation begins to wane as the summertime rolls in. The sunshine and promise of longer days make you antsy at your desk, which can eat into your productivity. But how do you turn the tide halfway through the year? Here are a couple of ways you can pick your motivation back up and move forward productively.

Rock Out

Now it’s time to crank your favorite tunes and get your blood pumping. You don’t have to be intrusive about this either. Grab a pair of ear buds and put a favorite playlist on your phone. Listening to music while you’re working can help you stay focused and keep you away from distractions.

20 Minutes

If you have a project you don’t really want to start, tell yourself you’ll only work on it for 20 minutes. You can even set an alarm. Chances are, one you’ve gotten the ball rolling, you’ll be okay to keep going for more time. But give yourself 20 minutes every time you start something.

Avoid Excuses

There are always reasons you can’t do something. But these reasons are never fatal and rarely have consequences. Instead, they’re just excuses. Don’t allow yourself to make excuses when you’re trying to avoid something. As soon as your hear yourself trying to talk yourself out of a task, put that aside and move forward.

Positive People

Negativity is contagious, so do what you can to associate only with positive people. If a coworker is negative, use some defusing techniques to steer the conversation away from constant complaining. For instance, when they’re telling a story, ask them, “And then what happened?” Or, “There must have been something positive to come out of it. What was that?”

Light a Fire

Maybe your lack of motivation comes from something much deeper. What if you’ve forgotten why you’re doing this work in the first place? Do something to reignite your passion. Read a motivational blog post. Listen to a TED Talk. Dig deep and find the reasons you wanted to do this work and tap into that resource to get you motivated.

Do you want more tips to help you stay motivated? Contact Harvard Resource Solutions, now hiring for jobs in Southeast MI.