How’s everyone’s motivation level?  I’ll be honest, mine’s low.  Our office was one of the few that never closed or did remote working, so work hasn’t really changed for me.  I just keep plugging along, but for the first time in forever, I don’t have that “fire in my belly” as my former boss liked to say.  There are so many things on my list that I want to do (and I actually do mean here at the office lol), but just can’t make myself get around to starting them.  I can totally be a procrastinator by nature, and I thought I had broken that habit, but it seems to be back in full force. 

I’ve made lists of things that seem like I’d be inspired to start them but find that I end up pushing them to the side just to complete the regular stuff.  I find that my job/career is always just a cycle.  Every week/month contains the exact same conflicts and opportunities.  For me, it’s basically all financial and HR issues.  I despise HR issues.  I despise HR.  Y’all know what I’m talking about, right?  Don’t you get tired of employees coming into your office and complaining about what they don’t have?  Or someone wants to say something but fears that they might be overheard and taken out of context, so they come to your office to vent it out. Then you get to decide if it’s really venting or is it something that needs to be handled.

And please don’t get me started on personal life.  I honestly thought with COVID going on that it would have more time to myself, and live the life I’ve always dreamed about, you know, as a hermit!  Then I remembered I had parents, and they need all kinds of assistance since they can’t go out.  Fortunately, I have a brother who’s just as involved with them as I am.  But still I find that I have to work on finding time for myself, my husband, and of course Oakie.  It’s a balance I’m constantly working on these days.  And for my coworkers and friends, they have to add their children to that list.  It’s a wonder anyone has any motivation!

So that got me to thinking - do we lose motivation because we run at full speed for so long, and then we just crash and burn?  I guess then it becomes a matter of gassing up the tank or in some cases, maybe we need a new car to start over.  But how do you go about deciding which you are?  For me, I’ve had to take a long look at the pros and cons of my career.  There are tons more pros than cons, so it was easy for me to know that I need to work on filling my tank.  I find that I’ve been cheap in doing so.  Some days I only put about $5 in, and you know what?  It doesn’t last long.  I’m working on filling the entire tank at one time with the premium gas and speeding off.  I visualize that a lot.  It really does make me laugh out loud when I do.   And that’s really helped in motivating myself.  My next big step is to find someone at the office who can help hold me accountable without it being a stress to them.  It’s not that I need someone to check on me, it’s the idea that someone could at any time ask where I’m at on my list of creations.  And that’s what I want to be held accountable for – the things that I want to create to help others in my firm and SDA.  The day to day will handle itself, and the rest will fall into place as I go.  Here’s to filling the tanks and speeding on down the highway!

What are some ways that you are filling your motivational tank? Share them in the comment box below.

Susan Lankey, CDFA is the Office Manager for DJG, Inc. in Williamsburg, Virginia.

She is a Past National President for SDA.