Lagging motivation can happen for many reasons. You might be burned out, you may have lost sight of your goal, or you might just need a change of scenery. Digging deep into the reasons for your lack of motivation is a good idea, but sometimes, you just need to jumpstart your engine even if you’re still planning to do that longer-term investigation into why this is happening.
The tips below can help you push past blockages now to get the job done.
Do One Thing
Sometimes, a lack of motivation manifests as an inability to move forward on anything. This could be because you’re tired, because you’re worried or for many other reasons, but the fact of the matter is that you still need to get some things done. One great way to combat this is to do just one thing. It should be something fairly easy and low stakes, but what happens most often is that getting started is the hardest part, and you’re able to go on and do more afterwards.
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Take a Hike
You don’t have to literally take a hike, but any form of exercise can sometimes help increase your motivation. That might be ten jumping jacks next to your desk, a quick walk around the block, or a more full-on workout such as going on a run, a gym session, or some time on the yoga mat. Physical activity can be great for shaking you out of your inertia and can often help perk you up out of those low energy doldrums you may feel in the afternoon.
Stop
Whether you can only spare five minutes or you can take off for five days, stepping away from whatever you are working on can actually do a lot to reset your motivation and focus. Sometimes, you just need to focus on something else even if it’s only getting up and going to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee or tea. If you have the time and money, though, nothing beats a weekend or longer away someplace new to refresh you.
Use the Carrot
Using the carrot or the stick is a well-known way of conceptualizing motivation, with the idea being that the carrot is the reward, and the stick is punishment. Too often, we use the latter, whether it’s beating ourselves up for not producing as much as we think we should or facing the real-world consequences of not doing so, such as an angry boss. A much gentler method is the carrot. A carrot might not sound like much in the way of a reward, so you’re allowed to pick something more tempting, whether that’s a spa day, a binge-watching session or a piece of cake.