March KC Edition

C2C DAILY

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C2C DAILY 5 Simple Ways to Stay Motivated at Work It’s all about reframing.

By Marina Khidekel, Editorial Director at Thrive Global

Even if we love what we do, we may find our motivation at work waning from time to time. It happens to the best of us, and when it does, it can compromise our focus, productivity and confidence.

There are four key reasons our motivation at work may waver: 1) A values mismatch, 2) lack of selfefficacy, 3) disruptive emotions, and 4) attribution errors (i.e. not knowing what went wrong with a task), according to Richard E. Clark, Ed.D., a Professor Emeritus of psychology and technology at the University of Southern California, and Bror Saxberg, the Vice President of Learning Science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The two write about these “motivation traps” and how employers can solve for each one in the Harvard Business Review.

But as individuals, having some motivation-boosting strategies at the ready can help us get out of a rut quickly. We asked members of the Thrive Global community to share their best tips for staying motivated at work. Which ones will you try?

Think about when you wanted what you now have “On really tough days when I feel like giving up, I try to think back to when I wanted what I have now (my role, lessons I’ve learned, relationships, self-awareness, my abilities, etc.). It shifts my perspective and helps me remember to focus on gratitude. Plus, I’ve never given up before, so why should I start now? Things usually aren’t as bad as they seem.”

—Megan Garheart, corporate recruiter, Baltimore, MD Focus on the value you’re adding “I’ve always found that focusing on why I’m doing something helps me stay motivated at work. When I can clearly see the deeper purpose behind what I’m doing — not just that it’s my job or that I’m expected to deliver something — I stay excited about the value my work adds to the bigger picture. For example, screening candidates might feel tedious at times, but reminding myself that I have the privilege of learning about many people and identifying those who will thrive on and improve our team is motivating.”

—Andrew Gobran, people operations, Minneapolis, MN Think of your job as an investment in your future “I work at a place where burnout is expected. So many around me are too worried about running out of steam — including myself — that I think we forget why we applied to that job in the first place. If I ever get to that point, I’ll remind myself that each day at my job is an investment in my future. In other words, I like to think of where I’ll be in the next five years, then look at the next year, the next six months and then the next week. I tell myself, ‘What do you need to get done today so that the future you want is that much closer?’ It’s a daily dose of investment medicine for motivation.”

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C2C DAILY —Jacob Kountz, mental health worker, Bakersfield, CA Break tasks into smaller chunks “I use the rule about doing 52 minutes of work followed by 17 minutes of rest, a break, or a change of scenery. While I’m not so strict about the ratios, I’m relieved to know I have scientifically-proven permission to change it up. But while at my desk, I glean a great deal of motivation from stopping, taking a deep breath, and getting curious. I love writing to-do lists. As solopreneurs, we sometimes sabotage ideas and creativity because we know the burden of execution lies solely on us. Nevertheless we keep going, staying in love with our work, projects, outcomes, and the difference we’re making in the world.

Breaking ideas, projects, and tasks into smaller chunks has been incredibly good for digestion!”

—Meris R. Gebhardt, founder, New York, NY Recharge your batteries “A lack of motivation can impact numerous aspects of our personal and professional lives. Fortunately, there are several ways to combat this lackluster feeling, recharge our batteries, and restore our optimism. One is to ask if your expectations are too high. If so, recalibrate. If others have noted that your attitude may need adjustment, you may also consider planning your vacation sooner than you usually do, taking a mental health day from time to time, seeking professional guidance, or asking for a transfer or temporary reassignment.”

—Dr. Marlene Caroselli, author, Pittsford, NY

Marina Khidekel, Editorial Director at Thrive Global Marina is Thrive Global's Editorial Director. Previously she was senior deputy editor at Women's Health, where she edited award-winning wellness features and oversaw the campaigns and partnerships around them. Before that, she was deputy editor of features and brand extensions at Cosmopolitan, where she modernized the magazine's love and relationships coverage, bringing in top contributors, launching two events, and leading Cosmopolitan to earn its first GLAAD award for Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage. She has held editing and writing posts at Glamour, MTV Networks, Brides and CosmoGirl, and was also the founder of Underrated, a viral email newsletter where notable creatives such as Misty Copeland and Phoebe Robinson shared their under-the-radar culture, food and style favorites.

WISDOM//March 25, 2019 How to Unlock Your Full Creative Potential at Work There’s value in coming up with new ideas — and then letting them marinate before pursuing them.

By Rebecca Muller, Assistant Editor at Thrive Global Stanislav Salamanov/ Getty Images Stanislav Salamanov/ Getty Images

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C2C DAILY How to Unlock Your Full Creative Potential at Work There’s value in coming up with new ideas — and then letting them marinate before pursuing them.

