One of the most common sources of lowered motivation at work is what Harvard researchers called the progress principle, which is the idea that making progress in meaningful work is the “single most important factor” in boosting one’s “emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday.”

“Often you’re not motivated because your goal is too big,” Ms. Fosslien said. “So if you can just break that into mini-milestones — like what are you going to do today that you can cross at the end of today?”

Even tiny units of progress, like sending an email you’ve been meaning to write forever, can contribute to a sense of accomplishment, which can boost your overall motivation, Ms. Fosslien said.What to Do When You Feel Uninspired at Work