Motivation at work is so essential, yet so easy to lose. Here, a non-conventional approach to consistently motivate yourself at work.
At The BD School, we like to think of business developers as a special breed. If we had to pick an animal to over-simply the profile of a business development professional, we would probably pick a lion or any other big feline predator for that matter.
Just like these animals, we depend on our ability to hunt (opportunities) in order to survive (be successful).
Also, we heavily rely on our instinct to make fast decisions in situations where a careful evaluation of every possibility is not always an option. Finally, we sprint when we have to, but we can get “lazy” when we no longer need to sprint.
This requires a certain degree of motivation. How do you consistently keep on pushing forward at the intensity you need to become the person you want to become?
The truth is that motivation does not just happen. Being motivated at work is a mix of internal and external factors. Although it’s true that the level of motivation changes constantly, there actually are a number of things we can do to keep up with your motivation.
Here for you a non-conventional approach to maximize your chances and keep your motivation at work at the right level of intensity.
Who is responsible for your motivation at work?
When we work for someone, we expect to be supported by our employers or colleagues. How many times did you think that your boss was responsible to motivate you?
This is definitely true, our employers are responsible for keeping us motivated. But that’s only for a small part!
As most BD veterans know by now, there is always a point where more money and more responsibilities no longer provide us with that “kick” necessary to obtain extraordinary results.
This happens because our motivation doesn’t only depend on extrinsic factors, such as a pay raise or a promotion.
In fact, the mistake many people make is to believe that our motivation at work is purely the responsibility of our boss.
But in reality, your motivation is mainly your responsibility!
The power of intrinsic motivation
As simple as that. If you want to stay motivated, it’s basically up to you. After all you can’t control the actions of your boss, so how can you expect that he or she would do all they can to keep you motivated?
The secret here is to rely on your intrinsic motivation. You must understand what is it that really pushes you to keep delivering at your best.
Easier said than done right? Luckily, there is actually a way to make sure that – without any external help – we can claim the reins of our most important asset: our motivation.
How do you keep your motivation at work?
So, how do you stay motivated? Most people will tell you that you need to set goals and objectives. They are not wrong, but it does not end there.
Obviously, the ability to set SMART goals and knowing how to break them down into smaller tasks is an invaluable skill. It keeps countless business developers rowing towards the achievement of their objectives, ultimately making them very good at what they do.
But for a minute, we would like you to go beyond that.
Yes, beyond your target being smashed to bits and beyond your nice monthly or annual bonus. Yes, even beyond the amazing promotion that will afford you the lifestyle you are currently dreaming about.
What could you possibly need more than that?
Well, we don’t know, but you do. As Robert Kiyosaki defines it, it’s the art of minding your business. If you are reading this article, there must be something you want to achieve outside the workplace. But maybe you never went for it because you had to settle with reality.
Most of us do need to pay their bills after all. Right?
What do you know about aspiration?
Simply put, aspiration is the ambition of achieving something. Most people have some sort of ambition, but often they limit themselves to hoping to achieve something, rather than trying.
But what if you can turn that hope into a burning desire (borderline obsession)?
To the point where something almost magical happens to your mindset, boosting your motivation to peak levels.
The key here is to find your passion and put it in practice. Passion is really the strongest form of motivation and the good news is that every single one of us is passionate about something.
Sometimes, in the chaos of our routine, we might forget about it, but it doesn’t mean we don’t have any. Your job is to go back to your passion and make it work for you.
Read also: How I discovered Business Development from my failure
How can you use your passion?
At this point, you might be thinking “Wait a minute. Ok, so I am passionate about traveling but what does this have to do with business development?”
Well, what if I told you could use your passion – even completely unrelated to your job – to take your business development game to the next level?
1. Define your core objectives
The first step is to define your core objectives and usually, the answer is precisely in your passion or dreams. In fact, your dreams define where you want to go. And your job can define how you get there (and how fast you get there).
If you want, you can consider your job as a vehicle to achieve your dreams.
To make it more concrete. We know of many people that are great at their job, but what they are really after is their financial freedom. They work hard to make as much money as possible. They invest it and have it working even harder for them.
Others make money and invest it in their education or other skills to take their careers to the next level. Many others have created side hustles that eventually might turn into their main source of income.
The point is that they don’t see their job as their main aspiration. They see their career as a way to achieve a greater goal.
2. Account for some re-routing
As much as having a core objective is necessary to unlock your full potential, it’s also important to be comfortable with the idea that change is inevitable.
You might change your mind along the way or be forced to change your mind. If you want to be a great business developer today, set a destination, but be aware that things could change.
As long as you find it within yourself to give it your best every day, the place where you will land will be as great as you deserve.
3. Enjoy the journey
In short, having a clear objective on the job is great, but by itself, it will probably not be enough to keep you motivated consistently over a long period of time.
If you are able to tap into your passion and aspirations, you will have access to a virtually unlimited source of motivation. This will help you define your life purpose while making you a bad-ass business developer each and every day.
And remember, every day you get a bit closer, you are in line with your core objective, while enjoying the journey.
If you’re ready to unlock your potential, check out our courses!
