Motivate Yourself!

Community Manager — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:27:00 GMT

As anyone who has ever thought about going to the gym can tell you, thinking and doing are vastly different verbs. The difference between the people who hit the gym every morning and those that mean to get there but rarely do is motivation: self-motivation.

Onwards

Self-motivation is a building block of success. Getting from A to Z requires an internal drive that propels one forward, especially when it's easier to hit the snooze button when the gym beckons. With summer in its waning days, and the fall back-to-school season upon us, it's time for some tips to get our self-motivation mojo back in form.

First, a status check. How self-motivated are you? This revealing quiz from Mindtools.com provides a chance to assess your strengths and weaknesses.

If you feel in need of a tune-up, here are a few tactics to help shape up your self-motivation skills.

Start Simple: Set small, achievable goals and own them! Success breeds success.
Carrots & Sticks: Perform well and reward yourself. Pretty simple.
Consequences: Picture the negative outcome of not moving towards your goal. Don't overdo this, a positive attitude is necessary but a realistic outlook is a must-have as well.
Keep good company: Hang out with motivated people. Can-do is contagious!

Looking for inspiration? Check in with this wonderful Huffington Post piece from time to time: How to Motivate Yourself: 21 Quotes to Help You Refocus and Renew.

How do you self-motivate? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Carly Fadako

Feeling Low? Give Your Office Morale a Boost

Community Manager — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:08:00 GMT

For the better part of the last two years, we have been inundated with the harsh realities of the economic downturn. So, it likely comes as no surprise that a recent survey showed that almost a quarter of all businesses are experiencing low employee morale.

As this Reuters report on the poll sets out, survey respondents attribute the problem to:

High stress levels
Increased workloads
Favoritism

According to this post on the causes and cures of low morale in the workplace, another driving force is poor leadership.

If you are an employer or office leader, it is important to be proactive in recognizing and remedying low morale in the workplace. You can start with some guidance from this CareerBuilder.com post on 5 No-Brainer Morale Boosters. Topping the list is "do as you say." Hypocracy is a very destructive force and "you should hold yourself accountable just as you do your employees." More tips can be found in this HR World post on boosting morale, including:

Celebrate personal milestones
Establish employee-recognition programs
Treat employees to lunch
Check in regularly through individual and group meetings
Bring employees together to perform community service
Offer financial incentives
Conduct employee-satisfaction surveys

As this TechRepublic post on team morale points out, no one should ignore the uplifting power of being a good listener and saying "thank you." If you are looking for a group exercise to raise office spirits, you should take note of this post discussing the office morale-boosting effects of NCAA office pools .

Do you have any suggestions about boosting office morale? Please share them with us here or on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

By Bradley Eggers

Beyond Folders : morale, appreciation

Motivate Yourself!

Feeling Low? Give Your Office Morale a Boost