You never know when inspiration will happen. During a recent conversation at one of the many BBQs I’ve enjoyed so far this summer, the seed ideas for this post began germinating. At the time I didn’t connect the dots to motivation. However, after a good night’s sleep and morning mindfulness practice, an interesting link surfaced that I’m about to share with you. It gave me a new perspective about motivation that I hadn’t fully realized before. I hope it will be useful for you too. 

In the conversation I had with a parent, she shared with me how frustrated and unhappy she was about her high school-aged child being home for the summer with no specific or productive plans. She relayed that her child had promised she would “do things,” but with a few weeks into the summer, her plans were non-existent. The mom didn’t want her daughter sitting around all summer “wasting” her time and doing nothing. From other stories that the mom shared about her daughter, it seemed as though she was regularly busy and engaged in life. But for this particular moment in time, she wasn't motivated to do anything. 

It made me think about the times I’ve worked hard and for prolonged periods on a project. When those projects ended, my energy was depleted. The projects took a lot of sustained motivation to keep going and see them through. Post project, I needed non-pressured downtime to reflect and not do so that I could regroup and gear-up for next.

We live in a time when constant doing is the norm. It’s expected. Only when we’re on vacation or sleeping, do we allow ourselves (guilt-free) to stop and do less. However, I propose that we need these stopping or not doing periods more frequently. Let’s honor the motivation pendulum instead of expecting constant motivation to accomplish and to be busy. Let’s appreciate and respect the value of pausing after those big-push times. 

The amount of activities, assignments, projects, and things that kids (and parents) have to juggle during the school year is immense. It’s no wonder that our children need a break from the intense, frenetic pace. Taking part of or the entire summer to pause can be a great way for our kids to restore their motivation reserves. And the truth is that having the summer off is one of the luxuries of childhood. Unless you’re a teacher, which a few of my friends are, most adults don’t have that opportunity anymore. 

Whether you’re a kid or an adult, allow some downtime after expending sustained energy. Your motivation will return if you allow yourself time to come back to yourself.

What is your experience with the motivation pendulum? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

Motivation is a hot topic. We think a lot about what motivates us to take action and move toward our goals. We also spend a lot of time struggling with the things that de-motivate and prevent us from going forward. What gets in the way of your motivation?

We can identify and remove those obstacles by looking from the “challenges” perspective. As you read, note the challenges that resonate with you. Are there additional motivation challenges that you’ve experienced? What helps?

I’d love to learn about you. Please add to the conversation.

10 Common Motivation Challenges & Easy Solutions

1. Abundant Choices

When the options are too plentiful, they can overwhelm us with inaction. The thought of moving ahead becomes exhausting.

Tip: Narrow your choices to just two or three options. Pretend you have blinders on and ignore the external input. If you’re still stuck, ask a friend to be a sounding board.

2. Fear of Failure

Perfectionism, or fear of incorrectly doing something, can stop us from moving forward.

Tip: Being perfect isn’t possible. Striving to be our best is. Failing is an essential part of the journey. We learn by trial and error. As Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Test out this alternate perspective.

3. Fear of Success

Low self-esteem can compromise your view of success. You might doubt that success is possible and lack the motivation to attain it.

Tip: Look to the past. Acknowledge your small and large successes. Look at the present. Be aware of your current accomplishments. Practice noticing and appreciating your wins. Build from the past and present to reduce your fear and boost your confidence.

4. Lack of Clarity

When we don’t know which step is next or why we’re doing what we’re doing, we can quickly become de-motivated.

Tip: Take a step back. Set aside time to revisit your projects, goals, and values. Perhaps there has been a parameter shift, and it’s time to adjust.

“When we don’t know which step is next or why we’re doing what we’re doing, we can quickly become de-motivated.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®

5. Exhaustion

Sleep is essential for the optimal mind and body functioning. When we’re exhausted, it’s difficult to remain motivated.

Tip: Review your current sleep patterns and needs. If lack of sleep contributes to your lack of motivation, make the necessary adjustments. Experiment with how much sleep you need to feel rested, alert, and ready for the day. Most adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

6. Comparison

Focusing on how we do or don’t measure up compared to our colleagues, family, friends, neighbors, or whoever only promotes unproductive thinking. This is a sure-fire formula for de-motivating ourselves. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It also can be the thief of motivation.

Tip: Forget about the “grass is greener” concept. It never is. Instead, practice gratitude. Focus on your gifts, successes, dreams, and desires. Build and encourage a life that is uniquely yours.

7. Excuses

We all make them. They are the negative messages we repeatedly tell ourselves, which prevent us from doing. We say things like, “I’d like to do ‘x,’ but I’m too tired or too busy or not smart enough or….”

Tip: Set the internal alert. Become aware of the excuses that are not useful, real, or true. Begin challenging them when they appear. Reframe the dialogue to the positive.

