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Even when you’re doing something you absolutely love, there are going to be days when it still feels like work. When you show up from 9-5 every day of the week, there are going to be periods of time where it drags on and on. Here at IDG, we don’t believe in a boring workplace. We know creativity flows better through laughter and excitement so we work hard to keep that alive in the office. You don’t have to work in creative agency though. You can bring the energy of a lively workplace to any office. To bring back your love for work, we’ve created a list of 5 ways you can really reignite your passion and love for your day to day and stay motivated in the new year! Let’s get started.
#1: Decorate your desk.
You spend a huge portion of your day and your week at your desk. It’s basically your second home. Because of that, it’s important to make your desk FEEL like home. Bring in things that can make your desk space a place that shows your personality. Get some fairy lights. Hang some photos. Buy something nice to put your pens in. Display some art or bring some figures to put on top of your filing cabinet. Being surrounded by stuff that brings you joy will ultimately make you happier throughout the day as well as increase your productivity.
#2: Have lunch with your coworkers.
A work environment is a thousand times better when you surround yourself with people who also like what they do. Even if you feel like you and your coworkers have nothing in common, order lunch together and get to know one another. You might find that you have more in common than you expected and you create a nice environment for the entire office. Spending time with these people can allow you to laugh, bond, and blow off steam together because if there’s one thing you do have in common…it’s that you work at the same place. Even in the worst coworker circumstances, bond over that.
#3: Celebrate holidays.
If you’ve watched The Office, you’ve seen the worst circumstances of work parties, but it doesn’t have to be like that. When a holiday comes around, notify people on how they can celebrate. Make a list of people’s birthdays so you can pitch in for balloons and some ice cream. If it’s donut day, bring in some donuts for the office and take some selfies. If it’s Christmas, plan a White Elephant exchange. If it’s milkshake day, get a cash pool going and go pick up some shakes for people to enjoy. Having little celebrations ultimately boost the morale of the office and you’ll have a much better day.
#4: Go on after work outings.
We call it IDG After Hours. We pick one day every month to do an outing and just hang out together. You don’t build a great team if you never spend time together outside of work. We’ve done Halloween Hayrides, drinks and appetizers, escape rooms, sports games, karaoke night, bowling, and theme parks. All of them were fun things we could do after hours to hang out, bond, and just become more in sync when we do work. You might have to plan these on your own to get the whole office involved the first couple of times, but once you’ve done it, people will want to do it again.
#5: Look at your work as a new challenge.
Yes, this is a hard thing to do. We work with clients everyday and since our work has many opinions involved, it is sometimes hard to stay positive. To combat this feeling, try approaching each difficult work situation as a new obstacle to overcome. If your clients give you ridiculous notes on a project, use that opportunity to get creative and make sure their ideas look GREAT even if you don’t agree with them. Use someone’s opinions to challenge yourself to make something new and innovative even when something crazy falls onto your desk. This will make projects better and more rewarding in the end.
We hope these 5 suggestions can help you approach work with a new attitude. You spend all week there so you always want to make sure you keep things positive and exciting in the new year. We look forward to seeing a year of fun activities as we continue in 2018! Happy New Year!