On Motivation

When you’re feeling like a bum and there is no motivation in sight, what do you do?

Today, I am feeling unmotivated. I wrote a whole blog post about a book I read but I didn’t like it. Then I was going to switch it up and write about writing. But I just didn’t feel motivated. This made me think about motivation in general. What keeps me motivated, especially with the combination of a pandemic and summer break brain. 

So, I changed locations at the house I am staying at, from the sofa to the porch. Then I turned to my good friend, Google. I typed in “how to stay motivated.” The first list I came across has 19 things to do to help you stay motivated. Yikes! That seems exhausting! It outlines how once you understand your motivation you can become more successful. But what about when you are in the moment and you have work you want or need to finish, but just can’t, then what do you do? 

Here are three things you can do right now to boost your motivation. 

1. Change your scenery

Like I mentioned earlier, I was sitting on the sofa but I moved to the porch. This has helped a lot because now I am finally writing about something that I feel good about posting. I remember being in college and doing this while studying. I would switch from sitting on the couch to the kitchen table. This helped refresh my brain and feel more motivated to continue studying. 

Here is the swing on the porch I moved to! My dog kept me company!

2. Get a drink i.e. coffee, tea, water, or juice

Once I realized that my motivation was nonexistent, I made a cup of coffee. I love coffee. I go to bed every night excited for my morning cup of joe! It’s a drink that makes me so happy and that I love very much. So making a cup of coffee, gives me another small thing to look forward to! I also use sips as small breaks to reflect on my work or just push through that feeling of being unmotivated. 

Ain’t no thang like a good ole’ cup of joe! Please disregard my quarantine nails (major yikes!).

3. Take a 5-10 minute walk

This is something that helps SO MUCH! Sometimes being unmotivated means that we aren’t ready to begin working. Give yourself some grace and take a minute (or ten). During a walk, you can clear your mind. I like to make a list during my walk. I list out what I need to get done. Today, I didn’t take a walk because I started feeling motivated after the first two. But I know a nice 5 minute walk will always help me!

What do you do to stay motivated? Leave a comment so I can try it out!