Eight Ways to Work When Motivation Fails You
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 5:00AM Most of us have projects or items on our to-do list for which we lack a sense of motivation. I know that sometimes I've even felt anti-motivated!
Here are some things to think about when struggling with a project when the energy just isn't flowing:
1. Make it easier and more fun.
Take ten minutes to brainstorm: write down everything that would make the project easier, more fun, less terrible, etc. Come up with a game or a challenge that you could use to make the project more fun-- even something really silly can sometimes be surprisingly motivating.
For example, as a college student I used to buy a chocolate bar if I was having a really difficult time writing a paper, and break it into pieces-- one piece for every page I was going to write. As I finished the page, I'd eat a piece of chocolate. You can also play games with timers. Any playful element you add can help make a task more approachable and less tedious.
2. Clarify milestones, desired end results and next steps.
Sometimes a project seems terrible only because you aren't sure where to start, where it's going, or what to do next. Get as concrete as possible about the very next step if you're not sure what it is-- buying supplies, making a specific phone call, writing the first sentence, or spending an hour brainstorming.
3. Remind yourself why.
Again, brainstorm for ten minutes, and write down all the reasons why it's important to you to do this project. From your brainstorm ideas, create a list of the biggest reasons or an inspiring mantra to read about why the project matters to you. Post your reminder somewhere you will see it, and read it every time you intend to work on your project.
4. Schedule time on your calendar and create the right working environment.
Dedicate time; create the right physical space. It's never going to feel like the right time to do a task that you're not feeling motivated to start. Commit yourself ahead of time by blocking out time on your calendar and follow through on your commitment. Sometimes knowing that now, rather than later, is the time to do your task is enough to make it less daunting.
Sometimes having a clean, clear desk or room or filing bin is enough to unblock the energy. Caveat: don't spend so long making the space right that you use it as an excuse to avoid working! This kind of preparation should be quick and to the point, not a new project to distract you.
5. Just do it!
Explore what happens if you simply work despite the resistance. Make a firm date to work on the project for a solid chunk of time, with a few scheduled five-minute breaks-- two to four hours is good as it allows enough time to fully experience and hopefully break through your wall, but isn't so long as to seem interminable.
Don't allow yourself to put off this time, distract yourself during this time, or extend your breaks-- just summon up some major will power, work on your project, doing one thing after another to move it forward.
Afterwards, think about how the experience made you feel. What did you learn about your resistance, your motivation and your process? Sometimes, working for a few hours like this helps the resistance just melt away. Other times, it yields insights into why you're finding it so hard to get started or keep at it. Either way, you'll feel better about yourself for having worked instead of just thinking about working.
6. Put it on the back burner for a while.
If your time constraints allow, delay your work on the project for a while-- an afternoon, a week, a month, three months or six. During whatever time period you decide, don't fret about the project or feel guilty for not doing it during this time. Do something else that's productive or fun, then see if returning to the unmotivated project with a fresh perspective helps inject some new life into it.
7. Outsource.
Consider whether you really need to do the project personally; perhaps someone else can take on part or all of the work. Maybe you can call in a favor, trade work or pay someone to take work you don't like off your hands.
8. Still not feeling it? Take a second look.
Examine whether the project is really worth it to you in the first place. What are the rewards of doing it? What are the likely consequences of leaving it undone? What secret message from your gut is the resistance telling you? If this is the wrong project or the wrong time, perhaps you need to let it go instead of trying to force yourself to work on it.
How do you get things done when you're committed to them but don't feel motivated?
Reader Comments (2)
for me, I used to do no1 and no7.
Make my work fun or outsource.
It helped always, maybe I can try the rest tips, haha..
Thanks for your sharing.
Good luck and I'd love to hear if any of the other tips work out for you!