Not motivated

[taitouwah]

do u sometimes wake up lying in the bed , and dont feel like doing (feel very dislike ) the things that should be done , the target that u have set for your own .For example go jogging in the morning, eat good breakfast , wash the car, go for work . Or in another words do you wake up feeling not motivated or tired?

is this caused by setting to much task , multi tasking that are too demanding that discourage someone to work?

[Kamma]

Is it maybe that you just are setting tasks that you just don't want to do? We all have to do things that aren't appealling and the thought of them can really put you off. I find that if I focus on what I can do after the task that I really would rather not do it can motivate me. Aim to get the stuff done so that you can get on with the things you enjoy.

[Sunnybayes]

Well, I could type something new... but just read my thread in my signature, and do a search , and I hope you've tried to read at least some of Steve's articles on motivation...

http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/category/motivation/

[Swede]

Sometimes we are out of motivation, for a lot of reasons. But we are never out of opportunities. Sometimes things do not go our way, at first. We must look beyond this temporary state.

For instance: For four months I've applied for all sorts of interesting jobs and...at three times I was this close to getting a really good employment. Then, nothing worked out and other crucial tasks just failed me. I felt frustrated, I had put a lot of work into this.

How did I manage to get out of bed? I tried a new approach: This did not work as intended. Could it be done in any other way? Or should I be doing something completely different? Maybe the time wasn't right just yet for my original goals. Maybe I needed to get further in another area first?

As to the everyday lack of motivation: So, I did not rush out of bed, full of energy. I failed on that one. Could this day be offering me something else? Since I am still lying in bed, what can I do differently today?, that I couldn't have done had it not been that I am still in bed.

I hope this helps.

[mlc82]

Originally Posted by taitouwah

do u sometimes wake up lying in the bed , and dont feel like doing (feel very dislike ) the things that should be done , the target that u have set for your own .For example go jogging in the morning, eat good breakfast , wash the car, go for work . Or in another words do you wake up feeling not motivated or tired?

is this caused by setting to much task , multi tasking that are too demanding that discourage someone to work?

Even at my most motivated, I have never, ever enjoyed getting out of bed since I was over 8 or so years old. On the days I wake up to my alarm early in the morning and get up as I have to, I still want to smash the thing and am far from jumping out of bed and cheering.

As for crap to do that isn't fun, such as washing the car or housework or cooking breakfast, I like to have something going in the background to make it fun. I usually have some History Channel shows or DVDs going in my living room or computer room depending on where I'm doing housework, or even just turn the TV up to a blaring volume and listen while washing the car. It keeps your mind thinking and makes you forget about doing something tedious.

[AndyMartin]

Motivation is not some ineffable force we have to muster in order to accomplish something. It is simple math: You have to want it (whatever "it" is) more than any competing desire.

But that's only the starting point, because desire is just a feeling and like all other feelings it is fickle. You may want to get up early more than anything when you lie down for bed, but when the alarm goes off you want ten more minutes of sleep more than anything in the world.

So the next step is impersonal commitment. That means committing to that particular desire regardless of how you feel in the moment of action. This consists of eliminating the alternative as an option. So when the feeling of opposition arises the only choice is to ignore it. There is nothing to debate, no internal conflict to mete out.

If you combine those practical principles, you can do anything. But you have to want it more than anything else.

[Jenny]

Originally Posted by AndyMartin

Motivation is not some ineffable force we have to muster in order to accomplish something. It is simple math: You have to want it (whatever "it" is) more than any competing desire.

But that's only the starting point, because desire is just a feeling and like all other feelings it is fickle. You may want to get up early more than anything when you lie down for bed, but when the alarm goes off you want ten more minutes of sleep more than anything in the world.

So the next step is impersonal commitment. That means committing to that particular desire regardless of how you feel in the moment of action. This consists of eliminating the alternative as an option. So when the feeling of opposition arises the only choice is to ignore it. There is nothing to debate, no internal conflict to mete out.

If you combine those practical principles, you can do anything. But you have to want it more than anything else.

Really nicely summed up. I've only been able to muster this kind of motivation for goals that really excite me. It's funny because then the little barriers like the alarm going off in the morning don't matter. But it's essential in my experience to be going after something you really desire.

[Ree]

Originally Posted by AndyMartin

Motivation is not some ineffable force we have to muster in order to accomplish something. It is simple math: You have to want it (whatever "it" is) more than any competing desire.

But that's only the starting point, because desire is just a feeling and like all other feelings it is fickle. You may want to get up early more than anything when you lie down for bed, but when the alarm goes off you want ten more minutes of sleep more than anything in the world.

So the next step is impersonal commitment. That means committing to that particular desire regardless of how you feel in the moment of action. This consists of eliminating the alternative as an option. So when the feeling of opposition arises the only choice is to ignore it. There is nothing to debate, no internal conflict to mete out.

If you combine those practical principles, you can do anything. But you have to want it more than anything else.

Very well said.

I'm self-employed and it takes tons of self-discipline to get out of bed some mornings. To motivate myself on those mornings, I don't think about the process of getting up, getting showered, dressed, etc. Instead, I think about the positive actions I'm going to take that day that are going to take me closer to my goals. Maybe I'm just doing small things on a particular day, but they will move me closer to my goals and that's what I concentrate on.

[coleflowers]

If you have feelings of loss of desire and tiredness frequently and for an extended period of time you may have some depression...However, that being said, it is so normal not to feel motivated all the time. Getting myself motivated for the day and simple daily tasks used to be a huge struggle for me. The only thing I found to help me get over this hurdle was to do the things I needed to do was to force myself to do them regardless of what I was thinking or feeling. The process is called "cognitive over ride". My husband has his degree in psychology so I always am getting suggestions from him on how to improve my life

If it helps you there are a few books by David Burns that have numerous activities to help you over come depression and lack of motivation. I don't know the exact titles of his books its been awhile since I read them, google him he has a website if you are interested.

[ivylamp]

I think that "motivation" is highly over rated. We basically do what we have to do. Most people don't feel "motivated" when they first wake up, especially if they've been burning the midnight oil. The key is to....get out of bed. Even if you feel horrible and discouraged, just get up and get moving. You'll feel differently an hour later. Even if you think you're "sick" and need to stay in bed, if you get up and get moving, you may discover you're not that sick. The very worse thing you can do is lay in bed pondering your lack of motivation. I chuckle as I say this because I think back to when I was a teenager starting out. I had to get up before dawn to make it to my job. I had to make it to my job to keep it. I had to keep it to pay my bills. I had to pay my bills or I could end up homeless. Boy was I motivated!!! Which brings me to my point....we basically do what we have to do. It's not so clear now that I'm self-employed but by now it's habit. I get up at 4:30 even if I haven't slept. If after a quick shower and dressing, I still don't feel "motivated" to work, I check my do list and knock out a few mundane things. Pay a bill, mend a shirt, sort those papers, wash the cat carrier. It never fails....I suddenly feel motivated. "Oooh, I need to get to work....this is due at the end of the month and I can't bear to wait till the last minute!" You DO something first, and THEN you feel the motivation to do it. Perverse, I know, but it's true.