No Motivation? 10 Tips to Get You Back on Track With Your Goals
Lacking Motivation?
We’ve all done it before.
Made the decision to pursue a really, big goal. One that you really want to achieve.
Start that business? Write that book? Lose that weight? Enter that triathlon?
Your enthusiasm and passion is strong, you’re feeling positive and you have a solid plan mapped out to achieve it.
You’re daydreaming about your achievement and it feels, so, so amazing!
It’s likely that you’ve also told anybody who would listen?
Which only makes it worse.
When you stop.
That’s right.
Life is continuing on, full steam ahead, but your motivation has waned. You’ve lost your mojo, your oomph and now you’re no longer taking the required steps towards your goal.
Then, no action = no results and before you know it, you’re frustrated and losing confidence in yourself! Not a productive cycle to get into.
what to do when you have no motivation
So, what to do about it?
Perhaps you’ve started working on your goal and the motivation is teetering or maybe you haven’t quite yet found the motivation to start working on your goal yet?
Whatever the reason, check out the following 10 ways to give yourself a very constructive kick up the butt, so that you can get back on track with your big goals:
1. Revisit your ‘why’
There must be a strong reason why you are wanting to achieve this goal? Otherwise you wouldn’t be so frustrated about not achieving it.
Sometimes we just need to remind ourselves of exactly what that reason is.
Hone in on your ‘why’ for this goal:
- Is it powerful enough?
- Is this something you truly want?
- How will it improve your life for the better?
- How will it make you feel?
Write it down, paste it to your computer/fridge/mirror/vision board etc and remind yourself daily of why you want to achieve this goal.
Keeping it front and center of your mind will do wonders for keeping you motivated. You will be constantly reminding your mind about what you want and you will be surprised how it just starts feeling ‘easier’ to get to your goal.
2. Remember your past wins
You’ve done some amazing things in the past.
Don’t be shy, we all have.
So, write these down and give yourself credit. Now consider – what did you do back then that you can apply to this goal? Have you: lost weight before? Started a business? completed a Degree? Made something from scratch?
Whatever it was, consider what skills, talents and attributes that you used then that you can draw on again for this goal.
It’s a powerful tool to build confidence in yourself and to remind yourself that you are capable of big things.
3. Set up your Goal ‘Milestones’
Big goals are amazing to have and to achieve! They are life changing.
But sometimes they are so big that can be daunting, overwhelming and feel like they are weighing heavily on you.
It doesn’t mean you put them in the ‘too hard basket’.
You just need to plan small steps along the way – milestones to achieve on the journey to the big goal.
Make it easy to start on these smaller milestones, then as you achieve them you will build momentum, creating confidence in yourself and from there the motivation keeps building!
4. Understand what’s really stopping you
Write down ALL the reasons you’re frustrated and lacking motivation to act on improving your life and achieving your goals.
The point here is not to be all negative-Nancy, but to brain-dump everything. Pretend you’re venting to a trusted friend. One that won’t judge.
Aww, was the latest entire season of OITNB just released? (true story). Too much going on lately at work? Kids not sleeping? Or you just haven’t been bothered?
Are you not being organized enough?
Do you have a realistic plan to get you to your goal? Or is it still a ‘pie in the sky’ idea?
Do you have some limiting beliefs that you need to explore? And let’s be honest, we all have them. So, what are your limiting beliefs and how can you use them to your advantage to achieve your goal?
Next, go over your list and work out exactly what actions you need to take. Most importantly, you need to be honest with yourself – are you actually willing to do something about fixing it?
5. Learn to Love the Journey
Some days on your journey to achieving your goal will be easier than others. You need to be flexible and understand that it’s about consistency and progress, not perfection.
Don’t think about the process as difficult or taxing. Think about it as an adventure!
Remember when you were a kid and you were so excited for Christmas morning? But the lead up to Christmas, with all the fanfare was (almost) just as exciting?
Well, remember, that’s what achieving a big goal is like. It will be amazing once you’re there, but remember that the whole lead up to the ‘big event’ is all part of the fun, the memories, the excitement!
