motivation in the summer – blackdoctor.org
Happy happy Thursday! Well, for most of us on this side of the blogosphere, this is technically our Friday (please note audible pleasure gasp!). And with all this sun, warmth, kids on vacation, and thoughts of laying on the beach with a good summer novel, how does one manage to stay motivated during the summer?
Staying motivated at work during the summer months is nothing short of a challenge. Just looking out the window, or taking a short stroll outside, makes you realize how much of a sunny, warm, beautiful day you’re missing out on, cooped up in your office of dark cubicle.
During my time in Public Accounting or Big Accounting as we used to call it, summer months were the reprieve from the grueling busy season during the winter months. It was the time when the office was empty, workloads were lighter, and flexible schedules were in full swing. And things haven’t changed much today.
However, in hindsight, it was also the time when the most motivated associates differentiated themselves. While they still took vacation time and allowed for some flexibility in their hours, they still kept their productivity up and took on the challenging assignments everyone else carefully avoid. How did they manage to stay on and gain a competitive advantage when the rest of us were professionally on a standstill? And how do we, as corporate sisters, keep our motivation up when all we want to do is crawl under our desks and find the nearest beach (in that order):
1. Re-evaluate your goals! Mid-year, and the onset of summer, is a good time to reset those goals and priorities established at the beginning of the year. Are these goals still valid? How much progress have you made? What changed, and what needs to change? All these are important questions to ask yourself as you hit the mid-year mark. While you may not like all the resulting answers, re-focusing on your goals will re-energize you and pump up the motivation.
2. Flexibility is key! Now is less about putting the pressure than setting an effective pace. As vacation time comes up, the kids are out of school, and distractions are piling up around you, you have to allow for some professional wiggle room. Instead of building condensed (and painful) blocks of activity on your calendar, spread your assignments and projects out over time so you can still meet your target without sacrificing your summer. And as you’re planning ahead, speak to your managers and teams to keep everyone on the same page.
3. Take some time off! The Q1 2014 Glassdor.com Employment Confidence Survey revealed the average American employee takes half of earned vacation or paid time off, while 61% report working while on vacation. Now that’s a way to kill motivation and productivity with one overworked, grumpy professional stone’s throw. Besides, other than replenishing your productivity reserves and making you sharper on the job, the benefits of taking vacation include alleviating stress, reducing anxiety, and improving overall health. So yes, take a load off and book that getaway, your boss will thank you later!
For more tips on how to stay motivated during the summer months, enjoy this article here, and this one too!
The Corporate Sister.
