How To Find Motivation!

Mo·ti·vate: to give a reason for doing something.

It’s official. I no longer believe in the concept of lack of motivation. By definition, a person has motivation if they have a reason for doing something. Therefore, if one has a reason, they have motivation. How then can a person lack motivation? They can't! What they can lack is a realistic goal, or a workable plan to achieve their goal.

To combat this fallacy...when it seems like motivation is evading you, use these three words to ask yourself three very important questions.

When. Why. What. 

1. "When did it begin?"

Be a detective. Yup. Very, very carefully search for when you began to struggle with motivation. Was it before you even started (procrastination)? Was it mid-stream (losing focus)? Was it in choosing a task easier than you'd intended (avoiding a challenge)?

2. "Why do I struggle with motivation?"

Feeling unmotivated isn't, and I repeat, isn't a lack of intention. It results from being confused about why the push isn't there. You must give yourself only honest, realistic appraisals at this point. For example, if you're losing steam half-way through a music practice session it could be that you're tired, or hungry, or thirsty, or irritated, or cold, or hot, or preoccupied for some other reason. It's crucial to identify what lies beneath the surface. You can then implement the greatest strategy toward exciting motivation. Honest self-talk. The language of truth.

3. "What can I do about it?"

Once you know when and why, you can move onto what, and design a realistic, workable plan for change. Because you're tending to the root cause now, guilt and negative self-talk are not part of the equation. What does matter is being real about what needs to change, making a sound plan and taking action!

So, the next time you find yourself thinking, "I don't feel motivated," immediately switch the script, put on your detective hat and figure out why. Settling for the belief that you're unmotivated is self-defeating. What's likely is that you're unaware of what's actually fueling your lack of desire. Once you identify and deal with that, the motivation will spring forth and you'll do what you need to do!