I once experienced an interesting phenomenon. After working diligently for over a year towards one of my goals, I crashed hard. I only had weeks left, but my will power was non-existent. Rather than put in the work, I wanted to marathon watch sitcoms or sleep like a bear in hibernation. The longer I festered in this place, too, the harder it became to pull myself out.
Because guilt sprang up to remind me of my shortcomings.
If you, too, find yourself battling to right your sinking ship of motivation, it is helpful to remember to:
Forgive Yourself. No one is perfect. No one. No, not even her/him (you know who I am talking about). Everyone has fallen short of expectations, including their own. Because, somewhere deep inside, we all think we can perform superhuman feats within a very human body. Then, we get tired, or our kid gets sick and needs our attention, or that job we were hoping to land falls through. But, rather than adjust, we keep plowing forward, thinking we can still accomplish the outlandish things we couldn’t even do without life butting in. So, when falling short of aspirations, forgive yourself, because you, my friend, are human.
Remind yourself of your wonderful qualities. Guilt has a way of dragging us through the mud until we no longer recognize ourselves. When this happens, we begin to believe lies. Take a moment and focus on the truth. What do you love about you? What do others love about you? There is good in every person, so keep wiping away the mud until you find the treasure.
Get back on the horse. Don’t give up after a setback. Setbacks may make your goals take longer, but if you get back to work, you will eventually attain them. But you are guaranteed to miss them if you don’t even try. Take the clean slate your setback created and see it as possibility, instead of challenge. Whatever it is you are aiming for, fill in this sentence: “Today is a great day to ___________.” Today is a great day to write another chapter on my book. Today is a great day to finish that painting. Today is a great day to polish my website. Today is a great day to try out that MeetUp. Today is a great day to get back onto that horse and charge on toward the finish.
What tips and advice do you have for the uninspired, tired, or motivationally challenged?