Motivation to me means the reason behind why we all do the things we do in life. It can relate to something as simple as eating, we eat as we are hungry, which motivates us to go and make or get some food, whichever we feel motivated to do in that moment.
In order to be motivated, we need a mindset which is geared up to get things done. How do we get this mindset? Through discipline and taking action, no matter how small. Sometimes, a small action to get started is all that is needed. Other times, we may need to take action to put our minds into the right headspace, to even start. This could be to do something that makes us laugh and feel good, like watch a comedy, have a giggle/banter with friends/family, or to exercise which releases the feel good endorphins to get us into action for the day, or even meditation, which helps to clear our minds. Another method is visualisation and really getting into the feelings of how it would be to have the things you want in life, this can really get us going if done properly, and can get us flowing into action.
Having a strong why for what you are doing helps too, as this is the sole purpose for whatever it is you are lacking motivation for, but want to get done. Do you know why you are doing what you are doing right now? Have you thought about it? If not, where you are lacking the motivation, think back to why you started doing it in the first place.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the current situation is causing yourself to lack motivation, as it is for me. I have actually found lockdown really tough, as those who know me, know I am a very social person, always out and about, travelling for work, leisure and always doing some kind of activity. At first the lockdown period was ok, as it was pleasantly nice to be home, having not spent so much time at home before. Also I got more involved in personal development, doing online seminars, self reflection, accepting myself with bipolar - what it means to me and opening up about this and my experiences through this blog and various social media postings. As it is becoming more apparent things are no longer changing anytime soon, it is becoming a lot harder to deal with. I guess it feels there isn’t much to look forward too. The excitement of my day is my regular exercise classes, I do outdoor bootcamp sessions, go running once a week and go for regular walks. With the clocks back an hour today, it is the first year I have really felt and noticed the shorter days, with less daylight hours for evening walks. So what I am going to do about this now?
Firstly I am aware of how I feel. This is the key step to making any change in life, awareness. Secondly, we need to recognise motivation is something that will always come and go. When we first start something, we get all excited and are eager to keep going. It is only after sometime as things stagnant, it is totally normal for momentum to be lost. The stagnation here is the slowing down of the world due to the current situation, which is out of our control, interrupting our normal flow of life. Many have found opportunities, but for many it really has been difficult times. But now is an important time to really self reflect, what is important to us, how do we want to live our lives and to create the life we want to live within the realm of the various government regulations. What we focus on, we get more off, so look at what you are constantly focusing on, is it what you want? If not, redirect your focus, think of what you would love in life, as you gradually do this, little by little doors will open up to you, to allow you to make the progress to move forward, but this will only happen once you become aware and focus on what it is you want.
Whenever momentum is lost, this is the testing factor of whether what you are doing is really what you want in life. It is also the moment, where we realise that something within us is actually holding us back, a mindset within our subconsciously mind, which is stopping us, e.g. it could be telling us we aren’t good enough to do whatever it is, or that others are not interested. This is where we need to discipline our minds, be aware and use tools to control our thoughts, rather than let our thoughts control us. We can choose to give in to our thoughts, but then what ever it is we started, it will never get finished, and is this what we really want in life? Incomplete projects, tasks, or do we want to finish and complete things for ourselves, moving ourselves forward in life? At the end of the day the choice is yours.
So next time you are not motivated, ask yourself, why am I doing this, do I really want this? If not, what do I really want in life? What will I do to make it happen for me? What small action can I take today to make this happen for myself or to get myself into the right frame of mind to start? By asking yourself these questions, you may surprise yourself to get into action and make things happen for yourself regardless of the current situation.