Bruno de Faria Talpo

Marketing Analyst Brazil

An employee´s good productivity is directly related to work motivation. 

This is an element that must be part of the employees´ day to day activities, to maintain the quality of the processes and create a pleasant and proactive environment. Aside from this, motivation does not only apply to work, but also to all things that we do in our life, and that’s where we find personal motivation.    

For this reason, we invited Daniel Decán, Regional Head of Payroll HRO located in Costa Rica to talk about the importance of both personal and professional motivation to reach your goals in 2023.

What is motivation and how does it affect us? 

For Daniel, it is a feeling that keeps you active, you know you can do whatever you put your mind to. It is an optimal state of mind that encourages you to continue, that is to say, a stimulus.    

Being motivated we see alternatives that in another emotional state would not be easy to see, this makes work more meaningful and therefore affects the results.

Another important point is balance between personal and working life and keep in mind that they are two lives that require your time and your preparation to enhance them. For example, in personal life we have social activities with family, friends, etc., also sports, health, academic activities, among others; these activities develop our potential as human beings, keeps us active and in constant evolution.

On the other hand, working life requires that the elements mentioned in personal life are balanced in such a way that the results can be maintained in the medium and long term, this means, are sustainable over time as they require effort, concentration, mental agility, among others, being balance an important factor to have extensive achievements both personally and professionally.

How to create new (good) habits?

Get started: the most important is to start, this means be determined to take the first step without thinking too much about the results and the long term.

Compromise: start with small placebos so that we can fool our brain and achieve what we are committed to do.

Celebrate: whenever there is success or a step you consider important, you can celebrate it so that this activity becomes even more interesting.  

Aside from these three points, keep a good nutrition, work out or do a sport regularly and rest, these are vital so we can increase our energy levels and thus increase productivity.

Overcome a bad moment, for a good one to come!

The first step is to identify why we are not happy with performance, since there may be personal factors that are affecting our work, as health or working environment factors (tools, co-workers) or the activities performed, so once we identify them, we must share them with our leader, or somebody we trust to be guided on how to deal with them, as well as search digital media or documented information as lectures in order to rectify them and most important of all, apply them.

There are many ways to identify if a person is unmotivated, some of them are: 

-if you do not want to start your working day by unwillingness;

-your tasks do not fulfill you;

-objectives or goals are not clear;

-work environment can also affect all of this. 

Maintain motivated in work and life 

Have attitude, set goals, identify the reasons why everything we do will positively impact the environment and make us feel better.

Also, in the workplace, the importance of teamwork is vital to feel more motivated. When you feel part of a team this makes it possible to achieve goals in a more effective and expeditious manner; when everybody is involved it gives a sense of belonging, there is empathy and everyone is part of a whole, which makes results positive and we concentrate on achievements. This also applies to the personal part, through a relationship, friendship or family relationship. 

Motivation in the coming year

First, we must be grateful for everything we have, from gratitude to realize how much we have grown and the results we have obtained. 

Also focus on planning and balance to have an agenda. 

Another tip is that we have to have a self-conscious diet to have all the vitality to break it next year, getting active and moving. Rest needs to be implemented so that our body and mind are not overloaded. And last, let´s review everything that in one way or another did not turn out as we wanted and we adjust ourselves so as not to go through something similar again, since there is no success without failure.