Most of us have love-hate relationship with motivation. We need to get motivated all the time but we always find it hard to get out of our comfort zones and get ourselves working.
We like to feel motivated but we hate the process of prodding ourselves into doing what we are supposed to be doing or finishing what we have already started.
Motivation is a hard to pin down thing. What few people realize though is that while it may be hard to pin down at times, there are plenty of things one can do to muster enough motivation to get yourself going.
Quit the debate:
The battle always starts in the head. It begins ten to five minutes before you start doing the thing you have to do – whether it’s a task, a business plan, a goal.
In the normal course of hesitating to do your task, one part of your head tries to talk you into doing it. It is immediately followed by a voice that talks you out of it.
This process goes on until you decide to follow either of the two voices. Abandon the task and live with the uneasy, guilty feeling or finish it and feel satisfied.
The right choice is obvious, but the immediate convenience of the ‘easy way out’ presents make it very enticing.
Try not to prolong the debate:
The longer it goes on, the more difficult it will be for you to begin and finish your task, the less motivated you will feel. This mental chatter is an absolute motivation killer.
Find your inspiration:
Inspiration almost always comes out of nowhere. It is funny how one can feel inspired by simply listening to the rhythm of the falling rain or by simply watching little children play. It is amazing how a witty line from a poem can enlighten your mind and your mood.
It is never fully clear why these things happen, but it is evident that they happen all the time. When lacking the inspiration to get off your butt and do your work, try to look at the most unassuming places and see if something inside you will react. Don’t push it, though.
Inspiration is a sudden occurrence; it can never be manufactured. It comes when the time is ripe.
Take a break:
Exhaustion can kill your mood, not to mention lower your motivation level. There is enough time in the world to do and finish everything you have to do so don’t race against time. Always take the time to reward yourself with some sunshine and warm bath.
Or with some relaxing minutes under the trees or in your bed. However, you do it, just try to have the faith that once you get back to the drawing board, your mind is already geared to be productive. Don’t be afraid to take some time off and reward yourself with rest.
Enjoy the process
What are life and work if they are not enjoyed? Try to always find the purpose and happiness in everything you do, no matter how uninterested you are.