Need some work motivation? One of the best ways to find motivation at work is to make it a race.
Me, My Dad, and a Chapel
Whenever I need some work motivation, I remember when I was a kid and my dad would preach in a chapel.
Hmmm, I might need to clarify.
Being a zombie in a post-apocalyptic world can be pretty boring. Imagine never needing sleep and pretty much living forever. Your days are 50% longer, your life lasts for who knows how long, and so many things that cut through the boredom have been destroyed. It makes us a little wacky, but puts our imagination on steroids.
Me and My Imagination
So, when I say “my dad”, I mean some strange zombie that I often see around, and when I say “chapel”, I mean an old, burned-down building, and when I say “preach”, I mean say “brains” over and over for an hour or so.
Even for a zombie it can get a bit much, so I started doing things to pass the time. I started to count the holes in the roof. Then I tried to see how quickly I could locate all the exits.
To be clear, at this point, the building was pretty much all exits and a roof. Technically the roof was pretty much all exits too.
The thing is, as wild as that situation as, it helped me learn a lot about work motivation. In fact I discovered one of the best techniques: to make it a race.
Work Motivation
If you’re wondering how to get motivated for work, and you feel lazy and unmotivated, there are many things you can do.
For instance you can do less to do more, making tasks so simple that they’re easy to do and the feeling of accomplishment makes it easier to do more. You can also break tasks into bite-sized chunks making them easier to complete.
Still one of the best ways I’ve found for work motivation was what I discovered in that chapel with the unicorn and the waterfall fountain: make it a race. (Full disclosure, the “unicorn” was Bob and the waterfall fountain was simply a huge leak.)
Make it a Race
So what does it mean to make it a race, and how does that add to work motivation? Simple: you take a repetitive task and time it. Here are the simple steps you take:
- Time it: Time how long it takes you to complete a task.
- Track it: Keep track of your time or how many times you can do it in a certain length of time.
- Compare it: Try to beat your best time. Find ways to make it fun.
It makes work a lot more fun, but it doesn’t have to stop there. You can add rewards for breaking records, like special lunch or a break. You can invite other coworkers to join and make it a competition. You can keep a standing record of your best times.
If you’re looking for work motivation, simply make it a race. You may just end up loving your work if you time your tasks, track your time, and compare your best times. A little imagination you can make a boring activity, like listening to a crazy zombie mutter “brains” for an hour in a leaky, broken down building, into something that’s a lot more fun.
