How to stay motivated and get it all done by the end of the year

 

The end of the year is a time of celebration. And a time to think about restarting your career. New year, new you, new job?

 

In this year’s Hays Salary Guide FY24/25 we found that 77 per cent of employees were looking or planning for a new job within the next 12 months – and often that tends to come to fruition at the turn of the year.

 

Tired from a long year and needing a proper break, that can spill over into the idea that maybe the grass is greener elsewhere. As the niggles pile up, many people start to feel that perhaps a permanent break is needed rather than a summer one.

 

But the grass isn’t always greener – a better bet is to try and raise your motivation levels to get through to the end of the year and reconsider how things look when you’re refreshed. 

 

But how can you motivate yourself through those last few draining weeks?

 

And first of all, how do you know your energy levels are actually low and that you’re lacking motivation? It should be obvious, but if it’s not then there are a few signs to be aware of.

 

Have you been noticeably irritable or negative lately? Snapping at colleagues, being an antagonist in meetings or feeling cynical about work?

 

Or are you making silly mistakes? Getting behind in your work and not managing your time or to do list as effectively as normal?

 

Sometimes these things creep up on us and we start to question our effectiveness, when actually, we just need a break.

 

Dreading work in the morning or taking extra sick leave can mean that you’ve fallen out of love with your job, but it can just show that you really need some time off – and the end of the year is when that starts to be the case for almost everyone.

 

Are you taking proper lunch breaks? Are you working reasonable hours? Are you prioritising what is really urgent rather than trying to solve everything?

 

These are the basics and yet tend to be ignored when deadlines loom. It’s understandable and sometimes necessary, but if you’re always working at full pelt, then you have no extra gears to go to when things get really hectic.

 

With a few weeks left of the year, take a hard look at your lists and work tools, and decide what really needs to be done before the break and what you can come back to in the new year. There comes a point where it’s time to cut-and-run and just get whatever you need to finish and leave the rest for when you’re refreshed.

 

In addition to these, are you taking good care of yourself away from work? The end of the year is not only when work starts to pile up, but social activities take off as well. Are you pacing yourself? It might be wise to pick and choose your functions – especially on ‘school nights’ and have a few alcohol-free events. It all adds to the tiredness if you’re spinning too many plates.

 

Hopefully you have a boss that you can chat with, someone with empathy and understanding. There are a couple of reasons why this is important.

 

First – it’s often good to get on the front foot if you don’t feel you’re performing to your normal standard, or that you’re not as positive as usual. It will reassure them if they’ve noticed a change in your performance that it’s not an endemic thing, but just a temporary period of fatigue. In fact, a great boss will pick up on the signals and perhaps approach you first.

 

The second reason is that your boss will have gone through this scenario many times and may have some tips on how to survive the end of year. Listen to how they deal with low energy levels and end of year pressures.

 

It will also remind them that the whole team is probably feeling that way.

 

As this awareness spreads, it could be a good time to look around at your team. Who else is potentially struggling. It has been consistently confirmed that helping others can bring happiness. So, check in on your team to see if anyone is doing it tough – anything you can do to help them or raise their spirits will exponentially improve your own mood.

 

Also bring some small rituals to the team if you can – suggest them to your boss if you don’t feel confident to initiate them. Perhaps start meetings with a fun around-the-room activity. A score out of ten to say how you’re feeling; something you’re grateful for; or even the latest TV series you’re binging. Something to lighten the grind.

 

Social gatherings in and out of the workplace – preferably linked to a win are also important. Has there been a project that’s recently come to fruition, or a contract that’s been won? It could be a great time to get everyone out of the office in a relaxed environment.

 

And of course, a Christmas or end-of-year function is pretty much obligatory.

 

And at the other end of the fun scale, is there a safe place that you can share your worries or issues without fear of judgement or repercussions. Is there a sense of trust that you will be heard and helped, either by your boss, a colleague or somebody in the HR department?

 

Deck the halls with boughs of holly. And clear the decks at work. Starting new projects at this time of year is not a great idea when energy levels are low. Starting something new before the summer break may just feel like extra pressure and cause a false start.

 

Save big and exciting projects for the start of the new year. Instead, finish your existing priorities as far as possible and clear out your inbox. Run down your to do list and shut off those niggling tasks that have been hanging around.

 

Take a break confident that you’ve done everything you needed to and come back refreshed. If the motivation remains low, then it might be the sign that change is needed. But chances are, it was just that a holiday was required.