Doing the things that motivate us can account for up to sixty percent of the predictability of our success in a role.

Recently I have been coaching a senior leader in engineering. She is amazing at what she does, passionate, knowledgeable and has a bursting mindset to grow and further develop. What she was noticing though, was her motivation to kick off each week was lagging, and this was unusual for her.

We explored this together throughout a session, and my question to her was, “What has changed?”. This is still one of the most powerful coaching questions as it helps identify the actual moment of change and what lurks behind that, the underlying reason.

We discovered that as her team had rapidly expanded in September last year, she had changed what she usually did on a Monday which was to meet suppliers, get out on site and see clients. Now she was always office-bound at the start of each week.

Knowing this, we identified that being out in the coalface, building relationships, and working with key stakeholders was a large part of what got Elsa motivated. These are the things that light her up and give her energy. Satisfying these motivators is what gives her a “pep in her step”, and too often we may know what lights us up, but we simply manage this, not satisfy it.

Elsa and I mapped out a plan to tackle this which was to simply have Monday out in the field where possible so she could kick off the week with what energises her the most.

Elsa is now feeling more motivated simply by starting the week off with what deeply motivates her. This sets the tone for the week ahead and amplifies a positive mindset, productivity, and happiness.

Doing what energises you at the start of the week sets the tone of the week. It also can help eliminate that Sunday night dread many people experience as they face a new work week.

Too often we get caught up in doing what we are good at, not necessarily what we are good and enjoy.

How often do we get caught up doing what we are competent at without really taking the time to review the actual enjoyment and fulfillment we get out of it?

How often do we lead others without really knowing what drives them?

It’s worth thinking about what lights you up the most in your role and how you can bring this in at the start of your week. It is also worth bringing your team together to identify and share the things that motivate them. This builds connection and the team can leverage the strengths of each other and collaborate and succeed as a strength-based team.

Motivation doesn’t just come from the tasks we carry out; it also comes from the people that energise us and the environment in which we work.

In the new world of work with hybrid work here to stay, if you are a person that loves being in the office, make sure you head into the office on a Monday and as frequent as possible. If you prefer working remotely and have that flexibility in your workplace, be conscious of this and tap into this preferred environment.

Personally, I love most parts of running a business, in particular delivering programs and speaking at events. This is what really energises me. I ensure, where I can, to always be in client delivery to kick off the week. I’m a realist, I know we can’t always be energised by everything, but I do know that if we bring in what we love as much as we can, our energy lifts as does the culture around us.

A few tips:

Identify

• Make a list of the key tasks/responsibilities of your current role.
• Circle only the things that you really enjoy and love the most in your role/business?

This will be what gives you the most excitement, energy and usually feels easy.

Satisfy

• How will you incorporate this into your role and at a time that you find most motivating?

Be a realist, but also remember you can control more than you think by simply planning, setting boundaries, and resetting these regularly.

Amplify

• What is different in the way you feel and act?
• How can you share what energises you with others to leverage across teams?

When doing what lights you up, you will feel energised and inflow.

Remember, when we are energised and doing what is congruent to our whole self at work, we can’t but help be lit up and on purpose.

Written by Renée Giarrusso.
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