Overcoming Lack of Motivation: 3 Tips to Snap Out of It Quickly

Man, overcoming lack of motivation is tough work!

I have another post I was going to write about using Google Slides because I just made a new YouTube video (check it out here), but I’m trying to work on something much bigger and I’m just not motivated. So instead, I’m going to procrastinate a little bit longer by sharing some ways I’ve overcome lack of motivation in the past and how I’m going to use that to my benefit today.

There is a pretty important finish line waiting for me to cross in a couple of months and the closer I get to graduation, the harder it seems to motivate myself to complete everything needed to get there. Plus, it’s challenging right now being stuck at home and not feeling as inspired. That’s why the nature breaks are so important. I’ve stepped outside about 8 times already today and it’s still early afternoon.

Here are some tips that worked for me in the past that I plan to implement today to keep me going toward my goals:

Tips for Overcoming Lack of Motivation

1. Keep my eye on the prize and identify my why

Even though the tasks I have to do seem unimportant or boring in the moment, they are part of something bigger. Something that will take me one step closer to graduating and finally achieving a huge milestone in my life and my career. I’m going to take 10-20 minutes to list all my reasons WHY I’m doing this now and how this will benefit me in the future.

Now, if you do this exercise, and you find that it’s hard to list anything or you can’t think of any benefits, then perhaps that’s a bigger question of whether that goal is really meant for you.

2. Plan for success

When I was training for a half marathon, I knew that I wouldn’t continue if I didn’t have a plan. I mapped out 16 weeks in my calendar, wrote down how much I wanted to run each day, and set a pace goal. I didn’t always make it exactly, but it was there as a guide and always kept me moving in the right direction.

I also slept in my workout clothes so that when that 4:45am alarm went off, I was already halfway ready to get out there and run. Today, I am going to plan out the remaining tasks I have to reach until my deadline and prioritize the ones that need to get completed first.

3. Work in bursts and take breaks as needed

Taking breaks may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes we just need to step away from something to gain clarity or motivation to keep working on it. A time limit helps direct our focus on a specific task related to a larger goal and gives us a break to look forward to. One method is the Pomodoro Technique, which breaks tasks into 25-minute chunks of work followed by a 5-minute break.

There are many online timers you can use for this technique. Another way to stay motivated and focused is through a program called Focusmate. This website pairs you up with another person LIVE on video who is also working on a task for 50-minutes. You complete your individual tasks knowing someone else is working alongside you.

If you struggle with overcoming lack of motivation, just know it takes intentional effort and focus, but you can do it with practice!!

If you’d like me to write a longer post about any of the topics above, feel free to leave a comment below. Let’s continue to learn and grow together to become the best versions of ourselves!