Dealing With A Lack Of Motivation

Today's blog topic focuses on motivation. Or the lack thereof. Motivation is a driving force in our daily lives, whether we realize our actions are the result of our motivations or not. However, many of us do not realize these instinctive motivations until we suddenly sense a lack of them. This has happened to us all at one point or another, the sudden loss of motivation and general feeling of 'bleh' that makes us not want to do anything, even get out of bed!

The ability to find a motivation and to keep moving forward is what keeps us alive, and what separates the highly successful. So, how do we find motivation during those times we are struggling for it the most? Unfortunately, there is no 'simple' answer I can give you. I will however, provide you some tips to realize when this is happening and overcome these obstacles.

The most thing you can do to find or increase your motivation starts in your head. The lack of motivation ultimately stems from our emotions. Generally we are feeling difficult emotions such as failure, negative thoughts and anxieties. The most important first step in this case is understanding your thoughts and your emotions. It is difficult at times like these to focus on the positive, but we in this situation we must learn how to neutralize our negative feelings and focus on the good to keep going. Throughout posts in this blog, you will learn various exercises to help you train your brain into thinking more positively, which will help in situations like these.

With the ability to acknowledge our negative thoughts and refocus our attention on more positive ones, you are taking the first step to pulling yourself out of this slump...before it even happens.

Research has found that there are three primary reasons within our brains that cause us to lack motivation. I will discuss each of these reasons in depth.

A lack of confidence:
Many people don't have the confidence in themselves to believe they can succeed in something. If you don't have that belief, your next thought process is, well..whats the point in trying then? There was an excellent quote I heard in one of the episodes of House, during an argument the following was said "So your point then is that to make a difference, you have to win all the battles?". The answer to that is no, you can make a difference by trying and feel better about yourself by doing it. Do not let lack of confidence get you down.

Some other reasons that result in a lack of confidence:
Focusing on what you want and not focusing on what you have. We are all guilty of this. That big plasma screen t.v. sure does look better than this older model...if only I had enough money to buy it. That starts a chain reaction of negative thoughts. We start convincing ourselves we don't have enough money because we aren't successful, or good at saving, or any myriad of things.

Of course, the t.v. is just an example, but you get my point. When we focus the majority of our attention on what we don't have, we tend to be less grateful or even neglectful of the things we do have. When you notice yourself doing this, make a note and stop yourself. Think about what you do have that your grateful for. Make a mental list of these things, or better yet, write down a list and carry it in your wallet. Whenever your mind starts veering toward the dont's steer it back toward the do's. Don't forget that this doesn't have to be a material list. List your strengths and values and anything else you feel is positive as well.

The second motivation killer: A lack of focus.
When we can't seem to focus on one thing, we tend to feel over anxious. There is so much to get done, I don't know where to start...or it's impossible. Thinking those thoughts make us lose focus of the goal, and kills our motivation. The first step in this case is to write down a clear plan of action. Too many bills? Stop and make a list of your income, your debts and what ones you can begin to pay off first. What ones are most important? Call the companies and see if you can get on a payment plan. Sitting down and writing down a clear plan of action, helps us put things back into focus and see the ultimate goal, helping our motivation.

This plays into our third problem: A lack of direction
Sometimes it can be hard to see the forest through the trees, we know we have to get there but there are so many things we have to take care of or see along the way. Like before stop and think about the quickest way to your goal. Do you want to start a side business doing cake decorations? Don't spend all your time looking at other peoples cakes, do some research, develop a plan of attack and start it. We often are subconciously affraid to take that first step, so we hold back finding reasons to not start just yet. Pay attention to see if you do this, and when you do stop and think about the quickest route to your goal.

Following these tips should help you the next time you are stuck with a lack of motivation. Remember, we all experience these times but it takes proper training and conditioning of our mind to overcome this obstacle. Otherwise, these little bumps in the road turn into giant potholes leaving you motioneless and depressed. Learn to recognize the symptoms and cures and you will start noticing a benificial change in outlook.