Staying motivated when life throws you lemons can really be a challenge. The key is to remember what you’re doing it for in the first place. I speak from experience in this, as I’ve just gone through several massive disappointments that have left me with more questions than answers. This in turn has me spiralling, and I know I have to pull myself out soon. Here is how I regained my motivation when I hit the wall.
Staying motivated when you’ve hit the wall.
I have been going on all cylinders without a break for a long time. My expectations were high, and risk tolerance pushed to the max. According to my mentor I’m doing everything right and destined for success. I’m a rule follower, and want fairness for all. Everything I do is within the bounds of what is lawful and fair. That’s why it really irks me when the system set up to support us, does not play by the same rules. It’s hard to play the game when the rules keep changing.
This recent experience pulled my feet out from under me, and my drive is gone. How do you motivate others when you have lost your motivation yourself? That is the question I’m facing right now. Even saying to myself what I would say to someone else in my situation, is not working. I don’t want to get up and “do it anyway!” I know I have to keep the positive voice louder than the negative voice. I know I need to talk back to the negative voice, with prepared affirmations. I know I should “fake it till I make it!”, but I’m tired.
Tips for regaining your motivation
- Take a break.
- Remember why you are doing it.
- Do it anyway.
- So what?
- Brainstorm new ideas.
- Decide to take action.
Take a break
Taking a break can be taking a day, week, or month off from your tasks. It can also be just walking away from your electronic devices, and heading out into nature. Watching a movie, taking a bath, listening to music, playing sports, or playing video games all fall into this category. Anything that gives you a change of scenery to clear your head would work. Taking a break actually improves productivity, as it allows you to get a new perspective and ideas to break through whatever is holding you back. You will be amazed at how quickly a break can refill your tank so you can get back into the game.
Remember why you are doing it
Remembering why you are doing it can be the catalyst you need to rekindle your motivation. Write out your reasons everyday before you start work. Have them as the wallpaper for your computer screen, or as a poster on your wall. Those reasons need to be in the forefront of your mind, and easily accessible when you run into setbacks. No matter how mundane the task may be before you, if the reason you are doing it is strong enough, you’ll do it. Make your reasons powerful, emotional, and intentional then nothing will be able to stop you!
I am pursuing this to show my children and others what is possible. This is a huge motivator for me, because I don’t want my children to see me quit. I want to show them how to persevere in life so they can achieve their dreams. This is why I won’t allow my recent disappointment to stop me. This is the primary motivator that is keeping me going. I have decided to be an example for entrepreneurs who don’t have financial backing, that they can be wildly successful!
Do it anyway!
This falls in the “fake it till you make it” category. No matter what you are pursuing in life, there are going to be days you don’t feel like doing it. Do It Anyway! You will waste so much less time and mental energy if you just do it anyway. When you are resisting something, the mind war you create between the ” I should’s” and the “I don’t feel like it’s” wastes so much time. Just do it anyway, and then it’s done. You can then move forward to more important and enjoyable things.
So What?
This one is very similar to the previous category, but merits it’s own mention. No matter what disappointment or anxious thought you are facing, answering it with “So What?”, can make a huge difference. So what if the bank refuses your business loan request? Is it going to kill you? Only if you allow it to. When you look at it neutrally you will see that it’s not going to kill you. It will delay what you are wanting to do, but it won’t kill you unless you quit. Don’t give them that power. Prove them wrong and do it without them. It may take longer than you’d like, but you can succeed without them.
It’s the same with any anxious thought or situation. By asking So What?, you can calm your mind that the world will not end if that happens. You can always get back up and start again, if you want to. So stop the spiralling in your mind and ask the simple question So What?. You’ll be glad you did.
Brainstorm new ideas.
Doing a brain dump of all the possible ways you can still get the result you are looking for is priceless! Just sit down with a pad of paper or your computer keyboard, and get creative. The crazier the idea the better, and then naturally some other more plausible ones will appear. When you can see 10 to 20 new options, your optimism will start to rise rekindling your motivation. Be willing to let go of old expectations, in order for the new opportunities to come in. You may be surprised to find that the new ideas were even better than the old ones!
Decide to take action!
The next step is to then take action. Decide what your next step will be, and take it. Move forward knowing that you tried the other way and it wasn’t for you. Now you will try something new until you find what does work. The great thing about brainstorming ideas, is that if this step doesn’t work you already have something else to try! Taking action may be scary at first, but the more you do it the easier it gets. When you decide that quitting isn’t an option, it won’t be.
How am I staying motivated?
I’m staying motivated by using all of these tips. After the big disappointment, I took the day off. I didn’t even cook for the rest of the day. I did nothing work related, and turned to other things on my to-do list. The next day I still didn’t want to work on my blog, but I did it anyway. It was a slow process, but the more I slogged through it the easier it got.
Then I remembered that I didn’t want my kids to see me quit; so I didn’t. I asked myself “So What” if they aren’t going to loan us the money, all it will do is make things take longer. So be it. I verbally brainstormed some options with my daughter, and we came up with some new ideas for my YouTube channel. Then I decided to stay the course and prove them all wrong.
In conclusion:
Staying motivated is not always easy. Life happens; disappointments and roadblocks spring up at every turn. It’s knowing why our goal matters, and sticking to it no matter what that makes the difference. So if you find your motivation waning, stop and think about why you were doing it in the first place. Then recommit to your goal and don’t let anything or anyone stop you. You can achieve the life of your dreams, when you stop letting others get in your way.
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