Working professionals are expected to complete their work on time, but sometimes things can go sideways. If you often find yourself needing extra time to finish up projects, or struggle with focusing on the task at hand, don’t worry. You’re not alone. 

Below is a collection of possible reasons explaining why you may be struggling to meet deadlines and what you can do to overcome this problem: 

You Are Mentally Preoccupied

Being mentally preoccupied with topics that aren’t relevant to your job can make it difficult to complete the assigned work on time. If something constantly nags at you while you’re trying to work, concentrating on the task at hand can become a real challenge. 

Underlying stressors within your life typically trigger intrusive thoughts. Perhaps there’s an individual, circumstance, or event that you find disturbing. This factor could be causing distress, ultimately resulting in you zoning out when at work. 

The best way to overcome this problem is by finding the root cause (the stressor) and confronting it, if possible. Once your mind is free of these nagging, intrusive thoughts, you’ll be able to focus all your mental energy on getting your work done on time. 

Absence of Motivation 

 

When you’re low on motivation, achieving anything at work (or even in your personal life) can start to feel significantly more challenging than it should. Having a low motivation to complete tasks can stem from different reasons depending on the circumstance.

For example, if you’re struggling with completing tasks only when at work, the reason behind your low motivation is likely related to the office or your job’s requirements. Perhaps you don’t gel with the toxic office environment and your coworkers, or you’re not being appreciated enough for your efforts. Worse yet, maybe you’re chasing a career that just isn’t right for you.

On the other hand, if you’re struggling with low motivation to complete tasks both in the office and at home, it could be because of a stressor present within your personal life and have little to do with your office environment or job description. If this is the case, you may want to consider talking things through with a friend or even with your boss and co-workers to help yourself receive the support you need.

 

Feeling Undervalued 

Many employers fail to understand the impact of positive reinforcement and employee appreciation. When their employees lose motivation to work hard at their jobs, this can result in them feeling undervalued and unappreciated. 

If you’ve found yourself in a position where you no longer have an interest in making an effort at work, you should pause for a moment of reflection; ask yourself if you feel unappreciated and would like your boss to recognize your work. If yes, then it’s time you have a conversation about it with your manager, or else this issue will keep on taking a toll on your productivity.

As an employee, you deserve to feel valued and belong to a community of like-minded individuals who can help you grow and evolve into a better person and a better professional. If your boss fails to understand this, it may be time to look into new offices that would value you for everything you bring to the table. 

Troublesome Management 

Employees need to be headed by a focused and efficient boss or manager in order to successfully complete projects without facing any significant trouble. But when management is poorly executed, employees may face difficulty completing assignments on time.

Examples of poor management include receiving incomplete or unclear instructions regarding the project, not being given access to software, equipment, or other tools required for task completion, or receiving a haphazard work schedule from your boss. 

These instances slow down employee productivity and leave you feeling like a failure for not completing the work on time, even if it isn’t entirely your fault. 

So, if you suspect that poor management is behind your inability to finish projects by the deadline, don’t blame yourself or lose hope in your abilities! Discuss things thoroughly with your manager or ask your co-workers for help. Doing so can enable you to complete projects on time and be happier at work. 

 

Feeling unmotivated in your job and none of these tips help? Get in touch with us to discuss potentially finding a better role. 

 

Author: Alex Cole is a Specialist Building Services Recruiter with Responsum. He’s always interested in networking with Building Service professionals. He loves talking football, is hoping to get on the property ladder soon, and visits Tenerife every year!

 

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