Lately it’s a struggle to stay motivated. I graduate in May and start my career in June. I don’t have to be a “straight A” student anymore, because grades don’t necessarily matter to an employer who I’ve already signed my offer letter with. My drive is constantly assaulted by negative thoughts and anxiety about the future. Everyone faces doubt and depression. What separates the highly successful is the ability to keep moving forward.

There is no simple solution for a lack of motivation. Even after beating it, the problem reappears at the first sign of failure. The key understands your thoughts and how they drive your emotions. By learning how to nurture motivating thoughts, neutralize negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can pull yourself out of a slump before it gains momentum.

After doing some research I’ve found that there are 3 ways we lose motivation. First, there is a lack of confidence. If we don’t believe we can succeed, why try? Second, there is a lack of focus. If we don’t know what the goal is, do we really want to achieve something when we are unsure of the results? Third, there is a lack of direction. If we don’t know what to do, how can we get there?

I’ve developed some ways to overcome this undeniable fact that we are all not always motivate to do something. The first motivation killer is a lack of confidence. When this happens to me, it’s usually because I’m focusing entirely on what I want and neglecting what I already have. When you only think about what you want, your mind creates explanations for why you aren’t getting it. This creates negative thoughts. Past failures, bad breaks, and personal weaknesses dominate your mind. I recently wrote a blog about how to improve your self-confidence. Please visit my last blog about ways to improve your self-confidence.

The second motivation killer  is a lack of focus. How often do you focus on what you don’t want, rather than on a concrete goal? We normally think in terms of fear. If you’re caught up in fear based thinking, the first step is focusing that energy on a well defined goal. By defining a goal, you automatically define a set of actions.

The third motivation killer is lack of direction. If focus means having an ultimate goal, direction is having a day-to-day strategy to achieve it. A lack of direction kills motivation because without an obvious next action we succumb to procrastination. The key to finding direction is identifying the activities that lead to success. For every goal, there are activities that pay off and those that don’t. Make a list of all your activities and arrange them based on results. Then make a make an action plan that focuses on the activities that lead to big returns.

I hope this helps the rest of you stay motivated for what ever it is your doing. Remember even if your on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. Please leave me a comment.

Always,

Teryn