Whether big or small, everyone has goals and dreams in life, and everyone has that time when they lack motivation.
No matter what triggered it and how long it has been going on, there are 7 constructive ways to overcome your lack of motivation.
Here are 7 reasons why you are demotivated and ways to overcome your lack of motivation.
1) Start with Yourself
Do you feel like you could be more patient and more tolerant lately? Do you have frequent headaches and find it more difficult to fall asleep?
If so, it means you have not been putting yourself on top of your priority list, as you have yet to notice how stressed you are.
Remember, self-care isn’t selfish. Take time to pay attention to the little things that make you happy. You will discover that you have taken a significant first step toward overcoming your lack of motivation.
Self-care doesn’t have to mean spending hours in a hairdresser, regretting that fringe cut out of depression, or crashing your bank account doing shopping.
Get some time alone. It’s ok to take some time every day only to do the things that give you joy—walking in the fresh air, watching that movie in the cinema on your own and not having to share your popcorn, or reading that long pending book with more than one cup of coffee.
Go out of the crowd, silent the unbearable chatter. Feel the peace of being with your best friend forever, yourself.
2) Don’t Fear Criticism
Do you find it hard to say no, even if the question comes from someone you don’t like? Do you find yourself doing things you don’t even feel like doing because of what others might think or say?
If so, you should rethink why anyone else’s criticism is more important to you than what you would feel at the end of the day.
Fear of criticism is one of the main reasons you may lack motivation, as it leads you to do what others wish to see you doing rather than what you want to do.
When you overcome your fear of criticism, you will make space in your mind and your life for everything you wish for, as what others think will not pose an issue anymore. Once you fear no criticism, you will take the second step to overcome your lack of motivation.
3) Take Time Off the Social Media
It is scientifically proven now that using social media for entertainment or as an escape from loneliness compromises your mental health. It is because social media triggers constant comparison with others. You imagine how hard it is for our minds to compete with people who look good, feel good, eat good, and love good all the time.
No one and no life is perfect. But when you are exposed to such an illusion for an extended period, your mind cannot stop comparing, leading to unhappiness and stress.
Science proves that your brain functioning will improve if you dare to risk out on that too-good-to-be-true-perfection and limit your time on social media.
Instead, take some time off with your loved ones, socialize for real with friends, and spend more productive time, such as gardening, reading or writing, even listening to music, or trying different recipes from your favorite cuisines.
Unplug from social media to recharge your mind, body, and soul; you will have taken the third big step in overcoming your lack of motivation.
4) Obligation or Passion?
Whatever you spend the most time on, a project to finish, a book to write, a wish to accomplish, do you want to do it, or are you doing it because you must? Do you have to do it, or do you want to do it? Which one sounds closer to you?
It is not true that only lucky people get to do what they are passionate about. You may lack motivation because you find no force in what you are trying to complete.
Instead, specify why you want to undertake this task and find joy in parts of what you do. In that case, you will see that, in time, it will motivate you to continue and finalize it.
In short, choose to do what you are passionate about or bring some passion into what you do and see how quickly it changes shape. You will have already taken that beautiful 4th step in overcoming your lack of motivation.
5) Talk Yourself Out of Negativity
Negative thoughts about whether you can manage your tasks may arise from self-doubt. Self-doubt then leads to negativity. It is a vicious cycle that can prevent you from feeling the sparkle to carry on.
You can break this cycle with 2 simple steps: by talking yourself out of negativity, in order words, counterattacking negativity by positive thinking, and by taking positive action.
Experts agree that morning is the most stressful time of the day; therefore, starting your day with some positive touch would be a way to go. You can start by listening to your favorite song, a motivational speech, or a power walk.
You may use the morning hours for journaling, reading quotes, or affirmations. Check this link for 7-morning routines to have an insanely productive day with excellent motivational tips https://aykotadesign.com/7-morning-routines-to-have-an-insanely-productive-day/
Instead of letting negativity lead you to inactivity, use the positive approach you have gathered in the morning by starting off on the right foot by taking positive action.
Break your tasks into manageable little ones and tick them off one by one by keeping self-doubt as far as possible from your mind.
6) Perfectionism is a Trap – Run Away From It
Do you set goals that are too far to reach in real-time? Do your standards push your limits? Do you make the task too big to handle in your mind?
If so, perfectionism is in the house, and you’ve lost control. The most effective way to take back control and escape the trap is to adopt the mindset that “it’s the journey that matters, not the destination.”
By focusing on “the perfect outcome,” you set your goals too high, making them more complex or impossible to reach. If things don’t go as planned, you lack motivation and may even drop the task.
Instead, you should set more approachable targets and find pleasure in completing them. You will realize that the fulfillment of managing to finish an attainable task is way bigger than struggling endlessly trying to plan everything perfectly in every detail, which takes us to the next step: procrastination.
7) Do Not Overwhelm, Do Not Procrastinate
If you don’t overwhelm yourself, you are less likely to procrastinate. It is because the more time you spend planning and rearranging to make things perfect, the more likely you will keep putting off starting that task as you will be overwhelmed by your expectation and endless details to deal with.
Instead of avoiding failure, accept that the journey is beautiful with its ups and downs. You can only enjoy winning when there is a bit of losing, and you can only enjoy what you do now if you are not stressed by the possibilities of tomorrow.
When you do your best, it is good enough, and good enough is perfect to overcome your lack of motivation!
