Lately I’ve been hearing from a lot of people that they just don’t feel motivated to do anything. They feel they are just going through the motions each day, trying to figure out why they don’t change their lives even when they are not happy with the way things are going. Honestly, I too, sometimes feel that way. So what’s going on?
What is motivation and where does it come from?
It is defined as an inner power, a reason, to act a certain way or accomplish something. Most of us think of motivation as the thing that gets us going…lights our fire…turns us on…drives us to levels of joy, enthusiasm and excitement to achieve.
I think it’s a pretty common belief that motivation is something that always comes from our passion and desires. And it’s certainly true that when you want something you are motivated to go after your goals.
When we think of motivation as the factor necessary to create something good in our lives, to manifest our desires, to accomplish something exceptional, we can certainly understand how someone who isn’t creating, manifesting or accomplishing much, might feel they are unmotivated.
But motivation is one of those funny things that we can experience both from our passion and our pain.
I’d like to think that motivation is always driving me forward into the next step along my journey to what I desire. That it is a positive, enthusiastic, and energized feeling within, that propels my action. But sometimes I feel like I’m motivated by fear. Fear that I’m not good enough, strong enough, wise enough…and that fear motivates me to hide my light, put my head in the sand, and sometimes even stay in situations and relationships that are no longer serving me. Sometimes it isn’t the desire to get something better but rather it is the need to avoid something that I believe to be worse, that motivates me to do nothing.
At those times I feel stuck. I say to my self that I lack motivation, can’t find my passion or purpose, don’t have clarity about what I want, or am overwhelmed by my choices. But if I’m really honest with myself, I know that it all comes down to fear. I’ve squelched my true desire because I’m lacking courage, not motivation. I know that in those times when I did accomplish something really great, I wanted it so badly that I didn’t let my fear stop me. I had the courage to do it anyway, and I’m glad I did.
When I’m scared, I reclaim my courage, go beyond my fears, tap into my inner power and find my reason to act and accomplish something by…
asking myself these questions:
1.What is the worst thing that can happen and can I handle it?
2. Are my reasons for being afraid real and how do I know for sure they are?
3. If I act as if they are real and do nothing what will it cost me (mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually)?
4. If I act as if they are not real and take an action toward what I want, what will I gain (mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually)?
5. Do the gains outweigh the costs?
If the gains outweigh the costs then take your first step.
That first step is to create a strategic plan to getting what you want. Then look at what you might need to accomplish the plan in the way of resources, education, or assistance. As you do these first two steps you will find your courage grows, your fear level goes down, and your motivation to take action increases. The last thing to do before taking action is to chunk down the steps to make them manageable. Remember we can only eat an elephant one bite at a time.
You deserve the life you want…
I believe that you can have it. As humans we all have the drive to have, be, and do MORE. When that drive isn’t there, it is most likely because we are afraid. That fear is like water on a fire. The smoke it creates blinds our ability to see and feel what we want.
Don’t tell yourself you have no motivation. Instead…
Recognize you have fears, real or not. And try answering these 5 questions as a means to reignite your flame!
Hope that’s helpful. As always, live easy and be kind to yourself.
