…motivation…

noun

• the act or an instance of motivating, or providing with a reason to act in a certain way: I don’t understand what her motivation was for quitting her job.
• the state or condition of being motivated or having a strong reason to act or accomplish  something: We know that these students have strong motivation to learn.
• something that motivates; inducement; incentive: Clearly, the company’s long-term motivation is profit.

I sit at my computer with very little motivation. The only motivation I can find to write is, I haven’t posted in several weeks. I have several half-written posts. I am simply not happy with the direction they are developing. I read and re-read. I write, then re-write. I get all dramatic, throw my hands in the air, and leave the computer in a huff of frustration.

Writing is not the only thing in my life that I am unmotivated with. As most women do, I am in disgust with my body. The vicious cycle of looking in the mirror and comparing myself to other women. The most cruel thing I do is compare myself… to my previous self. I am unable to physically do some of the things I would like to do, because of injury, pain and illness. What I can do.. I put off until “tomorrow”. Stuck in a pattern of self loathing. I have never really been a person with “Stick-to-it-ive-ness”. I begin things with excitement and fervor, only to wane in interest. AKA, lack of motivation.

So how can I remove this obstacle? There have been suggestions of:

• “Just do it”, don’t allow yourself not to do it.
• Break things down/Set goals
• Train your mind to react positively
• Exercise
• Eat well and Hydrate
• Spirituality/Meditation
• Accountability Partner

Let’s break each of these down a bit.

“Just do it.” – A no excuses approach. Set your alarm and when it goes off, get out of bed. No snooze button. This mindset works for some people. It is the most difficult method in my opinion. Because, sometimes, my body hurts for days at a time. Then I would berate myself for failing to “Just do it”.

Breaking things down/Set goals – Think the question/answer of, “How do you eat an elephant?.. One bite at a time.” Determine your ultimate goal. Within the larger goal, set a small goal, achieve it. Proceed to a slightly bigger goal, achieve it.. ect.. until the primary goal is attained. How does a person determine these “goals”? I have seen the acronym S.M.A.R.T. used. S- Specific – Clearly defined goals, M- Measurable – Track your progress, A- Attainable – Realistic expectations, R – Relevant – The goal is something that matters to YOU, T- Time – Time frame in which to achieve the goal.

Train your mind to react positively – Negativity, unfortunately resides in many people. Training your mind to find the positive aspects of daily life, can be very difficult for some. This is something I personally have to put effort toward. It is just as much an exercise, mentally, as it is to do ten crunches, physically.

Exercise – Why? There are these amazing little chemicals in your body called endorphins, natural “happy pills”. Exercise causes these endorphins to be released, and mood to be boosted in a natural way. Perhaps Exercise can fit into the “Goal” category.

Eat well/Hydrate – This helps to make your body work properly. If you are giving your body the kinds of nutrition it needs, you will feel better. *** With this point, I want to mention that not all bodies are the same and can operate at maximum capacity on different levels of “healthy eating”.***

Spirituality/Meditation – I’m labeling this as Spirituality because I feel it is important to find a peace within yourself. I find my peace through Christianity. I believe in God, The Holy Spirit and Jesus the Christ. I also believe that God is the god of many other religions. He just shows Himself differently. What ever way you are able to find the place of peace within yourself, is the path you should cultivate.

Accountability Partner – For some, having someone to talk to about your journey is helpful. Sharing goals and celebrating achievements. This person should be someone you feel comfortable enough to share struggles with. As well as, someone you trust to keep you accountable to them and more importantly, yourself.

Honestly hoping these suggestions may be beneficial to others. I will be taking my own advice and putting some of these strategies to use. Absolving myself from my lack of motivation.

Honestly,

Carrie