You know the feeling, your brain says, “Hey, I should really do this productive thing”, but your body says, “Eh, I’d rather not.” Motivation is something you’ll always be working to control. As I wrote this over the course of an entire year, I struggled. Sitting on my couch under a pile of blankets with my laptop on my knees, sluggishly plunking out words and sentences. We all feel a lack of motivation at times, so the good thing is; you’re not alone! Whether you’re attempting to find the strength to finish (or even start) a school project or implement a new habit, it’s normal for individuals of any age to struggle with the conundrum of motivation. However, intentionally understanding that fact and learning to find a balance between enjoying leisure and productivity is achievable. “Motivation is an internal process. Whether we define it as a drive or a need, motivation is a condition inside us that desires a change, either in the self or the environment.” [1]

There is something you have been wanting to do. Organize your closets; start exercising regularly; complete an online class; etc. Unfortunately, you don’t have endless motivation to do these things. There’s probably a TV show you’d rather watch or you’d prefer to play Mario Kart and just unwind. Learning to understand when you need and deserve rest and when you are being lethargic or lazy is important and this balance will be different for everyone. Notice the number of times you put off a task or project and the amount of time spent being unproductive. “Sometimes you might feel completely unmotivated—and that’s ok.” [2] Remember that feeling a lack of motivation is normal and can be improved upon. “In that situation [of feeling unmotivated], allow yourself to feel the discomfort, hear the negative self-talk, and then take action anyway. … Instead of turning the TV on, acknowledge that you’re tired and then challenge yourself to read five pages of the book on your nightstand first. This approach [allows] for negative thoughts and feelings while helping you change ingrained patterns.” [2] Changing your habits to support a more productive lifestyle will help you achieve those unfinished projects you wish to complete.

Cultivating motivation for involved tasks, such as completing a degree or starting a business, is tricky because many little things must be completed to reach the end goal. All those nitty-gritty tasks can quickly lose meaning in your day-to-day. Tie those small tasks (writing a paper or learning to file your taxes properly) back to your main goal and remind yourself of the reward when each step is finally complete. When the idea of reward doesn’t help you, institute an “if-then” trigger for yourself (if I feel unmotivated, then I will do 15 jumping jacks) to develop positive actions and keep your fire of motivation burning during the process of each task.

Find a starting place after you’ve set your objective to push yourself into momentum. When I feel uninspired to write, I tell myself to just open my computer and start typing something. It doesn’t have to be a cohesive paragraph; it just must be something. Some action that builds on that positive habit and gets creative juices flowing. Get into the space where productivity could happen and leave the possibility open. If you want to eat healthier, you have to start by filling your fridge and pantry with healthy ingredients so that when you are hungry, you’ve already set yourself up with healthy options to eat. When you do this, you’ll usually end up enjoying it more than your brain originally thought you would. “… People are often inaccurate in their beliefs about the motivating property of intrinsic rewards. Specifically, when we asked participants to work on a boring task and to make a prediction about how interesting the task would be, their prediction was inaccurate. Their predicted task engagement was less than their actual task engagement, indicating that people tend to underestimate their power to generate intrinsic rewards when faced with boring tasks”. [3] Once you get momentum going, the small tasks become sturdier in your routine and you may not need to think twice about finding motivation for them anymore. It is now an established habit. “Motivation targets the ‘why’ of change, but momentum targets the ‘how.’ Generating momentum is pivotal for taking the concrete steps needed to shift out of entrenched patterns and make change.” [2]

After a while, you might need a change in your environment to encourage that feeling of inspiration. When you go too long in a healthy routine of action, you’ll get tired of the same-old-same-old. Every day you study at the same desk in the same chair, but maybe it would feel refreshing to study at the kitchen table or in a coffee shop for the afternoon. “Our needs, cognitions, emotions, environments, and relationships can play a crucial role in procrastination or avoidance. … Our environment can also be either ideal and supportive or an obstacle to staying motivated and achieving our goals. It can be full of distractions or lack optimal conditions that allow for sustained motivation.” [1] Experimenting with different environments could prove to significantly increase your motivation levels and your productivity.

But sometimes you just get stuck in a rut. “It’s natural to feel stuck at certain points, especially when working through difficult tasks.” [2] This is where you’ll need to get creative. Try asking a friend to listen while you talk through the struggles you’re experiencing. This can allow you to vocalize issues that may sound different out loud or maybe keep you accountable and offer new ideas to support your motivated state. Try rewarding yourself with something you enjoy after you’ve completed a certain amount of work. Maybe enjoying a smoothie or coffee while working will keep you going through a difficult project or listening to your favorite podcast could help make laundry day more enjoyable.

We can all relate about feeling a lack of motivation at times, it’s something of a skill we must learn at various stages of our lives. Listen to yourself and find an understanding of when you can enjoy your time relaxing and when you need to spend time working on your aspirations. Be practical and try things that might seem silly at first. Change your environment (add a plant!) to work for you or find a new place that provides an inspirational atmosphere. Start somewhere and build momentum because you might end up enjoying the process more than you expect and you might accomplish more than you thought you could.

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Sources:

1. Souders, Beata. “What Is Motivation.” Positive Psychology, 2021, positivepsychology.com/what-is-motivation.
2. “Motivation.” Psychology Today, 2021, http://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/motivation.
3. Murayama, Kou. “The Science of Motivation.” American Psychological Association, 2018, http://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2018/06/motivation.

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