How do you motivate yourself?

Can you still find the motivation to work in this era of Covid-19? 

Motivation is a positive energy that fuels an individual or group of individuals to achieve their organizational and personal goals. Usually there’s a person who motivates and there are people who are being motivated. This is usually the scheme of things.

But can we motivate ourselves considering that the pandemic called covid-19 is ravaging the world? Yes we still can! Notwithstanding the discouraging business and societal environment! We have to remember that motivation is a positive state of mind. Everything begins in the mind, if we have a positive mind and heart sets motivation is within us already.

What is important is we persist and believe in what we are doing. And for as long as we continue with what we are doing sooner or later there would be realization of what we are aspiring for.

For those who are losing heart already and is soon to give it all up. Don’t raise the white flag of surrender motivate yourself by doing the following:

1.) Pray and ask God to strengthen you!

2.) Think positive and believe in yourself because nobody else will believe you if you don’t      believe in yourself!

3.) Post inspirational quotations that will inspire you to continue!

4.) Be inspired by Motivational stories.

 5.) Work hard and never ever give up!

Saint Augustine once said: "Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you."  - Marino J. Dasmarinas

Leadership in the era of Covid-19 pandemic

In a faraway place lived an arrogant king who was advised by his people to prepare for an incoming dreaded disease. The king arrogantly told his people that they need not worry because he will immediately kill the dreaded disease the moment it arrives in his kingdom. Soon after, the dreaded disease arrived and because of his arrogance and laxity his kingdom was ravaged by the dreaded disease.

How does one exercise leadership in the era of Covid-19? Effective leaders during this time should be proactive in anticipating what can occur ahead. For example, due to the flat economic activity lay-offs of employees would seem predictable. However, a good leader/manager must not only look at lay-offs as a solution to sustain the survival of the organization. Temporary reduction of working days should also be looked at as an alternative until the economic activity begins to increase and normalize.

Ego-tripping and the mindset of I am the only voice in the organization must be discarded. Leaders who are ego-tripper and power-tripper are insecure thus they are not good leaders. Leaders during these extra-ordinary times must be humble but decisive and they must listen to the other well-intentioned voices in the organization.

Countries that are being severely ravaged by the Covid-19 virus are countries who took action reactively. They belatedly instituted measures to counter the pandemic when it was already in their territories. For example, belatedly imposing travel restrictions.

Other countries took action proactively they closed their borders ahead of time. They immediately quarantined and monitored those whom they suspected to be carriers of the Covid-19 virus. They also proactively imposed travel restrictions ahead of time.

Leaders who are talkative are also strongly admonished to do away with this ego-infested mindset. Because this only exposes their incompetence the more they talk the more that they waste the precious time of their employees. Excessive talking is cheap during times of emergencies. What the people wants from their leaders are concrete acts of leadership.

In times of crisis such as this pandemic Covid-19 virus the actions and pronouncements of leaders will surely determine their fate in the organization. The best leaders are those who are able to tow their organization outside the door of the crisis. – Marino J. Dasmarinas