Motivation

Do you ever find yourself in a season of wanting nothing more than to do the bare minimum? Homework gets put off until the very last minute. Working out becomes more and more occasional. Your bed might have become your best friend while piles of laundry sit on your bedroom floor. (I’m currently guilty of that one). “Motivation” is a word that gets tossed around often, but not always dealt with. How many times have you heard or said the phrase “I just have no motivation to do anything.”? I think it’s safe to say every person on the planet has said something along the lines of that, including me. The truth is, we’re all going to go through days or even weeks feeling these lows. The real challenge is finding a way out of the funk, and today I’m hoping to give you a few tips I believe are helpful, and maybe even motivate you to get that small, yet daunting thing done today.

Motivation can be talked about in two different perspectives: long term and short term. Long term motivation is a goal you’re working towards, or a place you want to be in life, months or years down the line. For example, I made a goal for myself when I tore my achilles last year to be in better shape by this August, than I was at the time of the injury. This would be far from easy and test my motivation. Nobody was forcing me to work hard and chase that goal, but I want so badly to be able to step on the court in August and prove to myself, and everyone else that I did a really hard thing. I’ve needed to stay motivated for a long period of time, and push myself even when I didn’t want to. Don’t get me wrong, throughout the last year I have taken plenty of days off, and there were times I caved to those low and “I have no motivation to do anything” type of days. The key is not letting those days pile up and become consistent. Days off are a good thing, and completely necessary when chasing a goal, but a little uncomfortable push is healthy too. Don’t be afraid of challenging yourself to keep going when you don’t want to. Finding the balance is tough, but it’s possible. 

This circles back to the inspiration behind the name of my blog. Working towards a large goal isn’t possible without the little steps needed to get there. These little steps are great motivators! Chasing something big isn’t going to happen overnight, and you need to be patient with yourself and be sure to take things one day, and “little win” at a time. Maybe your goal is to get a grade up in a specific class. One assignment probably won’t do it, but keeping up the hard work and good study habits the rest of the semester might. I promise you will become so much more confident in yourself, and motivated to keep going when you take this approach. The worst thing you can do is work really hard for something for a week, not see any progress, and say “well, I tried, it didn’t work.” It’s a process, and that’s what will test you the most when it comes to your motivation to keep going towards that big goal.

Short term motivation is those days where the alarm goes off all you want to do is call in sick, or cancel your plans. This is the most dangerous cycle to fall into because one day so easily turns into more. From what I’ve experienced, I am full of guilt and regret when I don't accomplish things I hoped to. My life lately has consisted of 7am weights and conditioning five days a week. It’s not mandatory, and it’s so easy to turn the alarm off and go back to bed. I was only guilty of this one morning, and let me tell you it was the most unproductive day of my summer. I felt so annoyed at myself at the end of the day because I knew that if I had just gotten up and stuck to my routine I would have felt better and had a great day. A lot of times, when we’re laying in bed or on the couch dreading a full day ahead of us, just getting there is the hardest part. Remind yourself that once you're there, you’ll be so thankful you got yourself to do it, and if you don’t you'll regret it. 

I don’t want this to get confused with your mind or body needing a break, because I know how important this is too. A suggestion I have is before you even think about your day, get up and do something for yourself that you enjoy, even if it’s super small. I always make sure to sit in a different room, eat breakfast, drink a bublr, and listen to music. This way, I’m in a different head space, more awake, and can make a better decision on how I approach my day. It also gives me that little push in the direction of staying on track for my goals. Whatever it is, if you do it every morning, the rest of your day will feel natural and normal, and you’ll find that it doesn’t take motivation to get you there. 

 You may have noticed I talk alot about routines, and keeping your days consistent. I strongly believe that so many different aspects of our lives are determined by the consistencies in our lives, both good and bad. It’s something to really take a look at and ask yourself what you're consistently good or bad at. Motivation comes from yourself, and it’s not just something you find at the surface. It takes work to be able to figure out what you want, and how to get there. Motivation is one thing that stands between you and your goals, and what you do with that is completely up to you.