Rebecca Muller,

The idea of living up to your potential, especially at work, can feel daunting. We’re constantly trying to do well at our jobs, and we’re often expected to execute quickly, but the resulting pressure can be stressful, and can hinder our ability to be creative. Instead, we’re actually more creative when we produce several ideas at once, then step away or take a short walk, allowing ourselves time to ruminate, according to a new study from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin and the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“Stimulating a large quantity of ideas does not result in creativity right away,” Steven J. Kachelmeier, Ph.D., the study co-author and Randal B. McDonald Chair in Accounting at The University of Texas at Austin, tells Thrive. “Rather, it takes a period of rest, or what creativity researchers often call ‘incubation,’ to transform an initially large number of ideas into an eventual advantage in truly creative ideas.”

Coming up with your next big idea doesn’t have to feel stressful, Kachelmeier says. According to the study’s findings, here are the three best ways to unlock your full creative potential:

Don’t wait for a burst of inspiration

People often assume they’ll come up with their best ideas when they get a spontaneous burst of inspiration, so they wait for that moment instead of actively brainstorming. According to Kachelmeier, this waiting period is a common mistake. “People often wonder if it helps to push themselves or if it’s better to just relax and wait for inspiration… Our research suggests that both elements are necessary,” he says. Kachelmeier also adds that it’s important to start brainstorming, even if your ideas aren’t fleshed out yet. “The first stage is to find the incentive to work hard and drum up ideas, even if they are not particularly good at first,” he says. “One needs to prime the pump to get the engine running.”

Map out your ideas, then take a break

This step is the most important, according to the researchers’ findings. Kachelmeier says it can be helpful to crank out a large volume of potential creative ideas, and then step away to rest — even if the 4|Page

C2C DAILY concepts you’ve come up with so far are not yet concrete. The researchers suggest going for a long walk, taking a hot shower, or unplugging from your devices for a few hours in order to truly separate yourself from your thoughts. Once you return to your work, you’ll feel the creative drive to flesh out your best ideas. Plus, even the most successful companies operate on this brainstorm-rest pattern. “[Successful] companies push their employees to work hard while also providing opportunities for rest and reflection,” he says.

Acknowledge the meaning behind your work

Experts have spoken about the importance of finding meaning in your work, but when it comes to boosting our creativity, Kachelmeier says this same inner drive is equally as important. “Think about the times that you struggled trying to solve a problem. You worked very hard, but without success. Then, maybe a couple of days later after taking a relaxing shower, the solution comes to you,” he notes.

Kachelmeier says your incentive to create — and the meaning and purpose that gives you — combined with this vital period of rest, is what truly unlocks your potential. “The point is that neither the work nor the relaxation are sufficient for creativity,” he concludes. “To unleash creative potential, our research suggests that both are necessary.”

Rebecca Muller, Assistant Editor at Thrive Global Rebecca Muller is an Assistant Editor at Thrive Global. Her previous work experience includes roles in editorial and digital journalism. Rebecca is a graduate of New York University, where she studied Media, Culture and Communications with a minor in Creative Writing. For her undergraduate thesis, she researched the relationship between women and fitness media consumerism. She is excited to join Thrive in its mission to accelerate the culture shift and end the stress epidemic.

CORPORATE//July 30, 2018 How You Can Turn Yourself into a Creative Force, No Matter Your Job Description

By Thrive Global Staff

COMMUNITY//July 23, 2018 8 Utmost Common Untruths about Creativity

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My Recent Visit to Kansas City, Mo-My Hometown Daniel Rowland

I came back home to my hometown of Kansas City, Mo during March 10-14, 2019 for an airbrush class at a local school district. I was able to spend time with some friends and family while in town. Got to see some changes in the downtown area and the Crossroads District. I didn’t get a chance to see Midtown or the Quality Hill area which I spent most of my time while I was a resident in KC. I spent the first 44 years of my life in Kansas City. I will always consider KC home and the home base of C2C Daily and Airbrush Dojo. Kansas City has a lot to offer and I am happy to see that it’s really trying to support its local artist and musicians. As an Airbrush Artist myself and have and biological sister who is a recording artist this touches my heart. I hope it continues to grow and prosper since KC is the home of Hallmark Cards, The Country Club Plaza, The Westport district which holds a special place in my heart since that is where I got my start at.

Some of the places I went to visit while I was in town. My brother from another mother Cavasos took me to Marquita’s on the Blvd https://www.facebook.com/pages/Margaritas. My other twin brother Lamond Rushing and I went to Portia’s on Truman Rd across from the USPS processing Center. Their Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/Portias-Cafe.

Went to Twin Peaks in Olathe, Ks and the in Independence, Mo. Last but not least, I had to make a pit stop at Town Topic https://www.facebook.com/TownTopicsHamburgers. All wonderful times I spent at these places, and brought back fond memories.

Kansas City I will see you again soon. I promise not to stay gone this long next time.

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