Do you sometimes have a lack of motivation getting out of bed in the morning?
I know I do. Although that’s mostly because my bed feels so cozy and I don’t feel like escaping that. Which is probably the reason I’m late to places often…
But for others, it’s not about the coziness; it’s the lack of motivation to get up and do anything.
The alarm clock goes off, and instead of hopping straight up, you’ve built a daily habit of hitting snooze and staring into a void, searching for some inner push to move.
And this goes beyond waking up. Lack of motivation can look like giving it 20% at work, doing the bare minimum to get by, withdrawing from fun activities you’d normally take part in, or even struggling to eat.
However that looks to you, we’ve got some methods for you to reignite that fire to get you moving one step forward!
Reasons for a Lack of Motivation
Whatever things you used to get motivated before may not always keep you motivated. You may have experienced something like:
Loss
- Getting fired from a job you liked
- Falling short of a goal you had despite all your hard work trying to reach it
- Hearing a tragedy about a loved one
Burnout
- Overexerting yourself for others with no reciprocation
- Taking on too many responsibilities
- Pouring out your heart to too many that don’t deserve it
Depression
- Having a grim look at life
- Dealing with some combination of the things listed above
And any one of these situations will hit hard. It’s not always easy to push through the pain of these problems.
Understanding Your “Why”
But one of the simplest ways to help you get back on track is to remember why you keep going in the first place.
You can have numerous reasons, big and small, that push you. What may seem tedious to others may be major for you. Come up with whatever reasons that are deep to you.
And if you struggle finding reasons, these will help guide you:
Fear vs. Faith
One strong reason for a lack of motivation is the fear inside you holding you back. That fear can stem from anything you’ve experienced, whether it be:
- Regrets from past mistakes
- Idolizing your comfort zone
- Hesitation to endure failure and rejection
Even if you don’t know the outcome of a situation, the best thing you can do is to have the faith to embrace the unknown.
Think about it: you spend so much time wondering what if everything goes wrong. Well, what if everything goes right?
Imagine what victory would feel like. Envision what it looks like to achieve your goals. Dream about the feeling of accomplishment that you wouldn’t have if you’d stayed frozen in fear.
All this because you chose to have the faith to take one step forward.
If one reason for your lack of motivation is the fear of everything going wrong, let your boost of motivation be the possibilities of everything going right.
Transform your thoughts of fear into thoughts of endless opportunities at your fingertips, waiting for you to act.
Think About the People in Your Life
Is it tough for you to find a reason for yourself to keep going? Think about someone in your life you care about immensely. Who is it that you’re willing to give up everything to make them happy? (And it better be someone who actually earns that level of love from you…)
For example, if you’re a mother reading this, you may keep trying to better yourself to be an example for your children.
If you’re a father, you want to make sure your family never lacks in anything financially, mentally, or emotionally. That takes strength and sky high effort.
Perhaps a lot of what you do is because you believe your partner deserves the best after everything they’ve done for you.
Maybe you’re not pressing forward for someone else’s sake; you might get your drive from people who doubt you. Imagine the surge of getting motivation from achievements that others kept saying you couldn’t do. That satisfaction in proving them wrong makes you press forward even stronger.
Most importantly: take one step forward for yourself for the sake of yourself. Your life is precious and overflowing with potential. Keep going just so you can witness your own greatness expose itself to you.
The Act and the Importance of Consistency
After a while, it gets discouraging to stick to a habit that continuously yields no results. And because of that, we get that lack of motivation to keep trying.
But you still have to keep going; you’ll be much farther ahead than if you were to give up entirely.
Instead of doing the same thing over and over or doing things without structure, counter your lack of motivation with goal setting.
Setting one giant goal can cause a lack of motivation by making you feel like it’s unachievable. Instead of staring at the end goal, make a bunch of small goals that contribute to the big one. That way, you regain motivation each time you succeed in one small task; you’re basically showing yourself that you’re moving one step forward towards the bigger picture.
Don’t just randomly say a goal, though. Make them S.M.A.R.T. goals. If you don’t know what that means, it stands for:
- Specific: CLEARLY state what it is you want to accomplish in great detail. Leave no room for vagueness
- Measurable: Have a metric or criteria that you can track while working on this goal
- Achievable: Shoot for the moon but be realistic about it. Don’t expect to become a millionaire overnight.
- Relevant: Keep the goal in alignment with your “why” so you know what’s a distraction
- Time-bound: Put a deadline so you’re not wasting your time on unproductive tasks
Once you establish that, aim to accomplish one small goal every single day. Consistency is the best counter for a lack of motivation.
Treat Yo’ Self: The Benefits of Positive Reinforcement
Another strong way to fight a lack of motivation is to give your mind –and yourself– rewards for doing something. What does that look like?
- Rewarding Small Wins – Set up a system where you give yourself a reward after completing a task. It could be a sweet treat, a short break, or watching an episode of your favorite show.
- Tracking Your Progress – Keeping a journal or checklist where you can mark off completed tasks gives a sense of accomplishment and motivates you to keep going.
- Using Encouraging Self-Talk – Instead of being hard on yourself, practice self-encouragement. Phrases like “I’m making progress”, “Every step counts”, or “You’re taking things one step forward” can gradually and positively shift your mindset.
- Gamifying Your Tasks – Turn your work into a game by setting challenges, points, or levels to make tasks more engaging.
- Finding an Accountability Partner – Having someone to check in with can help keep you motivated and accountable for your progress.
Overcoming Procrastination
Some days, we’ll feel that fire to keep going. Other days, we just don’t feel like doing anything at all. And it may not be a lack of motivation; it can just be a random slump of inaction.
For starters, resting is crucial to achieving your goals and maintaining good mental health. But when “I don’t feel like it” becomes a thought a little too often, you need to check yourself to see why that is.
Figure out What Causes you to Procrastinate
What is it that internally causes your lack of motivation and boost in procrastination? Some common reasons include:
- Boredom
- The fear of the unexpected
- Lack of clarity
Whatever that reason is for you, use the advice we gave earlier to at least get your mindset in order.
And while you’re at it, think about the things that distract you. For many, it’s social media, going out for drinks often, playing video games, or sleeping in all day. I know one of mine is YouTube…
List everything that tends to put your mind into the void of unproductivity, and stay clear of all of them. At least keep them out of your sight whenever you’re working on your small goals for the day.
Something I like to do is put on instrumental smooth jazz on the speaker to tune out distracting noises and prevent the room from being dead silent. Maybe, I’ll add a glass of tea to add to the vibe– mostly because I have a tea addiction that I’m not ashamed to admit.
Just Start, Even With Something Small
Another major counter to a lack of motivation is to start small.
Huge goals are daunting to think about. Breaking it up step by step makes it easier. Breaking that down even further makes each task much easier to do. It just takes you starting.
Now, don’t feel like you have to get so much of your to-do list finished. Simply set a timer for five minutes. In that time frame, focus solely on that one super small task.
Once you finish that, your brain will give you a slight dopamine hit each time you cross something off on your to-do list. And that’s when that lack of motivation turns into a spark of determination to accomplish everything.
Light That Fire Inside of You, and Let it Burn Bright
We know there are many days when the most we all feel like doing is turning on the TV and relaxing, but doing only that won’t get you ahead.
Use these strategies next time you feel a strong lack of motivation to get something done, large or small.
And let us know what your “why” is so we can cheer you on!
