For many people, the end of the year can be a tough time. Perhaps you’ve been in lengthy budget discussions, maybe you’re pushing to close a few more deals, or just make it through to the holiday time with family.
No matter the reasoning, we could all use a little bit of help to stay motivated.
To that end, we’ve collected some tips to help people address the timeless challenge of staying motivated at the end of the year.
Cultivate community
James Walker, a PR and communications pro, shared that friends in his field are the key for him, specifically “adding extra intention to connecting with friends in the industry and my community in general.”
“We’re all making that final push to the end of the year, and in addition to the work, we connect on our plans and aspirations for the new year. In many ways, what is to come provides the fuel for what is right now.”
Having a “work bestie” has proven to be extremely powerful, including as a boost for retention. Having friends at work helps people feel connected to their company and confirms that they have relationships that matter, recent research suggests.
Socialize your goals
Aduke Thellwell, a communications and investor relations leader, shared: “I’ve recently been reading about measuring the gap and the gain, and focusing more on my gains from the beginning of the year than on the gap between my current progress and my aspirational goals. I’ve started reflecting on 2023, and reminding myself how much I’ve already accomplished this year is motivating me to continue to push on taking those gains even farther.”
Psychology Today published some recommendations on this topic recently, including the opportunity to create shared goals so you can also tackle motivation together, according to author Tchiki Davis, Ph.D.
Davis cites a study that found that when people feel that they comprehend what they’re doing, they’re more engaged, and another study found that if a task is too easy or too hard, people can disengage. To that end, Davis recommends either switching up tasks to adjust difficulty or doing some things that you’re good at to get that feeling of competence that drives motivation.
Unplug from social media
Tulika Bose, a senior multimedia editor at the Scientific American, pointed out that following the social media news cycle can be a source of stress, and also that professionally some may be struggling with layoffs or extended job searches. She suggests setting a timer for social media time, to minimize exposure to triggering elements.
“We often start to feel incredibly depressed and helpless when we start experiencing tunnel vision – i.e., focusing on only devastation [or] helplessness and nothing else. In addition to taking breaks, find a way to be constructive,” she wrote in a Twitter post.
Rest and seek outside support
Alexis Todd-Dinac, a product marketing manager at an ed tech company, told us that “seeing a therapist has done wonders for my motivation.”
Todd-Dinac went on to explain that rest and support from a therapist can “help uncover patterns that cause burnout. I take breaks when I need them now and set better time boundaries.”
Learn something new
Bose also recommends thinking about personal growth and development as a way to stay motivated and on task, but do something different while feeling productive. As a journalist, for example, she often recommends that professionals working in print learn multimedia and vice versa to “see how much you can pick up from people around you.”
Treat yourself
A very common solution to end-of-year malaise, and my personal favorite, is finding the right treat for achieving goals. For me, it’s a sweet treat – candy. A recent poll had a super-majority of respondents say that treats got them through the difficult days.
Keep some in a basket or jar, and share with coworkers (if it’s appropriate for your workplace). It can even be a communal thing where everyone contributes their favorite treats to the basket, or your company spends a small amount per week to stock up.
But the treat doesn’t have to be a snack – research shows that small acts as rewards for achieving tasks help to motivate us while making each task seem more attainable.
That treat could come in the form of a walk around your neighborhood to get some fresh air, a quick break to play a videogame, or taking a few minutes to catch up on your favorite TV show. Whatever form it takes, it’s important to remember that we need energy to stay motivated – and motivation comes in many different forms.
