What does it take to win at work and love? It’s a great question, and since everyone faces different challenges, there isn’t a specific answer that works for each person. A better approach is to focus on the real source of motivation by exploring underlying motives. When you discover the motive behind why you want to win at work, you will be on track to shaping a strategic approach, speed toward accomplishing goals, and avoid distractions that lead to failure. Here are some key coaching questions to ask:

• Do you want to win at work to deepen your resume and advance your career?
• Does success at work mean making more money to bring home to your family?
• Does career success give you deeper personal meaning and fulfillment?
• Does winning bring you a sense of satisfaction by proving you are the best?

Greater professional success usually gives a person much greater options in their personal life because increased income often brings the flexibility to solve problems and control schedules by delegation. Outsourcing to save time and money is a wise use of resources. However, working harder to gain greater self-esteem is a dangerous motivator because it takes major sacrifices of time and energy and can often become a “black hole” of busy activity leading to workaholism. Career burnout comes from an attempt to fill deep emotional insecurity through aggressive professional activity. Burnout will not lead to professional success and sadly, is incredibly common among people who have not seen the importance of mapping out a realistic career coaching plan to win at work, without losing at home.

Finding the Energy for Career Success

How can you stay motivated to achieve greater career success? Start with your core values, which can be identified through mapping out your internal motives, especially since motives lead to motivation. Here are four key areas to stay focused and win at work while feeling greater energy and fulfillment in the process.

1. Insight

There is a verse I was taught to pray every day, “If any many lacks wisdom let him ask God and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). When you know you don’t know the answers, then asking for God’s direction is a wise use of time. Generate insight by asking the Lord to reveal your special gifts and natural abilities, regardless how much you may feel like you are struggling. Everyone has talent and ability at something. It takes insight to see it and then it takes courage to stay focused to light the fire of desire in your heart, especially when you may feel like giving up. The career coaching process could begin with some of the people close to you, like a marriage partner, family member or trusted friend because they already know so much about your personality, character, motivation, and inner drives. Asking many questions to gain greater insight will protect against impulsive choices, and ensure a greater likelihood of success, so don’t be afraid to ask too many questions, but do be afraid to stay silent on this important element.

2. Interests

Once you know your gifts, talents, abilities, and skills, the next step is to see how those unique gifts could be transferred into something so incredibly interesting that you want to show up and learn more about it every day. There is an old saying that the curious are never bored. When you are inspired about pursuing something extremely interesting, you lose all track of time because you find it so fascinating. Linking your interests with greater insight leads to the next part of the process to win at work.

3. Importance

Once you get inspired to pursue the aspects of your job or career calling that are most interesting, the next element to stir up personal motivation is to discover what is most important. What is valuable to you? What has great meaning? What activities or organizations do believe in strongly? Everyone believes in something, yet many of us have not taken time to explore and discover the core motives that fuel our motivation to create positive change. Now that you have mapped out the key areas that motivate people you are ready for the final stage.

4. Identity

When people figure who they are, and what they enjoy doing, they are on track to live out their purpose and have more fun in the process! Perhaps the huge success of many work-related reality TV shows (like Shark Tank) is because they reveal what many people secretly would like their daily work experience to be—a place that allows them to utilize their creative abilities in an environment that rewards taking big risks to achieve greater results. It’s not hard to stay motivated when you know why you are going to work and it’s not hard to stay in the race to win, either. In fact, it makes it easy to move from a fear of failure to moving forward with a new dedication to finish strong!

Now you have the basic career coaching strategies needed to win at work. Yet, even with these insights, many people are afraid to try and often give up on the belief they could have a better life by moving from their “day job” over to fully experiencing their “dream job.” Why do they lack career confidence? Why are they still likely to fail? Here are the hidden motivations that most often lead to losing at work.

5. Fearfulness

Times are tough and many people are afraid about what the economy will do in the future. In fact, they can become so frozen in fear they are afraid to try. It’s normal to feel afraid, yet when you are overwhelmed with fear, it can often lead to becoming indecisive and totally “zoning out.” Since running away from reality feels easier than facing it, some people choose to stick their head in the sand and completely deny what’s happening to their industry. Think about how Blockbuster Video failed to make strategic changes with their customers and eventually filed for bankruptcy protection, while competitor organizations like Netflix and Red Box were thriving. Some people do this in a passive way and just slowly sink, while others try to avoid reality by using substances or media to escape. Avoiding major change by hiding in fear will lead to a major crisis. Being aware of these dangers and opening the conversation will help you ask tough questions to protect yourself when heading toward a dangerous situation.