Motivation at work is so essential, yet so easy to lose. Here, a non-conventional approach to consistently motivate yourself at work.
At The BD School, we like to think of business developers as a special breed. If we had to pick an animal to over-simply the profile of a business development professional, we would probably pick a lion or any other big feline predator for that matter.
Just like these animals, we depend on our ability to hunt (opportunities) in order to survive (be successful).
Also, we heavily rely on our instinct to make fast decisions in situations where a careful evaluation of every possibility is not always an option. Finally, we sprint when we have to, but we can get “lazy” when we no longer need to sprint.
This requires a certain degree of motivation. How do you consistently keep on pushing forward at the intensity you need to become the person you want to become?
The truth is that motivation does not just happen. Being motivated at work is a mix of internal and external factors. Although it’s true that the level of motivation changes constantly, there actually are a number of things we can do to keep up with your motivation.
Here for you a non-conventional approach to maximize your chances and keep your motivation at work at the right level of intensity.
Who is responsible for your motivation at work?
When we work for someone, we expect to be supported by our employers or colleagues. How many times did you think that your boss was responsible to motivate you?
This is definitely true, our employers are responsible for keeping us motivated. But that’s only for a small part!
As most BD veterans know by now, there is always a point where more money and more responsibilities no longer provide us with that “kick” necessary to obtain extraordinary results.
This happens because our motivation doesn’t only depend on extrinsic factors, such as a pay raise or a promotion.
In fact, the mistake many people make is to believe that our motivation at work is purely the responsibility of our boss.
But in reality, your motivation is mainly your responsibility!
The power of intrinsic motivation
As simple as that. If you want to stay motivated, it’s basically up to you. After all you can’t control the actions of your boss, so how can you expect that he or she would do all they can to keep you motivated?
The secret here is to rely on your intrinsic motivation. You must understand what is it that really pushes you to keep delivering at your best.
Easier said than done right? Luckily, there is actually a way to make sure that – without any external help – we can claim the reins of our most important asset: our motivation.
How do you keep your motivation at work?
So, how do you stay motivated? Most people will tell you that you need to set goals and objectives. They are not wrong, but it does not end there.
Obviously, the ability to set SMART goals and knowing how to break them down into smaller tasks is an invaluable skill. It keeps countless business developers rowing towards the achievement of their objectives, ultimately making them very good at what they do.
But for a minute, we would like you to go beyond that.
Yes, beyond your target being smashed to bits and beyond your nice monthly or annual bonus. Yes, even beyond the amazing promotion that will afford you the lifestyle you are currently dreaming about.
What could you possibly need more than that?
Well, we don’t know, but you do. As Robert Kiyosaki defines it, it’s the art of minding your business. If you are reading this article, there must be something you want to achieve outside the workplace. But maybe you never went for it because you had to settle with reality.
Most of us do need to pay their bills after all. Right?
What do you know about aspiration?
Simply put, aspiration is the ambition of achieving something. Most people have some sort of ambition, but often they limit themselves to hoping to achieve something, rather than trying.
But what if you can turn that hope into a burning desire (borderline obsession)?
To the point where something almost magical happens to your mindset, boosting your motivation to peak levels.
The key here is to find your passion and put it in practice. Passion is really the strongest form of motivation and the good news is that every single one of us is passionate about something.
Sometimes, in the chaos of our routine, we might forget about it, but it doesn’t mean we don’t have any. Your job is to go back to your passion and make it work for you.
Read also: How I discovered Business Development from my failure
How can you use your passion?
At this point, you might be thinking “Wait a minute. Ok, so I am passionate about traveling but what does this have to do with business development?”
Well, what if I told you could use your passion – even completely unrelated to your job – to take your business development game to the next level?
1. Define your core objectives
The first step is to define your core objectives and usually, the answer is precisely in your passion or dreams. In fact, your dreams define where you want to go. And your job can define how you get there (and how fast you get there).
If you want, you can consider your job as a vehicle to achieve your dreams.
To make it more concrete. We know of many people that are great at their job, but what they are really after is their financial freedom. They work hard to make as much money as possible. They invest it and have it working even harder for them.
Others make money and invest it in their education or other skills to take their careers to the next level. Many others have created side hustles that eventually might turn into their main source of income.
The point is that they don’t see their job as their main aspiration. They see their career as a way to achieve a greater goal.
2. Account for some re-routing
As much as having a core objective is necessary to unlock your full potential, it’s also important to be comfortable with the idea that change is inevitable.
You might change your mind along the way or be forced to change your mind. If you want to be a great business developer today, set a destination, but be aware that things could change.
As long as you find it within yourself to give it your best every day, the place where you will land will be as great as you deserve.
3. Enjoy the journey
In short, having a clear objective on the job is great, but by itself, it will probably not be enough to keep you motivated consistently over a long period of time.
If you are able to tap into your passion and aspirations, you will have access to a virtually unlimited source of motivation. This will help you define your life purpose while making you a bad-ass business developer each and every day.
And remember, every day you get a bit closer, you are in line with your core objective, while enjoying the journey.
If you’re ready to unlock your potential, check out our courses!
