Work is, well, work. It’s rarely fun, always time-consuming, and most of us would much rather being doing anything else. During the cold winter months this desire to do anything but work is only exacerbated by the short daylight hours and dreary weather. It can be really hard to remain on task during the winter. It can be even harder to remain motivated even if you can stay on task.
Image Credit: Examiner
How do you manage to stay motivated when it’s dark and cold and gloomy outside? It’s not as difficult as one might think. Motivation is largely driven by accomplishment, meaning that if you have an achievable goal you can remain motivated to finish it. Here are a few ideas that you can use to turn your work into goals and how to achieve them.
Have a master plan:
Every job no matter what it is has tasks that have to be completed as part of the work day. The best way to determine your approach to those tasks is to write them down. Consider it a to-do list and then pop those items into times for your day. That way you know exactly what you need to accomplish and you know how it fits into your day.
Schedule a break and a treat:
Even if you can’t take a full lunch period you still need to a moment away from your work to give your brain a chance to rest as well as to allow you to see progress. Even if it’s just the five minutes it takes to get up and heat up something in the microwave, schedule yourself a set time to step away from the work and then schedule yourself another little bit of time to reward yourself for whatever work you’ve accomplished (if you’re a caffeine drinker, this treat time is a great opportunity to get a cup of coffee. It’s like a prize for sticking to your plan!)
Do the most difficult task first:
The hardest thing you have to do in the day is usually the thing you want to put off the most. Dread is not a good motivator so instead of putting it off, put it first or as early in your day as you can. By doing it first you not ony get it out of the way, but you’ve accomplished something big. That accomplishment might just be enough to fuel your whole day and keep you right on track.
These three simple steps won’t dismiss all of the dreariness of a winter work day, but they will help you keep focus. They might even help you be more productive and there is nothing more motivating that getting things done so you can go home! Happy working!
The Hudsucker 
I really find this to be good advice. I would apply these ideas beyond the workplace too. The third one is the one I can really attest to. Everyday I get the most difficult tasks out of the way so I know that they are complete and I can move on to the ones that are a little less pressure. The master plan is also something that people may not focus on when they are just working away day to day but in my experience it is very important to know where you are ultimately heading.
Nice sum up. My rest is always a bottle of good and cold beer. Sometimes I do the same thing for a lunch, and sometimes it is also my breakfast (on weekends, I know). Seems to me that I’m maybe an alcoholic. But it works quite well. I’m a bartender by the way.