How can self-employed volunteers stay motivated?

To be successful in self-employed volunteering, it is important to follow these 3 tips: - create realistic goals - don't give up just because it's difficult - understand that it's okay if one day you can't do your best, the important thing is to keep trying to improve! Para ter sucesso no voluntariado autônomo é interessante seguir essas 3 dicas: - crie metas realistas - não desista só porque é difícil - entenda que está tudo bem se um dia você não conseguir dar o máximo de si, o importante é continuar tentando melhorar sempre!

Absolutely, setting clear goals before volunteering can enhance your experience and impact. Whether it's personal growth, skill development, or contributing to a cause, defining your purpose helps guide your efforts and brings more meaning to your volunteer work.

When you decide to volunteer, it is very important not to do it in an unstructured or unplanned way. It is necessary to establish a plan of action in which several variables must be considered. Among them it is important to define objectives, as always SMART if possible. To do this, it is necessary to ask: what do I intend to achieve with this volunteer action? What group or cause moves me to do it? What values do I consider I have? Are they ALIGNED with those of the organization? Am I motivated? Do I have enough time? Am I going to be able to maintain regular attendance? The latter is very important because in many cases we work with people with expectations and illusions, and interrupting the process can be very negative.

Don't set great goals or focus too much on others. Initially, just set goals related to yourself Structure pattern: "What will I do, what will I give to others? And what will I receive in return?"

Motivation is key to setting a goal. There has to be a reason why you are volunteering which brings about your motive and you being able to do it which shows your action.

Time management is fundamental in the work activity. It is conditioned by the type of work and obviously by the associated workload. In my case it is clearly something to improve. In any case, when you combine your work activity with volunteering an additional burden is added to which you have to dedicate time and effort. Without these last two variables the volunteering activity will probably fail. It is normal not to give it the priority it deserves within the pool of tasks that we have to perform, although depending on the stage of the volunteering process there are probably times when it is necessary to prioritize it. Regarding planning tasks and optimizing time there are different methods such as POMODORO.

Self-employed volunteers can stay motivated by setting clear goals, breaking tasks into smaller, manageable steps, creating a routine, celebrating achievements, staying connected with a community, and remembering the impact of their contributions. It's essential to find intrinsic motivation by understanding the personal meaning behind their work as well.

Time is a constant resource it is important to manage it. Take advantage of time and productivity resources. Plan ahead to prevent surprises. Create a community to aid communication with other members.

Feedback is the backbone of every project. It helps to see what other parties are thinking. Also, it helps for free flow of cooperation and promotes unity.

Getting feedback from both peers and managers is essential when performing work activities. It serves in some cases as an element of motivation as well as an element of improvement in other cases. Volunteering activities should not be exempt from this feedback for two essential reasons: they are usually activities that we perform for the first time, in a different organization, in a different context and with different beneficiaries (at first is key). we must consider that the impact of our actions can be key since in many cases we work with people or human beings who are in a conflictive situation. For these two reasons, the feedback from both managers and colleagues can be a very important element of motivation to continue moving forward.

As I said in some occasions, the volunteering activity takes place in a context where the probability of networking is very high. Remember that your peers usually come from different organizations, different areas of expertise and different contexts. It is an opportunity to get to know what other professionals do and what skills they bring to the volunteering process with the objective of learning and to check the possibility of synergies. It is an appropriate environment to show what we do, how we do it so that it is possible to meet potential employees or volunteer staff for our CSR department. It is important to subsequently follow up on the contacts obtained by making comments on posts made by members and giving our own visualization.

Rewarding is something we rarely do but it is necessary when we achieve something both in work or volunteering. In many occasions rewarding is not necessary to force it because it comes automatically as a direct consequence of the intervention process. Social causes, especially when they target human beings, involve an inherent rewarding process if things are done correctly. Unlike work where rewarding is not always implicitly (in many cases). The beneficiaries in many occasions with their sometimes spontaneous reactions give thanks to the volunteer. On other occasions the process of their own evolution gives the necessary satisfaction. In any case it is always positive to "reward" ourselves for what we have achieved and celebrate it.

On rewarding ourselves I think I am guilty and can't recall the time I took myself to retreats. All in all, I celebrate the outcomes in silence.

For self-employed volunteers, maintaining motivation requires a strategic approach to self-reward. Set achievable milestones and celebrate small victories to acknowledge progress. Establish a personalized reward system, such as taking a break, indulging in a hobby, or treating yourself after accomplishing significant tasks. Connect with fellow volunteers or create a support network to share achievements and receive encouragement. Periodically reassess goals, adjusting them to align with personal growth, and reward yourself for reaching these new milestones. Cultivating a positive mindset and recognizing the value of your contributions can be a powerful intrinsic motivator.

To stay motivated reward your energy. This will help your mental stability. Many people don't reward them because they think it is not necessary it is a form of wastage"I own " smile you can reward yourself in my ways you can do like me i appraise myself a lot by doing this it gives me energy and takes away negative thoughts. Yes you own it but show gratitude to yourself for staying strong

La mayor recompensa que me ha dado ser voluntaria, es encontrar grandes amigos y crear comunidades de apoyo. Sin duda, el voluntariado reúne a personas con intereses similares y metas de vida afines.

I believe that the motivation when facing a volunteering process is fundamentally: 1. The cause you are going to serve. 2. The group you are going to address. 3. The learning you are going to obtain (soft-skills, hard-skills). 4. The challenges you will face. 5. The personal and professional growth you will experience. I think these are enough arguments to keep you motivated. 1. You must be aligned with the cause and the collective. Otherwise you will fail. 2. You must volunteer in a SERIOUS organization with REPUTATION and in a well-defined and controlled volunteering process. 3. With a well-established, experienced CSR department that generates IMPACT in its projects and has a sufficient and diverse pool of projects to work on.