Are you always motivated to get things done?
Yeah, me neither. And if you said “yes” to always being motivated, I want to know your secret!
Motivation can be elusive and difficult to maintain for lots of reasons. It can be due to external factors such as setbacks, criticism, or life. A task can feel overwhelming, leading to a sense of paralysis and a loss of motivation. Or repetition in some tasks can drain your energy and diminish your motivation. Then there’s the fear of failure (this is me!) or the uncertainty of the outcome can create doubts and undermine your motivation to take action. And let’s not forget your own internal factors, such as self-doubt, negative self-talk, or a lack of confidence.
All of those factors can sabotage your motivation and make it difficult to stay focused on your goal, whatever it is. But, just because you’re NOT motivated doesn’t mean you can’t do it anyway.
I know, you might be thinking, how does that work?! Stick with me for a moment.
Let’s take a closer look at it
#1 What is motivation?
#2 How to get motivated when you’re not feeling it (it’s not what you think)
What is motivation?
We often use motivation to get tasks done…..and as a reason to not do something. Well, at least I know I do. If you’re anything like me, then you’ve told yourself that you’re just not motivated to clean the house, practice yoga, meditate, go through a closet, organize the basement, etc. The list can go on and on.
Or on the flip side are you ever super motivated to clean the house, organize your closet, exercise, or check off things on your to-do list? It can be great when we’re motivated. Less great when we’re not.
So what is motivation?
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines motivation as “the condition of being eager to act or work.“ It’s a feeling. A feeling.
Do you always have that feeling? Heck no.
Let’s face it. When I tell myself I’m not motivated to practice yoga or clean my house, the fact is I don’t feel like doing it.
The truth is I’m waiting to feel motivated!
What’s going to make me feel motivated? The stars aligning, a full moon, a bald eagle flying over our house, my dog not eating poop, or some other sign? Who knows. But I do know that if I wait for the stars to be perfectly aligned for me to get my butt in our basement and organize then my poor basement will never get done.
Speaker and author, Mel Robbins, argues that motivation is garbage. She argues this because it’s a feeling we wait to have before we act. Things may help us feel motivated, like inspirational quotes (and I do love quotes). But does it make us act? Maybe. Not always. What if we flipped that around and acted to get motivated?
Motivation doesn’t cause action, it’s the RESULT of actions.
Your actions don’t need to be big bold ones. Nope. Small ones work best to build momentum. Small actions are more doable, less overwhelming. James Clear, the author of Atomics Habits, refers to this as the Physics of Productivity. He applies Newton’s First Law to creating habits: objects in motion tend to stay in motion. It’s hard to get moving on tasks, but once you do it becomes easier.
How do we get started?
How to get motivated
Keep inspirational quotes, just add a few tips to them.
If you like motivational quotes, like me, don’t get rid of them. They can offer inspiration and enhance your mood. But add to it tips to take decision-making out of the equation. Don’t give yourself the chance to say “I don’t feel like doing this.”
Below are tips that you can apply to anything – maybe you want to create healthier eating habits, practice more yoga, meditate, move more, finish that project, organize your closet, or clean your basement.
Schedule it
If it’s not scheduled, it’s not real. I’ve heard this suggestion from multiple productive people. And it’s true. Take decision-making out of it and schedule a small action, whatever that is, into your day.
Don’t go overboard and schedule half your day for a task. Break a large project into tiny tasks and schedule those. Start small. You’ll be surprised how once you start, you’ll want to keep at it.
Also, schedule it the night before. This way, you wake up knowing what you’ll be doing during that scheduled time. You won’t wake up hoping you’ll feel like moving, cleaning, or working on that big project. You’ll know you’re going to do it because you’ve built it into your day. Of course, make sure you stick to it!
Establish a daily routine
A routine can increase your productivity and help you feel more confident and focused throughout your day. If you don’t have any routine, I suggest you establish one. You may be surprised if you take a close look at your mornings. You may have naturally established a routine.
A morning routine helps set the tone for your day and an evening one helps your mind and body wind down. Find a routine that works for you. It takes the decision-making out of what you do when you wake up and how you wind down to go to bed.
Use the 5-Second Rule
Even when we’ve scheduled something and have a daily routine your amazing brain may get in the way and talk you out of something. And it doesn’t take long for this to happen. In fact, it can happen in 5 seconds.
This is where Mel Robbin’s 5-Second Rule comes in handy. The second you hesitate or start thinking you don’t “feel” like it, count “5-4-3-2-1”, then go. You’ll interrupt your brain talking you out of it.
Try using this rule when you second guess starting a task, if your mind gets distracted, when negative thoughts creep in, or even if you start feeling anxious about something. Say “5-4-3-2-1” then go. And boom, you’re back to what you were doing.
One note. These tips can help you get the ball rolling. Getting started is the hardest part. But also, be kind to yourself. Life happens.
No matter what you want to accomplish, starting with small tasks can help you build momentum. Don’t wait to feel motivated and act.
Let your actions create motivation.
Do you struggle to start and stick with an action? Then you need to learn your superpower! Take this 2-minute quiz to learn your superpower when it comes to taking action.
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