Why is it so hard to get moving? Many have struggled with this on a regular basis. All have struggled with this at some point.
No one is immune to experiencing periods of low motivation. It’s part of being human. It’s normal.
What we’re talking about today, though, is the ongoing, chronically low motivation that continues day after day, week after week.
Has this ever been you?
GOT CLM?
Let’s call this Chronically Low Motivation–C.L.M. (sounds like one of those new, trendy diagnoses made up by drug companies!).
There are 3 basic forms of CLM:
1-CLM due to deeper emotional struggles, such as garden-variety depression, anxiety, and overwhelm that we all experience from time to time.
Even more severe than this, though: some have a bona fide, diagnosable mental illness that can “flare up” now and then, and incapacitate the “motivation synapses” of the brain.
2-CLM due to fatigue. It’s true, some people have a physical problem that causes low energy, and thereby low motivation. Try as they might–exercise, diet, stress management, etc.–they’re always tired (legitimately, not the ones who use “fatigue” as an excuse).
3-CLM due to bad habits. THIS is what I’m talk about today.
Of course, there can be a mix of CLM-1, CLM-2, and CLM-3.
What I’m proposing, though, is that there is some CLM that has LESS to do with working through a dark depression or physical issues and MORE to do with simply getting stuck in some bad habits.
MAIN POINT
We all have the ability to “train ourselves” to run at low speeds.
It’s like our appetite. We can train ourselves to always be hungry by eating frequently, and giving in to the slightest twinge of hunger (which isn’t even hunger at this point–it’s just the desire to eat based on how we’ve conditioned ourselves).
And, we can also make adjustments and re-calibrate our appetite to “perk up” less often–again, by simple (though not easy) conditioning.
Here’s what I’m saying: some low motivation is the result of us training ourselves to be lazy.
So what can we do?
No easy answers, especially in a brief, non-technical article. But let’s consider an equation . . .
THE MOTIVATION EQUATION
ENERGY + PURPOSE = MOTIVATION
If we want to set ourselves up for success in this area of motivation, then we need these two things working FOR us and not AGAINST us.
In order to maintain a high level of motivation, we need sufficient energy and sufficient purpose (we may need more than this, but we AT LEAST need this).
Energy and Purpose. And BOTH.
Energy without Purpose has no focus. It’s like a fire hose without a target.
Purpose without Energy has no movement. Like pushing a string. We have the focus we need, and we have the target, but we don’t have the “fuel” to get us TO the target.
Keep an eye on these two areas. Here are some suggestions. None of them are the “magic bullet” to cure all low motivation, but piecing a few together may make a difference.
QUICK TIPS
In no particular order:
1- Yes, set yourself up for success by getting good consistency with the basics. Get enough sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Think of these as the three legs of a stool–you need all three to be working well in order for the “stool” to work.
2- Another basic–manage your stress.
3- Clarify your purpose (your mission, your “Why”). Do you have an overarching mission that guides your life? If not, get one. If so, remind yourself of it often. Of course, you can have smaller “sub-purposes” as well, e.g., a separate purpose for THIS day.
4- Develop daily rituals that help you channel your movement and direction–building energy, managing priorities, and engaging with purpose.
5- Practice gratitude.
6- Nurture hope and optimism.
7- Develop a compelling future vision.
8- Set big (though achievable) goals.
9- Get support for your low motivation when you need it.
10- Get to bed early, get up early. Trust me on this. Of course, it helps us get up when we have a PURPOSE to get up, so get clarity on that purpose!
11- Minimal engagement–if trouble starting, what is the smallest step (meaningful smallest step) that will get you engaged–creating that “big-enough spark” that can help you move forward?
12- LISTEN to the low motivation, and accept it (meaning don’t beat yourself up over it). Go with the flow. What is it trying to tell you? For example, do you need a break/day off/vacation? And sometimes, low motivation is pointing to a deeper depression that needs to be addressed asap.
13- Watch how you talk to yourself. Is your self-talk rational, reality-based, and positive? Or is it harsh, self-attacking, and negative?
Stay on the path, keep trying to figure it out. And if you can’t get unstuck by yourself, don’t hesitate to bring in another person to consult with you, rather than continuing to waste your time on things that aren’t working.
You can do this!