Let’s admit it – we’ve all been in a state where the lack of motivation is just killing us. The reasons for this may be different, but the final result is always the same – we feel miserable, lazy, and we’re in desperate need of effective productivity tips that will make us pick ourselves up from the bed. In the succeeding paragraphs, I will share a few tricks that will surely help you in your journey of finding motivation.
How to Overcome Lack of Motivation?
Finding motivation can be a difficult task for many people, especially those who suffer from depression or extreme apathy. In moments when a person feels low, it’s like there isn’t one single thing in the whole world that will make them feel inspired or excited. Talking to someone can surely be beneficial; however, most of the time, people who have a lack of motivation don’t feel like talking. To anyone. Quite often, conversations with their closest people may be considered tedious and exhausting.
Luckily for you, talking to someone is not part of the productivity tips and motivation-finding tricks I’m about to share with you. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an expert. However, I have been through phases in my life when lack of motivation was so overwhelming that I didn’t want to do anything but aimlessly scrolling through my social media platforms. Fortunately, I’ve managed to escape the trap of motivationlessness by acquiring a few simple habits.
The Relief
The first thing any person should do when they suffer from a lack of motivation, in my opinion, is to write any thought wandering in their minds on paper. If you don’t feel like getting up and grabbing a pen and a notebook, you can also use your phone. We can all agree that when we don’t feel like doing anything, we have our smartphones with us.
After you’ve prepared your writing tools, it’s time to pour those bad thoughts and emotions onto paper (real or digital). I promise you that you’ll feel such a relief! After you’re done ranting, it’s time to write down the possible reasons why you may experience a lack of motivation. It’s okay if you don’t know exactly what triggered it. If that’s the case with you, just list the latest bad experiences you’ve had. This way, it’ll be easier for you to find your reason.
The Sparkle
The second step is to take another piece of paper or to open a new note on your phone. What you want to do now is to write down all the things you love doing. Painting, cooking, reading, writing – every little thing. You can also add everything you’re interested in, such as skincare, video games, etc. For me personally, this little act has helped me feel that sparkle of motivation deep inside of me. Although it wasn’t enough to make me pick up my butt from the bed, it was something, and I knew I was going in the right direction.
The Action
The third step consists of drawing a calendar on a piece of paper. Alternatively, you can download some kind of habit tracker on your phone. Then you need to add all habits you want to acquire, such as:
- Skincare every night
- Reading at least 10 pages a day
- Working out
- Eating healthy
- Painting something small
Once you’ve added everything you want, your desire to find motivation will become even greater. My advice is to make your habit tracker as pretty as possible. Add stickers, use colored pencils, draw cute figures – everything works. If possible, bring it with you wherever you go. After completing a task, put a tick next to the respective day.
The Satisfaction
I promise you that after each tick you draw on your list, you’ll feel incredibly satisfied, and you’ll want to add more and more ticks throughout the rest of the day. Whenever a new habit you want to adopt comes to your mind, add it to your list. You can also create habit trackers for the upcoming months so that you have everything necessary in advance.
Of course, there will be moments when you’ll want to throw that stupid piece of paper in your trash bin. Nevertheless, you should never do it. Instead, take a few deep breaths, check out what your next task is, and occupy your mind with all the benefits that come with it.
For instance, if working out is next on your to-do list, think about how good you’ll feel after the end of the workout. Think about your dream body. Think about how good an active lifestyle is for you. Just think, and don’t let the lack of motivation grab hold of you again.
Why Is Dealing With Lack of Motivation So Hard?
The tips given above may not work out for you from the first time. You may need to start several times before you feel the satisfaction of finding motivation again. The thing is that once you fall into the giant trap of apathy, it’s really hard to free yourself from it. However, if you’re consistent and do anything possible to change your lifestyle, you’re promised to become the happiest you’ve ever been. I can also suggest you check out the following books that will surely be beneficial to you and your motivation levels:
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
- Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results by Stephen Guise
- Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by John Tierney and Roy Baumeister
- Making Habits, Breaking Habits by Jeremy Dean
- 30 Days Change Your Habits, Change Your Life by Marc Reklau
- Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin
