One of my personal pet peeves is when people complain they can’t ‘get’ the drive to do something. You know, there’s nothing you can find. Motivation is not something you can hide when you need it.
When you blame this sense of inspiration for not taking action, you just use it as a justification for procrastination. It’s easy to put it off before the last minute, because it’s something you need to do or something you want to do.
Procrastination can be the easiest way out, but it’s still the most difficult way to live your life.
That’s because procrastination results in two types of stress:
- Stress from the constant nagging thought in the back of your mind that tells you to get something done
- Stress from trying to finish something at the last minute
What most people don’t know is that the time you spent THINKING about doing something always takes longer and creates more tension than doing it.
You’re stressing out as it is, so why are you even making your life more miserable by procrastinating? In this post, I share the true reasons why you lack inspiration, as well as the concrete steps you should take anytime you find yourself procrastinating.
5 Reasons You Lack Motivation
Instead of blaming our lack of doing on lack of motivation, it helps to really dig into the root of the problem. I’ve found that when I’m at my lowest motivation, it’s because of one of these things:
1. I’m unsure of what to do. I’m unclear on the instructions for a task, or I can’t decide which direction to go with a project.
2. I’m overwhelmed or tired. I already have 8,000 things to do, and this is one more thing I need to work on. I’m exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally.
3. I fear a negative outcome. I’m worried that something will go wrong, I’ll embarrass myself, or it won’t live up to my standards.
4. I’m dealing with something emotionally. I’ve had a crappy day or I’ve received bad news. I want to crawl into a ball and not work on this project.
5. It doesn’t feel important. I can’t find a clear reason WHY I should do this thing, so I distract myself and procrastinate instead.
When you’re dealing with a lack of motivation, it’s important to a) figure out why you’re unmotivated and b) know how to move forward anyway.
Your Future Self
One of the simplest ways I’ve learnt to cope with procrastination is to think how my decisions now will impact my future self. Sometimes when we hear the word ‘future selves’ we think about ourselves in five to ten years’ time. It’s impossible to think what our futures will be like today, but it doesn’t act as the greatest motivator.
Lately, I have been visualizing my future self if I don’t want to do anything. I ask myself: is future Catherine going to suffer if I don’t act today? Much of the time, future Catherine is going to be pretty stressed if I leave it for later. I don’t owe it to myself to make life less stressful?
After all, one of my values is to make life as chill and stress-free as possible (because life can actually be fun, weirdly enough).
That means that I have to take responsibility for my actions. I have to set aside some temporary moment of gratification (like Watching Friends) in order to build less tension for myself in the future.
What’s about living in the moment?Isn’t that important, huh?
I could argue with myself that watching Friends is a good way to relax at that moment in time. But I have to be honest with myself and realize that a moment (or five episodes) of temporary relaxation will cause me more stress later down the road.
Now when I realize that I’m procrastinating or avoiding something, I ask myself WHY I don’t want to do it. Rather than complaining about it and avoiding all responsibility, I put on my adulting hat and try to get to the root of the problem.
How To Get Things Done
If my future self isn’t motivating me, here’s what I do when I find myself dealing with a specific lack of motivation:
1. When I’m unsure
I figure out the first, tiny little step I need to take. If I need guidance, I’ll push aside my pride and ask for help or clarification.
2. When I’m tired or overwhelmed
When I’m tired, I’ll take a break to get my energy back (take a walk, a nap, or a bath). Since I can, I’m trying to do the things that take up the least amount of my energy. I just know that I have to be disciplined with myself and not use ‘tiredness’ as an excuse for too long. If I’m stressed, I’m arranging my to-do list and adding task dates to my schedule to make it manageable.
3. When I’m afraid
I’m testing myself out and digging where my worries come from. It’s always perfectionism that holds me down, so I tell myself, “It’s better to do something imperfect than to do nothing at all.”
4. When I’ve been knocked down
I’m giving myself some time to process my thoughts. I stop letting myself feel bad for not functioning, and doing something I know would lead me back to a centralized position.
Note: If you have not been able to take care of your basic needs for a longer period of time, try talking to a professional who can assist.
5. When I don’t see the point
I’m curious why this doesn’t feel important or worth prioritizing. I’m trying to review my vision list to see if what I’m avoiding fits the purpose of my broader vision. If it doesn’t, I’m trying to find a way to let the job or mission go. If I can’t get rid of it, I’m trying to adjust my environment to make it at least a bit more fun.
How do you get yourself motivated?
No matter the reason for your lack of motivation, always come back to your future self. That person IS you. You can’t escape the future, so why not make it less stressful for yourself?