Feeling a little burnt out? Tired? Unmotivated? You're avoiding your email, dreading your meetings, and pushing off work till the last minute.
It's not that you don't care--you just can't make yourself do what you know you need to. We've all been there. Being unmotivated doesn't mean you're a lazy person or a poor employee--it's a little deeper than that.
Things That Steal Our Motivation
Setting the Wrong Goals: By this, I mean that you're setting the wrong goals for yourself. With social media playing a big part in our lives, it's easy to be influenced by what everyone else is doing. But what everyone else is doing may not be what's best for you.
Lack of Clarity: Without clear directions or goals, it's hard to make a change. As humans, we're resistant to change and want to hold onto what's familiar to us.
Lack of Challenge: Being challenged is a double-edged sword. If something is overly challenging, you can become unmotivated, and if something is not challenging enough, you can become unmotivated. There's a sweet spot, right in the middle, where you should feel pushed to be better and you should be excited about it.
Burnout: Pushing yourself too hard and for too long creates burnout. People aren't meant to be in "go-mode" 24/7. You need a break, some me-time, to rejuvenate.
Take Back Your Motivation
Creat small, "baby-step" goals: chunking up the tasks can help whatever project you're working on feel more attainable and manageable. Don't overwhelm yourself by focusing on the end goal, but instead focus on the steps you need to take to get there.
Stop caring about things that don't matter: If you're distracted by what others are doing, their successes, and their business, you lose the capacity to focus on yourself. The things that other people are doing will not bring you success or happiness; only you can do that. Shift your focus back onto you.
Look for support or ask for help: This can be difficult if you don't like asking for help, but at some point, we all need it. Your friends, family, and (possibly) co-workers don't want to see you fail. Use them as resources and as a support system.
Set a quit time: To reduce your risk of burnout, you should have a designated time where work comes to an end for the day.
Celebrate your wins: Small or large--don't ignore your accomplishments. Don't downplay the progress that you're making. Take a moment to feel good about yourself every time you complete a task.