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Marcia Granger , Principal and Chief Executive , Megamorphose Ltd.
It happens to all of us. One day, we just wake up lacking the energy to do anything. Not wanting to go out of bed, not wanting to stay in it either. That's normal. That's the stuff of life, so to speak. What is not normal though is getting entangled with lack of energy, lack of drive, lack of motivation. What is not normal is to continuously talk yourself into the act of not doing anything. But what do you do when all the drive inside of you are purged out? Maybe you can begin with the following recommendations.
Think of the worst-case scenario - We have all been told that envisioning success is a good motivator. Now, why not do the exact opposite? Why not envision a future that is bleak, hopeless and stripped off all happiness and success. Why not envision yourself living eternally in a rut where sense of accomplishment and a tiny hope are inexistent?
Scary, right? Few people realize that they already own a one-way ticket towards this very vision. Now what you want to do is to get off your butt and work your way out of the train wreck you are heading to. Turn your life around and work for a goal. Now, that is getting motivated.
Set a date for change and commit to it - Change must come to everyone of us. Sometimes it is forced upon us, sometimes we choose when it will happen. It is always much more preferable to have control over the change that can take us over. If the change you are seeking requires a specific date on the calendar, then set it. Make a huge, red circle around the date and stick with it. Let this serve as a motivator to start doing the things you should have done weeks, months or years ago. Let this chosen date serve as the new beginning of your life.
Break the routine - When you're doing the same thing every day, sooner or later, the energy that you once had will drain out. No matter how passionate you were with your work, project, or goal when you were just beginning, you will suffer from lack of motivation once your body senses that it is doing the same thing day in, day out.
Don’t be afraid to break the routine once in a while. Quit work for a full day. Stop doing your routine for a week. Take a month-long vacation. Take on a new hobby for a year. These can help energize you and rekindle your drive. And while you're taking your break from your routine, don’t lose the faith that you will have the same kind of energy you once had by the time you get back to work.
Don’t lose sight of your goals - It is easy to lose your focus when there is too much distraction around. Whether it's the kids, clutter at your work area, Twitter or Facebook, you will find that these simple things remind you of other things that can drive your concentration away from the task at hand. To prevent yourself from killing your own motivation, always try to stick with your goals and shut out whatever it is that it trying to reduce it.
