How to motivate yourself in the new year

January 13, 2020

‘Coming back from a break isn’t always the most motivating time of the year. Many people often come back wishing for a little more time off. However, work needs to be done and it needs to be done at a high quality. So, you want to be driven enough to be able to fulfil your potential. Here are some ways that might help motivate you.

Plan your goals

Setting an action plan can help that ‘where do I start?’ feeling. By creating a plan for set goals you will be able to see exactly what you have to work on and approximately when it should be done by. It is smart to set some urgent plans of action – this way you can get stuck into work straight away and avoid procrastinating.

Make a personal commitment

For some people, making promises is a helpful way of making sure they stick to their word and follow through. If you’re one of these people who doesn’t like to disaapoint others, then don’t disappoint yourself either! Make yourself a promise or commitment. It could be something like, ‘I promise myself to achieve four things on my to-do list by 5pm’ or ‘I will beat my personal best from yesterday and make one extra cold call today’. Whatever it may be, stick to the promise!

Spark inspiration

For some people it can be helpful to read motivational quotes and see motivational pictures. Before work, maybe browse some inspirational videos, podcasts, quotes or images and get inspired!

Push yourself

For a lot of people, stress is a motivator. Most of the time, when procrastinating you feel guilty for procrastinating and then that stresses you out… so in this state of stress, think about it… think about all you could be achieving and getting done if you just started!

The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you seem to be naturally motivated to continue.

-Brian Tracey

Reward yourself

No matter what your reward is, when you do complete something or make a significant start (significant… not just one sentence of a whole report…) you can give yourself something positive. This not only is your own little affirmation for doing good work, but it will also make you look forward to the next reward after you complete your next task.

Be consistent

Once you’ve gotten started, it’s good to keep consistent. Even when you really don’t want to do something you know you’ve done it before; you know you’ll feel better after doing it again… so just do it. Keeping consistent will create a routine and routine is helpful for completing projects or goals. However, make sure to make time for some rest and work-life balance in this routine and don’t overwork yourself. There is nothing more unmotivating than being tired or overworked.

Keep a positive attitude

Self-confidence can be the key for some to becoming motivated. A positive attitude can be as simple as telling yourself ‘you can do this!’. You can also include other daily affirmations to help you feel awesome. Most importantly, a positive attitude can be quite effective when you run into a problem. When you have a negative attitude paired with a negative problem, you’ll often fall into a slump, maybe thinking, ‘what’s the point!’ ‘I hate my job’, ‘I can’t do this!’. These thoughts help nobody! When you maintain a positive attitude, you’re more likely to accept that there is a difficulty in front of you, but forge forward to overcome it. This helps save time and avoids work dissatisfaction!

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By Mimi Petrakis • May 20, 2026

In 2026, the conversation around IT recruitment in Australia is shifting. While hiring demand remains strong across areas like cybersecurity, cloud, and digital infrastructure, the real challenge facing organisations is no longer just attracting talent — it’s building a sustainable workforce that can grow and adapt over time. For years, businesses have focused on filling immediate skill gaps. But with ongoing shortages in critical tech roles, organisations are now recognising that retention is just as important as recruitment. High turnover not only impacts delivery timelines but also drives up costs and erodes institutional knowledge. Employers who prioritise employee experience, career development, and flexible work are seeing stronger retention outcomes and gaining a competitive edge in a tight market. Workforce sustainability is quickly becoming a key business priority. This means moving beyond reactive hiring and thinking more strategically about how teams are structured, supported, and developed. Leading organisations are: Adopting hybrid workforce models (contract + permanent) Investing in upskilling and internal capability development Shifting toward skills-based hiring rather than rigid role definit ions Building pipelines of talent rather than hiring only when gaps appear This approach not only reduces hiring pressure but also creates more resilient, future-ready teams. Relying solely on reactive recruitment is becoming increasingly risky. With demand for specialist skills remaining high, waiting until a role becomes critical can lead to long hiring timelines and missed business opportunities. Instead, organisations are taking a more proactive approach, planning workforce needs and partnering with recruitment specialists who understand the market. In today’s environment, successful businesses are those that treat talent as a long-term investment, not a short-term fix. This means aligning hiring strategies with broader business goals and ensuring the right balance between immediate delivery and future capability. At Peoplebank , we work with organisations to go beyond traditional recruitment, helping build sustainable workforce strategies that combine access to high-quality talent with long-term planning. Ready to strengthen your team? Use our one-step Submit a Role form today and let our specialists connect you with the right talent to support your business now and into the future.

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By Mimi Petrakis • May 5, 2026

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