When you are at school a lot of your motivation is done for you. Either your teachers or your parents are on your case to make sure you get your work done and not fall behind with your studies (at least, that is the idea!). However, as you grow, you are given more responsibility and increasingly left to look after yourself. It is all a part of maturing as a person and being able to take responsibility for your own actions – or lack of! But how motivated are you, and why does it matter?
Self-motivation is something that employers love to see. Your boss probably doesn’t have the time to keep chasing staff to make sure they are doing what is expected of them. Of course, there are checks, and if you consistently show that you are not working, then you will find yourself in trouble – or even out of a job.
Rather than hiding away and trying to do as little as possible, you are expected to be trusted to get on with your job. Of course, this differs depending on what you do for a living – an airline pilot is certainly expected to stay on task while on the job, while it will be less drastic if a warehouse worker has an off day! But, regardless of what you do for a living, being self-motivated will pay dividends for your career.
If you can show that you are someone to be trusted to get on with the job, you should find yourself rising up the ranks. Your hard work will help you shine in your workplace, and will certainly do more to advance your career and get you promoted than hiding in the staff toilets!
It is not just at work where motivation can make a difference. If you are still studying, whether that is for an apprenticeship, traineeship, A-Levels, GCSE, degree, or other qualification, it is worth being self-motivated.
Your studies and qualifications are there to help you progress in your own life. If you slack off and don’t put in the effort, you are only doing yourself a disservice, and not just with regard to your results. For example, you might want to get a reference from your teacher or tutor when it comes time to apply for your first job. Showing that you can be depended on to get your studies done can translate directly over to the workplace. Furthermore, being self-motivated and getting your work done in time can even prevent you running into difficulties with your studies.
If you can motivate yourself to get on with your study as soon as possible you give yourself more time should something go wrong. Perhaps you need to do some more research, or there is something you don’t understand. Doing your study at the last minute doesn’t give you much of a chance to address the problem and you may find yourself having to rush to get your work in on time.
Being self-motivated is about understanding that how you work or study has a direct impact on how people see you, as well as allowing you a chance to shine, and not fall into the trap of leaving something until too late. Don’t be a burden on your boss, your tutor, teacher, or yourself – just find a little extra motivation and get your work done – you will find you have plenty of time for fun after!