6. Practice Gratitude
When we lack motivation, we can become frustrated and feel like giving up. One of the quickest ways to counteract these feelings and to shift your mindset is to practice gratitude.
Write down every.single.thing that you have to be grateful for right now. All of it. It’s really quite eye-opening.
Best of all, whether you believe in the ‘woo woo’ or not, practicing gratitude brings more of the good stuff! It will also put you in a great head space and open your mind again to carry on with your goals.
7. Make Time
Are you making the time for your goals? Or treating them like an afterthought? Something to ‘fit in’ when possible? Because let’s face it, you won’t.
Reassess and allow time in your schedule for the projects required to get you to your goal. Book in 30 minutes for that run, time for that business research, 30 minutes every morning before the kids get up to write that novel….
Once the time is allocated for these important tasks, you will know what you have to do and when. By taking action, your motivation will increase and you will be forming effective habits to get you to your goals.
8. Your ‘Top 3’ Things
Remember your goal milestones?
Focus on the next milestone and write down the top 3 things that you can act on immediately that will get you there.
Can you write a quick draft chapter? Go for a 20-minute run? Schedule your week? Research that business idea?
Better yet, before you go to bed each night, list out your top 3 things to be done tomorrow that will mean you are working on your goal. Then when you get up each morning, you have focus on what you need to do to make progress.
9. Get Moving
If your motivation is lacking (towards any type of goal) then get moving!
Go for a walk, do a crazy dance, walk laps around your house, climb the stairs. Any movement will create momentum, clear your head and help to get you motivated again.
Even the physical act of taking action on something will provide momentum and therefore create motivation to keep going.
10. Get to know Your ‘Pain & Pleasure Leverage’
Last, but not at all least, is what Tony Robbins calls, “the twin powers that shape our lives, pain and pleasure”.
This my friends, is powerful stuff!
And a simple paragraph could never do this theory justice.
But in short, it implies that you can create enormous motivation if you work out what means ‘pain’ for YOU and what means ‘pleasure’ for YOU.
Ask yourself ‘pain-inducing’ questions such as, ‘What will I miss out on in life if I don’t achieve this goal?’ – make the pain of not doing it so strong that you have no other choice in the matter.
Then, ask yourself ‘pleasure-associating’ questions to get strong reasons why you must achieve this goal, for example:
‘How much happier will achieving this goal make me? What are the enormous benefits that this will bring my family and I?’
What is pain and pleasure, is different for all of us and requires a bit of alone time to really nut it out. But it is powerful and well worth doing.
Maintaining Motivation
Kicking big goals can be hard and depending on what goal you’re aiming for, some require serious long-term commitment. You’ve got to be able to play the long game. So be mindful of this, and build flexibility and consistency in.
Find what works for you in the above list and keep working towards your big goals.
If you are short on time, but want to listen to an inspiring TED talk, check out these 6 Quick TED Talks which are all under 10 minutes!
If you’ve found a great way to give yourself a kick up the butt and regain your motivation mojo, I would love to hear it in the comments below!
Related:
I have lost my motivation for losing weight a million times but Iknow that I need to put it back on the front burner. I have lost weight before and I know I can do this again. I think putting it into small goals may be the answer.
Yes Carrie, I hear you! Break it down into smaller goals and it won’t be so overwhelming and yes if you’ve done it before, your mind already knows its possible!
Such a lovely post! All great ways to help us to regain our motivation! It’s definitely important to remember your wins. It’s easy to forget all that we’ve accomplished and feel like we’re going nowhere. This also makes me want to reread Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams by Randy Pausch. I think you’d enjoy it! ?
Thanks Sara! Adding this book to my ‘to read list’. I’ve watched Randy Pausch’s speech, but definitely keen to read this book now, thanks!
Great advice for getting your head back in the game and remembering why you started in the first place. Thank you!
I love this list. I’ve been working on being present and living in the moment, and also being grateful for everything. My dog has been ill lately, and it reminds me to cherish every day that I have with her.
I’m so sorry to hear about your dog Alexis! It’s horrible and feels helpless when your much loved pets aren’t well. I hope he/she is on the mend? Sending positive thoughts your way!