We all go through times in our life where we have a hard time finding the motivation to put effort into our goals, whether it’s in our career, in the gym, or creating change in our lives. So, how do we get our motivation back?
Being in a slump is common, and you’re not alone. Here we will discuss the ways to get your motivation back. Remember, it might go away again, just make sure to revisit these key points to reattain it.
- Set Goals Or Refocus On Your Goals
If you haven’t set a goal, this is the time! Having a goal can spark the energy and attention needed to fulfill it.
Once you set the goal, set daily or weekly mini-goals that will help you achieve your main goal. Any small steps you take to get you closer to fulfilling your goal is a great achievement and keeps the motivation alive.
Maybe you had a goal, but you need to redefine it and need to reset it to be back on the right path. Refocusing is the first step in the right direction. Consider the following:
- What did you originally want to achieve?
- Did you set a date to achieve your goal by?
- Is there something you can do every day, great or small, to get closer to meeting your goal?
- What initially motivated you to create the objective?
- Are Your Goals Realistic?
Be sure to keep realistic and achievable goals. Having goals that are over the top can cause you to abandon meeting your main objective because you may lose faith when you’re not succeeding. Having feasible goals is key to advancing and seeing the results you want to come to fruition. Sometimes you will have to readjust the mini-goal you set, don’t be discouraged when the week’s goal has to change, see this as an opportunity.
There will be curveballs thrown at you; stay flexible and remember to take everything one step at a time.
- Keep Track Of Your Achievements
It’s important to track what your weekly achievements are. Seeing what you’ve been able to accomplish in writing helps you appreciate that you’re on the right track and keeps the enthusiasm to stay motivated going. Take time soon after realizing the week’s mini-goals to make note of them, whether it’s making a list, filling in a calendar, or journaling in detail. Next, it’s time to set the following mini-goal. Go a day at a time, if not a week at a time.
Make sure not to overwhelm yourself with too many goals because it can have an adverse effect on your stride. You want to keep your self-esteem up, do what you can to not oversaturate your to-do list, and remain on the course you see for yourself.
- Continue Your Momentum
It can take up to three months to build a habit; what this means is you have to keep at it! Don’t let the hard days and obstacles hold you back. It can seem like everything is going wrong but don’t give up. This is when you have to keep pushing. Remember that you and only you can get to the finish line; no one else can do it for you.
You can seek support, ask for advice, and look for guidance but, nevertheless, at the end of the day, it is you who has to keep the momentum going. Take every win and remind yourself to be proud when everything is going well, but be even prouder when it gets hard and you don’t give up.
- Seek Mentorship
When you haven’t had the road paved for you or are inspired but don’t know where to start, consider seeking a mentor to help guide you. Find someone who has achieved a similar goal or has a wealth of knowledge to share with you on how to stay on track. Having one or more people cheering you on can help you remain motivated, and if you begin to waver, they can inspire you to continue working toward what you want to achieve.
- Reflect And Meditate
Take the time to sit down and remind yourself why you set the goal to begin with. Reflect on what initially made you want to pursue this specific objective. When you do this, it can help reinvigorate you and direct the energy back to where it needs to be. Make sure to keep these goals visible so they are always front of mind.
What does this mean? Have a whiteboard up that you glance at every day, review the notebook you write successes in, or open up the file where you write down your targets. Having these lists present, even if you just read them over, puts you in the mindset you need to be in to take steps toward reaching the achievement you want. Mindfulness can be crucial to keeping up your motivation and reminding you it is possible to get to the finish line.
- Take A Break
We know we said to make sure not to lose momentum, know that taking a small break won’t derail you. Sometimes a break is exactly what you need to refresh your mind, body, and spirit so that you can forge on. When you find that you are frustrated or feeling a little bit defeated, step away for a few hours or a day. Take a much-needed breather to clear your mind and destress.
It is important to have these moments of rest because if you try to push in the heat of the moment, you can thwart and diminish any successes you’ve had. These are the times you can succumb to negative thoughts and self-deprecation. So step away, recoup, practice self-care and then come back to keep at it, you’ve got this, be your biggest cheerleader.
- You Can Do It
Simply put, staying motivated lies in your hands. We hope the different points we wrote about above can help you create a pattern that will lead you to success. If you find yourself straying, come back to this article for a refresher. You might even want to bookmark the article so you can easily return to our site when you need to get yourself back on track.
Have you tried any or all our suggestions before? Has there been a time where you lost all motivation, and you were able to get back on track? Let us know what tactics you used to be successful and achieve your goals. We want to hear from you! Be sure to share any tips for our readers in the comments or post any questions you would like us to address.
If you are curious about what can cause a loss of motivation, read on, this may help you pinpoint what set you astray.
What Causes a Lack of Motivation?
There can be a handful of reasons for lack of motivation. It can very much depend on your life circumstances, not setting proper expectations for yourself, not defining exactly what the end goal is, and leaving things too open-ended.
Something else that can cause a lack of motivation is mental health. If you are suffering from depression or an anxiety disorder, you can feel helpless, and goals can feel unachievable. Seek the help you need in these situations from a specialist. Put your wellbeing first.
Being someone who is accomodating and tries to please everyone in their life can be another cause for loss of motivation. If you are putting all of your energy into keeping everyone else in your life at home or work happy, you don’t make time to achieve your own goals. Be sure to create a schedule where you carve out time to prioritize yourself and your needs.
