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Staying Motivated When You Least Want To
Every day we lose precious time to Motivation Malfunction. Little by little, it tries to sap away our precious focus, to dwell on ‘what ifs’ and ‘boo hoos’ that lurk about in the peripheral of our consciousness. This article, “Staying Motivated When It All Goes To Hell“, is a great wake up call to keep moving forward, faster than ever.
I use it as part of my “Emergency Motivation Arsenal”, in case I find myself moping about instead of pursuing my goals.
It’s easy to get motivated by an idea. A plan. A goal. We tend to get easily excited by and obsessed over these (and other) four-letter words. The thought of them is intoxicating, and when you’re caught up in the euphoria, suddenly all things seem possible. You want it bad, and you chase it with a smile on your face.
But there’s another four letter that most people don’t like to face, and that’s work.
When your goals just aren’t doing it for you, when you’re not getting excited enough to chase them anymore, something is wrong. You feel like you’re going through the motions, doing what you have to in order to chug along, and the hot idea that once dominated your thoughts has lost its luster. What used to be a driving passion becomes just another chore. You start entertaining thoughts of giving up.
Full Article: Staying Motivated When It All Goes To Hell
6 Responses to “Staying Motivated When You Least Want To”
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November 15th, 2008 at 3:51 am
What are some of the ways you stay motivated, when you’re having a downswing?
November 17th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Such a common problem for entrepreneurs, we’re all dreamers… but reality is another thing completely. If you have an idea, sit on it a few days (weeks) and examine your excitement. Even months or years down the road, regardless of whether or not business is good, the once hot idea CAN lose is luster. I guess what you need to ask yourself is “WHY?” Is it a pattern in your life? Is it a temporary thing? How long ago did the idea become a burden? What are the reasons behind feeling the way you do? If it’s a temporary downswing…do what you have to do to get though it. Put yourself on autopilot OR switch things around to bring the excitement back!
Great blog post and you leave some great food for thought.
January 1st, 2009 at 5:26 pm
I try to think about 2 things:
- I try to find the meaning in my project. It’s always something you can think about when you’re down. Find a real a meaning. If it’s making money and your project does not look that good now, then it’s hard to stay.
-Take difficulties like opportunities. Where everyone else quits, your staying makes the difference.
I guess we all face that.
January 1st, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Take difficulties as opportunities. When everybody quits, your staying makes the little difference.
And remember what first got you going.
January 6th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Well, one of the things I do when I’m feeling unmotivated, and possibly even on the verge of quitting, is that I give myself the space to do nothing, to come off the schedule. I try to experience the feelings fully, because one thing I know is that after I hit bottom, there will be only one direction I can go. And that’s back up! Knowing that is what gives me strength. If I don’t acknowledge the low feelings, then I might be able to work on this or that towards my goals, but in some awful, forced kind of way. And the feelings may just fester under the surface.
If I get a few things done during the open space period - maybe some non-thinking mundane tasks - then it is just a bonus and it doesn’t feel like that four-letter word mentioned above (W-O-R-K). Kind of like when I used part of a snow day when school was out to study or brush up for a test. It felt like I got extra stuff done. The I-got-more-done-than-expected feeling is great in comparison to the I-haven’t-done-enough feeling.
I use this technique anytime I feel low and unmotivated, whether for personal or professional reasons.
February 26th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Your right, this is definitely an issue one must know how to deal with. I completely agree with Manisha - I give myself space as well. Pausing or taking a break is something I don’t do often enough anyway, so when I get so tapped out that the thought of quitting occupies my mind, I go to a party. Or I have dinner with friends, Visit family… I do anything but work for all of about a day (even an hour if thats all I can afford to spare). But then I ask myself why I was doing whatever I was doing in the first place !? I’m too passionate not to have a reason…
Also, surrounding yourself with good people always helps. They can catch you before you even get to that low point. Or at least help you recover from “motivation malfunctions” faster…
Thnx for the post.