How To Stay Motivated When You Don’t Have It in You

Many people struggle to maintain consistent motivation in various of their lives, including finances. Staying on track, meeting deadlines, setting goals, and even planning financial goals may all be mentally taxing. We have a tendency to compare our productivity to that of others which doesn't help us. However, attempting to improve our own consistency can. Remember that motivation stems from an inner resolve of the will. It is the idea of becoming something larger than our current selves, of imagining and working toward what we might become.

Here are 5 steps to find our inner drive and keep lighting it on fire. 

1. Do What Comes to Mind.

Do whatever is essential, even if you start with a very minor day-to-day task. It is critical to begin small and work our way up. Even something as simple as making our beds at the start of the day will help set the tone for improved productivity. The art of making one's bed in the morning inspires one to tackle more during the day. We must begin somewhere, and what better way to begin strengthening our drive for achievement than by making our beds in the morning?

                                                                                                        2. Defeating Mental Blocks. 

It is critical to identify our mental roadblocks. What is holding us back right now? Are we prepared? What is preventing us from moving forward? Are we scared of failing? These are reflective questions that we can honestly and freely ask ourselves. Speaking truth to ourselves can help us find solutions to our mental blockages more easily. Clearing the mind before engaging in serious thinking is always beneficial to this process. Another factor in efficiently keeping motivated is the environment we are immersed in. A chaotic, unpredictable, disorganized, and congested setting will demotivate any action for achieving a productive capacity. Consider incredible athletes as an example. We assume they built up their setting to get effective results. We absolutely can do the same to set up our environment for success to defeat our own mental obstacles.

3. Flexibility can help. 

The pandemic has changed the way we spend our lives during the last few years. Not only that, but it has provided a new viewpoint on how to live more efficiently. We think more deeply about why we do what we do and why we achieve certain goals. This also relates to many of us with our jobs and how they connect with the ideals we believe in. James M. Diefendorff, Ph.D., a University of Akron professor of Industrial organizational psychology suggests that we “try to structure our day to ensure that some of those ‘best day’ activities can be experienced at least some of the time.” Knowing what excites us is key because if we can repeat the activities that excite us, we will want to find other activities that excite us even more.

4. Break Down Goals. 

Setting a goal that may become unrealistic to achieve over time can be stressful. Why is this the case you might ask? Research by David Zald, Ph.D., the director of the Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging finds, “when the workload you shoulder seems too heavy or the or the rewards too far off, the obvious but hard-to-see-when-you’re-in-it solution is to break that big goal into smaller tasks.” Goals should always be split into smaller sub-goals; doing so allows us to narrow down and outline the steps needed to accomplish the end result. 

5. Fighting Fatigue.

Being driven has a cost, and that cost is fatigue and overworking to the point of quitting. It is tough to maintain motivation for an extended period of time. We can, however, combat fatigue by adjusting our mental and physical levels. As an example, consider the nature of exercising.  We may increase our weightlifting repetitions on some days while lowering them on others. Blending mental and physical efforts allows us to take rests to refresh our bodies and minds.

For more information on maintaining your drive click here!

Feel free to also refer back to our previous blog that dwells deeper on burnout. Burnout may also cause demotivation and loss of drive if we happen to experience it more than we would like to. 

Sincerely, 

Your Financially Fit Me Team