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Lacking Motivation? Try These 5 Things
Episode 5
1. Break The Cycle
Routine and scheduling are incredibly important and I thrive on having things organized and knowing what to expect next. BUT, routines can also bring with it the chance of monotony and getting caught in a rut. I’ve found that most times, my lack of motivation is from getting stuck in my routine and feeling like I don’t have the depth in my schedule to be creative or do things I enjoy. Routines can get very busy and that feeling of always being on the go is something that, for me, is difficult to break out of.
I had an experience the other week where I had a free evening to recharge, but I felt caught in the middle of several activities that I want to do. Instead of relaxing, I was stressing about which one made the most sense to have a “relaxing” evening. I felt like I didn’t have the motivation to do what I enjoyed and just floundered for a while. This is when I break my cycle to shake things up and restart my energy. For me, this looks like working from a new location. This episode is a good example of something I’ve been lacking motivation for (check out the dates I released each episode and you can see that’s true). I’m in my office almost all the time, so I decided to move down to the living room couch and brainstorm episodes while working on my tablet. Just being in a new environment can give me the creative freedom I need to regain my motivation. This works for me, but maybe you have some other way to break your cycle. Let me know what it is in the comments below!
2. Get Moving
My exercise of choice is to go on a jog. This helps me get outside, clear my head, get some fresh air, and spark some motivation. It doesn’t have to be a rigorous exercise, but a simple walk around the block or pace through the house if it’s cold can do it. Just something to get the blood flowing and shake out the stiffness of your joints that can come from sitting at your desk all day. This has been helpful for me.
3. Put Down the Phone
You may not have this issue, but I definitely can get caught in a cycle of scrolling on my phone. When this happens, it’s a sign for me that I am low on motivation and need to do something about it. I’ve taken steps to mitigate this by setting timers on certain apps I know I use a lot. This helps me get off my phone, but it doesn’t always work. It’s hard to do, but putting down the phone, putting it on silent and truly getting away from it can be liberating for increasing motivation and stop wasting time.
4. Do Something You Love
This method for recharging your motivation is helpful when there are things I have items on my to do list that I really don’t want to do. Sometimes it can be helpful to focus on doing something that I really enjoy doing instead. This looks different for everyone. An example of this for me is when I don’t have the motivation to clean up the dishes on the counter because they’ve piled up (Don’t judge me, it happens). I love listening to music, podcasts, or comedy sketches on YouTube, so to get the motivation for doing the boring task, I’ll listen to my music, podcast episode or comedy sketch to make it less boring and get the job done. By combining something I don’t really enjoy with something I do enjoy, it helps pass the time quicker and I can get the job done while even possibly enjoying it. Give some thought as to what you can add to your routine that you love doing and then try them out and see how well the work!
5. Check Off the Small Things
Sometimes I’ll find that when I have large items to do I find it difficult to make progress and lose motivation to do them. Sometimes I get around my lack of motivation by finding small items I can do quickly to check them off my list. Psychologically, this helps improve my energy for getting to the bigger things because I can see myself making progress. Breaking out of a lack of motivation has a lot to do with changing your mental energy to power through and get the job done.
Conclusion
What other things do you do to break through a lack of motivation? I’m always up for learning and trying new things. It’s been a long time since I uploaded and you can see that I wasn’t lying when I said this issue of motivation is something I struggle with. I know it is tough, especially during these work from home days, but it is very possible to break this motivation and I encourage you all to keep powering through. My hope is that you can enter the new year with rejuvenated energy and an eye to reach whatever goals you set for yourself this year. I wish you all a happy holiday season and a bright new year.