7 things to do when you can't get motivated
DESCRIPTION
Top 7 Things To Do When You Can’t Get Motivated… http://rachelrofe.com/top-7-things-to-do-when-you-cant-get-motivatedTRANSCRIPT
Top 7 Things To
Do When You
Can’t Get
Motivated
Rachel Rofe
A few years ago, I had a business partner who
simply couldn’t make himself get things done.
He told me he had the best intentions but simply
couldn’t make himself do the things on his to-do
list.
At the time, I didn’t have much empathy. We
were under deadline and I could not at all relate.
I’d always just gotten things DONE when I
wanted them done, period.
But since then… I’ve definitely had reason to
gain empathy.
In fact, just a few hours ago I was getting
frustrated with myself. I wanted things to
happen and I just couldn’t make progress.
So I asked myself a few questions, pulled out a
few things from my bag of tricks, and presto…
I’m here writing my second blog post in an hour.
Because of that, I present to you in no particular
order –
7. Ask yourself why.
Are you in alignment with what you’re working
on? Is it something that truly revs you up and
excites you?
One way you can find an answer is to take a
couple deep breaths and just ask your gut – “Do
I want to be doing this?”
Or, if you’re too stressed to get a clear answer,
take out a piece of paper. Label it “Why can’t I
get motivated?” and then start writing. See what
comes up. If you stick with it long enough, you’ll
get your answer.
If you’re not in alignment with whatever you’re
working on, be honest with yourself.
It may be time to stop doing it – whether that’s
abandoning a project (I have NEVER regretted
canceling a project because it didn’t “feel
right”… even if my logical counterparts couldn’t
understand it) or outsourcing it.
Assuming you ARE in alignment with what
you’re working on, here are some more things to
do:
6. Listen to classical music at 60 beats per
minute.
Music at 60 bpm balances the left and right
hemispheres of your brain and helps your
thinking and creativity.
This type of music always helps me produce
better results.
I’ve bought this before and really like it.
5. Work off of a plan.
Sometimes to-do lists can be random
gobbledygook that ends up just being busy-
work. Tim Ferriss once said something to the
degree about how being perpetually busy is
LAZY. People fill themselves up with loads of
crap to to avoid actually thinking.
Instead of loading yourself up with work that
may have no rhyme or reason… work off a
PLAN.
Set a goal, plan it out (#2 on this post may help),
and then create your to-do tasks based off of
your plan. If you feel purposeful and know WHY
you’re doing what you’re doing, you will likely
feel a lot better about doing it.
(Bonus if you break up your plan into small,
workable chunks so you don’t feel
overwhelmed.)
4. Find inspiration.
There are many ways you can inspire yourself:
– Visualize what you’re doing this all for. Think
about the emotions you’ll feel when you reach
your goal.
PLEASE (!!!) have an emotionally-driven “why”
for doing what you’re doing… and remind
yourself about it.
– Identify “role models” and model them.
– Read books that motivate you (I personally
love Man’s Search For Meaning (which is not
meant to be motivational but it inspires the heck
out of me), Do The Work,and The War Of Art.
I’ve heard some great things about Outwitting
The Devil but haven’t read it yet.
3. Move your body.
If you feel blocked, it only makes sense to un-
block your body by moving it around. This can
look like going for a walk, dancing around the
house, or some other kind of exercise.
One thing I like to do is just jump around and
move my arms, legs, jaw… just shake everything
up. It looks crazy, but it ALWAYS snaps me out
of a funk.
2. Create accountability.
This can look like publicly posting your goal on
Facebook, having an accountability partner, or
joining a like-minded mastermind where you can
share your goals.
If you know that you have to report to other
people about what you’ve set out to do, you’ll
think twice before ignoring it.
1. Be OK with it.
If you’ve tried to get motivated, and you know
that you are in alignment what you’re doing…
then just let go. Sometimes these things ebb and
flow. I believe everything not only happens for a
reason, but for our highest good.
And sometimes letting go and not beating
yourself up about it can open yourself up to
magic.
For example, a few months ago, I was in a hotel
room doing my best to “force” myself to create a
presentation. I was set to speak in a couple days
and I just couldn’t get motivated to create my
PowerPoint.
I pushed and pushed all day, and nothing was
happening.
By nighttime, I was getting desperate. I
bargained with myself that I would order room
service, finish the presentation, and reward
myself by getting to go out and play.
Thankfully room service didn’t offer any options
I liked, so I walked over to the hotel restaurant. I
brought my notebook with me, but mostly just
concentrated on eating a fantastic dinner.
Somewhere in between bites of the delicious
food and looking at the beautiful aquarium
surrounding the restaurant, inspiration just
jumped at me.
I got out my notebook and ideas flowed like
wine.
It was amazing… as soon as I stopped
PUSHING, the flow came.
I suspect the same may happen for you too.