8. Drudgery

Routines can be helpful, but they can become so tedious that we lack the motivation to maintain them. 

Tip: If you are feeling bored, add the fun factor to the equation. Playing upbeat music, introducing pleasing colors, or bringing mood-boosting scents into your environment could make a difference to your patterns. How about a change in the pace or sequence of the routine? Experiment with altering one element and see how that influences your motivation.

9. Patience

We expect so much of ourselves and want instant results. When things aren’t happening as fast as we think they should be, it can de-motivate us to continue.

Tip: Striving to achieve, become, and do takes time. Extend yourself the gift of patience. 

10. Distractions

When your attention is pulled in too many directions, you can lose focus and motivation to work on what’s most important.

Tip: Pay attention to the “distraction-makers.” Are you being interrupted by people, sounds, emails, and phone calls? How can you minimize distractions during certain times of your day? Recently, I turned off all the dings and alerts on my electronic devices. The positive effects on my focus, productivity, and motivation have been noticeable.

We’re human. We experience times when our motivation wanes. That’s normal. Understanding which is your motivation challenge and implementing some of the suggested strategies will help get you back on track. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation. What de-motivates you? What gets you unstuck? 

The newest installment (v16) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature is here with my latest discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring motivation-related finds, which reflect this month’s blog theme. You are an extraordinary and engaged group. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced for you. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Motivating Choices

Wait, What? by James E. Ryan

Finding the answers we seek are in the quality of the questions we ask. Asking the right questions can motivate us to start or stop doing something, move us forward when we’re stuck, or help us understand something more deeply. One of the books I recently read was Wait, What? And Life’s Other Essential Questionsby James E. Ryan, author and dean of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Ryan says, “Posing irresistible questions…is an art worth cultivating.”  He shares five essential questions like “Wait, what?” which is effective for getting clarification or avoiding quick judgments, and “I wonder…?” which fosters curiosity. Specifically for getting unstuck and motivating movement, Ryan suggests, “Couldn’t we at least…?”  This book is a wonderful resource that will add quality questions to your motivation toolbox.

2. Interesting Perspective – Motivating Action

What do you do when your To Do listoverwhelms you? I came across this pin, which adds some lightness to the serious list-makers among us. To tame those long lists, make a “Today” list. Keep it short … really short as in two to three items. Your list’s brevity will boost your motivation, increase your action, and make you feel good about your accomplishments. I can see your success.

3. Interesting Tech – Motivating Mindfulness

Even the busiest among us can make time for mindfulness moments with the Buddhify app. It provides both solo or guided meditations that help even during the most hectic times. If you need a mindfulness work break, are experiencing difficult emotions, are feeling stressed, or can’t sleep, Buddhify has a unique meditation designed just for you. Your pocket mindfulness coach will motivate you to embrace some much-needed Zen.

4. Interesting Product – Motivating Preparedness

It’s challenging to find the motivation to think or talk about death preparedness. It’s a topic that many of us avoid. We know it will happen, but not yet, not now. So we delay preparing. We delay discussing. We delay until it’s too late and we put that burden on our family. Fortunately, Amy Pickard, CEO of Good To Go created the Departure File, which “eliminates stress, guilt, doubt and provides those you leave behind with the certainty of knowing they are carrying out your wishes.” She was motivated to create this product, along with support to go with it, when her mother died unexpectedly leaving no paperwork and hundreds of details to handle. Maybe the Departure File is just the motivation you need to get your affairs in order for your loved ones.

5. Interesting Thought – Motivating Positivity

Sometimes we need a positive reminder to recognize that we can move forward, we can get unstuck, and we can accomplish the goals we desire. To reignite your motivation, use a positivity mantra like “I can” or something else that feels right for you.

What are your interesting finds? Which of these resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!

When we're feeling stuck, it's especially challenging to get motivated. During several recent organizing visits with clients, I was reminded about one of the benefits of enlisting help as a way to boost motivation.

My clients were feeling overwhelmed and stuck. Those feelings resulted in procrastination and lack of motivation to tackle their organizational challenges. Yet in each of these cases, they recognized that no movement forward was going to happen unless they reached out for help. They had hit a wall of overwhelm. They called me for help.

It was fascinating to see the transformation. By talking about their goals, offering organizing support, and working by their sides, their feelings of overwhelm lifted and their motivation returned. In between organizing visits they were able to accomplish a lot on their own. They no longer felt stuck and had a renewed sense of purpose and energy around what they wanted to accomplish. They found the path forward.

So while enlisting the help of a professional organizer isn't the only way to jumpstart your waning motivation, it is definitely one of the effective strategies.

If you're struggling with moving forward and your lack of motivation and clarity is blocking you, reach out for help. You may be surprised at how valuable it is to hire a professional organizer or enlist the help from a trusted family member or friend.

Have you ever experienced positive change in motivation after enlisting help? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Come join the conversation!