Why Can’t I Stay Motivated?

Why Can’t I Stay Motivated?

Like so many things in life, motivation is fleeting. We’ve all felt the frustration of feeling super motivated one day, then having zero motivation the next. It’s easy to make big commitments and feel the fire of being ready to conquer your big goals… And it’s just as easy to slip back into the mundane ruts we’re used to. You may be feeling like there is something wrong with you and asking yourself, “Why can’t I stay motivated?”

I’m here to tell you there is nothing wrong with you! This is so, so normal for humans. Let’s talk about how motivation works (or doesn’t work).

Motivation is temporary. Sure, it’s great for a jump start or a spring into action. The problem is, it doesn’t often stick around very long. That’s why New Year’s Resolutions are so typically abandoned after a few weeks. 

Motivation is unpredictable. When will it strike? When will it leave? It’s anybody’s guess. You wouldn’t count on a person who showed up and left whenever they pleased with no warning would you? It’s just as futile to depend on motivation.

Motivation is dependent. So many factors can affect your motivation levels: sleep, nutrition, hormones, relationships, work, etc. Motivation is not strong enough to stand alone

Are you getting the idea that motivation is fickle? It is an emotion - just like sadness, joy, anger, etc. Waves of it come and go. “Motivated” is not a personality trait, and neither is “unmotivated.”

So, the trick is, to use motivation when you can, and bring in other tricks for when it’s gone. 

1. Don’t plan on feeling motivated. If you do feel it, go with it! Use it as a spark to make a new schedule, plan out activities, make the right phone calls, or whatever you need to do to get to your goals. However, be ok with it not sticking around. In fact, plan for it not to.

1. Get some other goal-achieving methods in place. (We are sending out some great ideas to our e-mail list this month! Sign up for that here.) Motivation is not a dependable strategy. Try things like goal-setting, daily habit building, and taking baby steps towards realizing your dreams.

There are so many roads to success that don’t require feeling motivated 100% of the time. In fact, studies show that you most likely won’t have that feeling. Rest assured, it is not required. You can do, be, and have what you want as long as you find other ways to stick to it! Remember, big journeys begin with small steps. You are made of magic and you’ve got this!