How’s your motivation these days? Checking in with organizations, it is still common to hear that many people are tired, stressed, overwhelmed and unmotivated. This is easy to understand, given that there are many factors at play that make it hard for people. November is by its nature a harder month (darker, colder and greyer). While we have more freedom than in the past, we continue to feel the drag of the pandemic. Many organizations are struggling with higher turnover, and this creates more work for others. All of which can sap our motivation.
Five Factors That Can Sap Your Motivation
The reality is that all of us were born motivated. Motivation is natural to us. Watch a baby, a toddler or young child, and you see nothing but exuberance, energy, and motivation. They are constantly exploring their world and striving to learn and grow. They don’t know any different.
So, what happens? How do we lose our motivation? Here are five factors that can get in the way of your feeling energized and motivated in your life.
1. Lack of energy. While some people say they lack motivation, what they are really lacking is energy. It is hard to be motivated when all you want to do is hit the snooze button, or if you feel like you are dragging yourself through the day.
2. Lack of meaning. If your energy levels are good, you may still struggle to feel motivated if what you are doing lacks meaning. If there is a nagging question of “What’s the point?”, it becomes hard to get excited about life. We live for the weekend.
3. Overwhelm and lack of clarity. Some people may have energy and start out feeling motivated, only to find they are worn down over time due to overwhelm. Their initial high energy and motivation takes them into more and more opportunities and commitments, until they are spread so thin that they struggle to feel a sense of accomplishment in any of them.
4. Lack of progress (or sense of control). For a house painter, it is easy to focus on their work and see the result of their efforts at the end of the day. For many professionals, the nature of their work means new tasks and issues constantly appear, and often these interruptions feel outside of their control. This makes it hard to complete tasks and projects, or have a sense of progress overall.
5. Negativity. When things are hard, it’s easy to become negative. Our brains have a natural bias toward seeing what’s not working. It’s hard to feel motivated when our thoughts and emotions are negative much of the time.
There are many other factors that will affect our motivation (e.g., external rewards, recognition, status, etc.). The above factors are a good starting point since they largely sit inside things we can control.
As you read over the list above, which ones stand out to you? Most of us will feel the drag of several of these factors. Awareness is the starting point. Once you are aware of what’s draining your natural energy and motivation, it’s so much easier to intervene and change things for the better.
Five Ways to Boost Your Motivation
Before jumping in, it’s important to recognize that finding our motivation is far more suited as a one-on-one coaching conversation, rather than simply reading a blog post! This isn’t a quick fix. Nonetheless, see if some of the suggestions below don’t help you to boost your energy and motivation this week.
1. Self-care. We need to listen to our body. If we are feeling exhausted and worn out, that is a signal; a sign that something needs to shift. Sleep is where I start with most people. And if you are getting sufficient sleep, then reflect on how you are doing with respect to exercise, relaxation, experiencing nature, diet, limiting unhealthy habits, hobbies, morning routine, evening wind down, connecting with friends, etc. Self-care and healthy habits matter – a lot! Check out The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz to learn more.
2. Find Meaning. Humans are wired to seek and create meaning in our lives. It is how our brains work. We will feel uneasy and adrift if our lives lack meaning. Thus, we all have more energy and motivation when we have a clear purpose and direction.
But getting clarity on this can be confusing or intimidating for many of us. One of the tenets of Stoicism can help us here. There is something clear and powerful in the simple Stoic purpose of "Play my role well." That no one can play your role better than you! Strive for personal mastery in what you do. Focus on what you can uniquely contribute to the world - often right from where you are now. Bring more meaning to that! You can check out How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson to learn more useful tips from Stoicism.
3. Essentialism. One of my preferred tools to help people combat overwhelm is Greg McKeown’s idea of Essentialism. We are all easily tempted by the abundance in our lives (particularly as it relates to technology). We become distracted by what isn’t essential. Learn to say “No!” Once we strip away what isn’t essential, there is plenty of room for clarity, energy, and focus for those few things that bring meaning to our lives. As we focus our efforts, we see progress and this builds momentum and motivation.
4. Create a Small Wins. Humans love to ‘win’, whether we are playing a game or achieving our goals. It is highly motivating. If we lack a sense progress or a sense of control (i.e. it feels like a game we can’t win), this depletes our motivation. To counter this, practice noticing and celebrating small wins towards your goals throughout the day. As you do this, you will regain a sense of progress and control. This fuels us to get up and keep at it tomorrow.
5. Practice Positivity. Our ‘survival brain’ is so prone to worry, rumination, comparison, insecurity, self-doubt, etc. We need to counter this every day with large amounts of positivity, gratitude, and enthusiasm. Be intentional - be positive.
As you reflect on the above, notice how these tips are largely actions, thoughts or mindsets that sit inside what’s in your control. That alone is empowering. Not easy – but motivating.
How about you? Which of the factors above resonate most with you? What’s one thing you could shift in the week ahead that would foster greater motivation and energy for you?
For those interested in bringing more motivation and energy to their team, check out the latest webinar on Maintaining Motivation, which fosters a deeper dive into these points.
And, if you are a leader who wants to get your motivation and Mojo back, and simultaneously create more calm and peace in your mind, please reach out to me at scott@mindfulwisdom.ca for a free 30-minute consultation. I’d love to hear what you are looking to create more of in your life!