Finding Your Drive at Work

24.7.2017

Although the state of being driven is often thought of as a fixed character trait, we can all increase our capacity for drive – if that’s what we want. Being more driven at work can often lead to better outcomes, but keeping your balance is crucial.

Mindfulness can help us to regulate our drive at work. It can help us to avoid emotional traps and find ways of not being hijacked by unskillful thoughts and feelings. When we’re more aware of our own mental and emotional processes, we’re better able to maintain a steadiness of purpose. That can help to keep our drive on track.

What holds us back?

Negative emotions often play a big part in reducing our experience of drive. Guilt, anger, regret, resentment – all of these can draw us into a preoccupation with past events. This can prevent us from focusing on what we need to do right now to move forward at work.

For some, thoughts about the future come with feelings of anxiety. Even when we’re working hard towards our goals, we can sometimes be inhibited by the fear of not achieving them. That can block our drive. Anxiety sometimes creates self-limiting beliefs that undermine our ability to succeed.

Another limitation can be a sense of being overwhelmed. The modern workplace is increasingly complex. When there is so much to achieve, achieving our goals can feel like an impossible task.

How does mindfulness help?

Mindfulness training enables us to rest more easily with things as they are. It opens us up to more choice and enables us to respond rather than react to events in the world. It allows us to treat our inner experience - our thoughts and emotions - with curiosity and compassion. This helps us to come to a more objective sense of our inner state. This subsequently increases our resilience and our capacity to stay focused.

Present moment attention has a profound effect on the brain. Research suggests that it allows us to regulate our emotions and increases concentration, learning and memory processes. We get better at what we do. With more mindfulness we can achieve more. The more we achieve, the more driven we can feel. This can trigger a virtuous  cycle of increasing confidence and self-belief.

Of course, being too driven can be a problem for some people. We’ll discuss that in a later blog. But mindfulness can help keep things in perspective.

What can make me more driven at work?

1. Check in with your thoughts on a regular basis throughout the day. Come back to your breathing and bring awareness back to your body. How are you feeling mentally and emotionally? Are you feeling positive about your work? Show yourself compassion for your thoughts whatever they are and move on from thoughts that don’t serve you to more positive ones.
2. Try to avoid distractions, such as technology or working where you’re likely to be disturbed. Keep tuning in to your breath and body sensations when you feel distracted or your mind starts to wander.
3. Work through tasks one at a time. By focusing in this way, you’ll have more concentration and get through work quicker. The more work you complete, the more driven you’ll feel to do more due to your success.
4. Practice meditation daily - even if it’s just for 10 minutes every morning, or during a lunch break.

To find out more about becoming more driven in the workplace, contact michael@mindfulnessworks.com, or call (+44) 01223 750660 to speak to a member of our team.