How to Regain Motivation at Work

Ami Au-Yeung
Nov 04 2021 | Insights
Woman smiling in front of laptop.

With the majority of the workforce either resigning or languishing, it’s safe to say that motivation is at an all-time low.

So how can you find your spark at work again? Our Coach and Content Lead Ami Au-Yeung shares five actions to help you move forward.


Stuck in a rut? Feeling demotivated? There have been many times in my career where I’ve been withdrawn, disengaged, overly reflective, and feeling a bit lost. Having made 5 career shifts (and countless job changes), I understand that it can sometimes feel a bit messy and unsettling. Luckily, there are a few intentional actions that you can take to move forward and bring back your motivation at work. Here are five things to consider.

Fill up your tank

When you’re feeling a bit restless, unmotivated and unclear about the path forward, the first thing to do is take care of yourself. Get intentional about your boundaries. What type of rest do you need? Think about what things fill up your tank.

Tap into your network

Who do you trust? Who are your mentors? Opening up to people and hearing perspectives in my advisory circles always helps to accelerate my learning and growth. Be careful not to vent but to make it productive and forward-looking by identifying what’s working for you or not. Look for people who can help you work through your thoughts or concerns rather than giving you advice or pushing their opinions on you too strongly. A coach is great for that. Ask yourself: will having a conversation with this person be productive for me or will it drain my energy? Learn to lean into what really helps motivate you and filter out the noise.

Look within

Finding meaningful work starts with looking within. Find out what makes you tick, what your strengths are, and your values and beliefs. What are your non-negotiables? Values exercises are a great way of getting to know yourself. One of my favorites is the VIA Character Strengths. A great book and workbook to help you get clear on how you want to feel is Danielle LaPorte’s The Desire Map: A Guide to Creating Goals with Soul.

Write yourself a love letter 

What do you love about your job? Write down why you’re good at your job and focus on things that bring you energy. Reminding yourself about the things you love is a powerful way of finding your motivation at work again.

Do something creative and unrelated to your work

This will help you get some inspiration. Try something new. Step away from what is lowering energy and dial-up on things that bring you joy. You will feel motivated, light, joy, and free again. Have faith that you’ll get there. Life is messy. It’s not linear. Stick with it. Do the inner work, leverage those who you trust, and allow yourself time and space to move through the process.

At Ezra we help people become more engaged and motivated in the workplace through our next generation digital coaching platform. We work with individuals at all levels of business to help embed the behaviours that lead to lasting change for greater long term success. We’ve redesigned leadership coaching for the modern age to help transform people through affordable, scalable and high-impact solutions, with equitable access through our world-class coaching app. Find out today how our approach could make a big difference to your career.

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