52 Weeks: Week 5 - Motivation

Focus Question: What gets you motivated as a remote worker?

Description
Motivation usually has several components – internal and external factors.  

Internal factors include our own preferences.  We do something because we love to do it or want to learn. External factors are when we do something because of an external impact – we are going to get rewarded, or praised, or even punished.

What drives you? Where do you get your motivation in work?

Regardless of the source, knowing what motivates us, and what doesn’t, is critical for remote workers. While we work autonomously, if we are not self-motivated, it can have an impact.

What are the elements which are going to keep you moving forward, and excited, with your work? What’s going to get you out of bed in the morning? What’s going to replace the water cooler talk?
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Self-motivation can be critical for remote workers given that we are working in isolation.

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Activity
Take some time this week to think about the things that have helped you move projects across the finish line. From this list below, what were the factors which helped you?

Questions to consider:

• What are the flags which might signal that you are in lower levels of motivation?
• What are the elements which can signal that you are in flow – insert what you need for flow to occur?
• What inspires you?
• What helps you go “above and beyond”?
• When do you know that it’s time to stop?

 
For more on this:
Check out the Iceberg exercise in section 1 of PlanDoTrack and Coaching Business Builder.
Be clear on what your motivators are. Inquire about others on your team.
Some additional resources around motivation include writing from authors including:
Maslow, Daniel Pink - Drive

Best wishes, 
​Jennifer

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​Check out the most recent Remote Pathways Podcast Episode which covers the topic of Vision. You can listen to Episode 4 here, or on your favorite podcast player.