How to Stay Motivated Even When You Feel Stuck

We all have situations in which we cannot feel motivated. Maybe you are experiencing burnouts, a creative rut, or you feel like you are inside of a rut, it is important to understand that these feelings are common – and they are just temporary. What matters is how to easily come up with active ways of reviving your energy and taking the next step, wherever it may seem, anything but impulsive.

1. Do not Punish It by Ignoring or Avoiding It, but Recognize It

To avoid all the bad effects of lack of motivation, the first step is to recognize it. Being insensitive to your feelings might result to frustrations and further stagnated golden years. Rather, make room to meditate. Are you fed up? Overwhelmed? To find out your goals? Identifying the emotion gives you an avenue to respond to it constructively.

As Psychology Today underlines, labeling your emotions and realizing what causes them can even help to control your behavior and to change your way of thinking.

2. Break the Pattern by Creating Small Wins

Among the best strategies of gaining momentum is to start with small and possible objectives. The prospect of approaching a serious problem when you are in a rut may someone seem infeasible. Focus on what is under your control e.g. put away the papers on your desk, send an email, take a fifteen minute walk.

The release of dopamine in the brain when you experience small wins enables you to feel good, and encourages productive behaviour. These minor achievements generate confidence and desire with time.

3. Rethink Your Reason Why

To have less motivation, remember to think on the larger scale. What is it that made you undertake this journey? What are your long term objectives?

At times we lose track in the process of life and we forget what is really important to us. Remembering that spark of purpose by way of journaling, vision boards, or merely looking back at the goals you set may jump-start your original spark.

Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley offers an idea that creating and maintaining a sense of sense may be a long-term motivation because it keeps you going even in the midsts of trouble.

4. Replace Your Vicinity

The surrounding that you place yourself in can boost or exhaust you. When you work in an untidy and demotivating environment it is the high time to change the scene. Work at a cafe, relocate your workplace or simply go outside to have fresh air. A new environment is capable of resetting your brain and pushing it towards creativity.

5. Connect with Good People

Several hours spent with a friend, coach, or mentor can lead to new ideas, as well as bring essential motivation. That may make the problem of stuckness more pronounced due to isolation, and it could be addressed by discussions so you can start to think things through and gain clarity.

At times, motivation is transmissible. The surrounding you with people with motivation and passion can restore the fire in you.

6. Learn to Live with Error and Forge On

The fight to get the right moment or to be perfect in a certain situation or action can freeze you. Know that most times motivation comes after action rather than vice versa. Be present and work flawed and believe that one day there will be improvement.

Final Thoughts

You know when you feel stuck at something, that is not a sentence, it is a signal to something. It is your head that is telling you that something is wrong, something requires attention: be it rest, purpose or change of routine. By acknowledging the emotion and consciously going into the process of working through it, you can get yourself back on track to motivation and momentum.

Just keep in mind you are not alone. Every successful individual has moments where he/she becomes demotivated. The response to those moments is different.