6. Frustration

This could include marriage partners or coworkers connected to people who are already losing at work, but it’s more about you. Think about the times you were trying, but it just didn’t come together. You know you want to finish strong and have a meaningful career, yet you feel like you lack the horsepower to really pull out in front of the crowd. When frustration builds up, it puts you at great risk, because you face a tough choice. Finish with mediocre results and risk getting laid off or downsized to try again at the next job, or just check out to avoid feeling the pain of not performing to your potential or quitting.

7. Failure

Sadly, this type of unmotivated person is the easiest to spot because they checked out a long time ago. When someone has reached this level, they are so unmotivated they give up on even trying at the most basic of tasks, so their resume just reflects a freefall down to zero. They totally and completely fail, which crushes their confidence and for many it kills the desire to try again, and this often leads many coaching clients to give up completely and just drop out on the idea that a meaningful career was ever even a possibility for them. They are too depleted to even believe that God’s promise spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3) is still available to them.

Finally, be encouraged to face your fears, frustrations, and the fear of failing with words of encouragement from God’s Word. If you take time out daily to meditate on the Bible, it will guide you from fear to greater faith by identifying your core motives, and then translating that into the powerful motivation needed to win at work. You are stronger than you think, and in case you are feeling beat up by life, listen to the words of Moses in Exodus 14 as a final challenge when feeling unmotivated or scared about your career: “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today…The LORD will fight for you!”

Rolfe Carawan, MEd, is the President of LifeMatters Ministries, which focuses on discipleship, biblical principles, and tackling relevant issues of our times, and is also the Co-Founder of Carawan Global Group. Inspired by his passion to relieve suffering and release potential, Rolfe brings his real-world experience and strategies to individuals in every walk of life. Known for his contagious enthusiasm, his coaching draws out the best in people, igniting a renewal of energy, engagement, and productivity, as well as successfully transitioning people through change, transforming human behavior, strengthening relationships, and overcoming generational gaps.  His winning strategies have been developed over 30 years of successfully coaching, training, and motivating people. Speaking to organizations ranging from Fortune 500 and high-tech companies to healthcare and nonprofits, Rolfe has spoken to nearly a million people throughout America, as well as audiences on four continents. He is an author (Profiles in Character and Character Revolution), successful teacher, coach, trained counselor, and uses experiential learning methods to create healthier relationships at home and work, effectively implement change, and strengthen communication. Rolfe has worked and volunteered his services in a number of countries including Brazil, Ghana, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Canada, and Mexico. He currently on the Board of Reference for the International Christian Coaches Institute (ICCI) and is a Certified Transformed Living Coach Trainer™. See more at www.transformedliving.org  

Lea Carawan, MA, is the founder of Transformed Living, a ministry that provides Bible-based resources and services designed to make disciples who love God, walk in freedom, and build life-giving relationships at home, work, and play. She and her husband, Rolfe, built a successful speaking, coaching, and consulting firm serving organizations ranging from Fortune 500 and high-tech companies to healthcare and nonprofits. For nearly 20 years, they helped leaders implement winning strategies that brought out the best in people. Lea was the cofounder and served as the Executive Director for the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation. For over a decade, she led the effort to equip and mobilize the largest network of federal and state elected leaders—nearly 100 sitting members of Congress and 900 state legislators—who are committed to standing for faith and implementing proactive strategies to advance religious freedom, prayer, and America’s Judeo-Christian heritage. She is a speaker, consultant, ordained minister, and multi-certified life, relationship, and spiritual formation coach and trainer. With a career spanning three decades, Lea has transitioned seamlessly between entrepreneurship, fashion, consulting, ministry, and motherhood. Lea has been a frequent speaker at women’s meetings, conferences, and marriage retreats around the world, including countries such as Brazil, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates. Lea is currently on the Board of Reference for the International Christian Coaching Institute (ICCI) and a Certified Transformed Living Coach Trainer. See more at: www.transformedliving.org