MOTIVATION

By Jeannie Ford, LAMFT

Motivation 

It seems as though I’m hearing this everywhere lately: “It’s so hard to get motivated”.
I’m hearing it in sessions with clients.
From friends over coffee.
At home from kids dealing with school work.
And even the internal voice that echoes feelings of frustration and stuckness. 

Motivation is defined as the reason behind acting or behaving in a certain way. It’s the “why?” connected to an outcome we’re striving for. But even the “why” can be elusive when motivation lags.

So how to shake loose from the grip of stuckness?

TickTick

When I first saw the app TickTick, I thought it was TicToc. I was curious how an app known for its ability to draw people in with catchy content and appealing reels (TicToc) was going to help with motivation. On closer investigation it was clear that TickTick was an organizational tool with a name dangerously close to TicToc. Instead of creating counter-motivational results in the form of scrolling, TickTick is a popular app that works like a multi-functional planner. It organizes to-do lists, offers a calendar, and positively reinforces successes to encourage forward movement. 

A walk, anyone?

From high-tech to as simple and low-tech as it comes: move! Exercise or movement, of any kind, can positively influence outlook, concentration, and mental health. Walking, dancing, cycling, and swimming are listed among the exercises that help shift mood, especially when the focus is fun. Forbes looks at the different motivations for exercise, and the best impact on emotional health and motivation is experienced when exercise is initiated for the enjoyment of the movement itself. 

Movement can also add a much-needed break from work to clear the mind and refocus attention on the task at hand. The specific act of moving the body, changing position, leaving the room, taking a walk, or even a brief rest as a different mode from working can create new perspectives and shift from stuckness back to motivation.

Creative reset

In her book “Around the Writer’s Block, Using Brain Science to Solve Writer’s Block” Rosanne Bane looks at multiple exercises, questions, and activities to reset creative motivation. While the book focuses on the process of writing, the ideas are applicable to any creative endeavor or experience of lag in motivation. One of the approaches the author discusses is the idea of letting yourself have time to create in another medium without judgment. The act of using creative energy for the simple joy of creating without the professional expectations or harsh inner critic allows a shift in perspective and lends new light, and potentially joy and openness in the return to the primary project.
Ms. Bane also investigates rest or self-care as another means of reducing resistance or avoidance of a task. In a capitalistic society, where work and productivity are valued, it can be challenging to view rest and self-care as worthy aims. Taking a break when all other voices say, “press on”, or “keep pushing”, offers the space for the mind, body, and spirit to revive, reenergize, and recommit to the project. The author offers this wisdom for motivation: “What makes or breaks us is not whether or how we experience resistance–it’s how we respond to resistance.” Her book offers myriad options for responding to resistance. 

Take stock

Stop for a moment. How often do you look back and acknowledge your successes? Even mentally recounting your progress can reinvigorate the desire to forge ahead. Writing down positive experiences, using a gratitude journal, or mentally listing past goals achieved can clear the mind and create the shift needed to recommit to a goal. The Mental Health Foundation’s article focuses on actions contributing to emotional health as a means of finding motivation, including asking for help. 

Ask

It’s an admission of vulnerability to ask for help. Independence and individualism are venerated everywhere from movies to marketing. And to defy the strong messages that say “do it yourself” or “it's weak to need support” is to defy societal and even personal expectations. Whether seeking help is support from a mental health provider, a friend, or a colleague with expertise in an area of interest, most will gladly lend a hand.. The hurdle can be over-coming the idea that you have to have the answers for yourself or should somehow know how to manage every obstacle or challenge and not need to reach out to others. In his article for Purpose, a technological business site, Greg Mazares says: “Asking for help is a testament to our strength and determination to grow, learn, and to connect with others”. Though meant for technology leaders, the article outlines the strength and collaboration that comes from seeking help. Strength and collaboration can positively impact motivation.

Set it aside and come back

Occasionally setting a project or a goal aside can be freeing and necessary to its eventual completion. Alleviating motivational issues can be achieved with a kind and gentle approach when coupled with intention. The intention comes in two parts: first, to make the break or rest personally meaningful, and secondly to commit to reengage with the project in a reasonable timeframe. A meaningful break can be any of the suggestions above or whatever process creates clarity and rejuvenation of motivation for the individual. Committing to a return time makes space for meaningful rest and holds accountability to the goal’s importance.

Re-visit the “why?”

Circling around to reexamine the motivation can be clarifying. What is the “why?” for the project or goal? There are so many questions to ask: does this goal still fit me? What was my original purpose? How far have I come? What have I learned? Am I on track? What has me feeling stuck? Is it a message from my past or a personal pattern? An internal dialogue that changes the conversation instead of rehashing the same feelings or messages creates the change needed to gain perspective.

Movement is the antithesis of stuckness. One commonality in all the options listed above is movement. Whether it's physical movement, mental exercise of asking questions, or stepping outside a comfort zone to ask for help, taking a step, any step, can help shift from stuckness to forward movement.