Locating Missing Motivation
In the last few months, I’ve attempted several challenges aimed at motivation, attracting abundance, and a few other things. In all cases, I failed, for one reason or another, to make it to the end of the challenge; even one that was only 7 days.
My Dropbox overflow-eth with courses I’ve started but never finished, forms to help me find any number of things I may still not understand, and e-books I need to read and review. So, what’s the problem?
Throughout my careers, both accounting and writing, I’ve gone through periods when I couldn’t find the motivation to do much of anything. With the accounting, a lot of it had to do with where I was working, who I was working for, and what was expected of me. The most insidious de-motivator was boredom. When the work became to mechanical and tedious, 90% of my brain tuned out. The other 10% was left to slog through while being distracted by the antics of the part that disengaged, and heaven knows, that part could amuse itself in ways that precluded any productivity whatsoever.
Waiting for the Muse to be Ready is Futile
Finding motivation to write is another animal entirely. Though I’ve long-since removed the 
requirement that I be inspired before I write anything, I still manage to find excuses to either leave the computer entirely, or get involved in almost anything except writing. For awhile, due dates on my Trello board solved the problem, but lately, even that is failing to keep me on track.
Over time, I’ve learned I have to begin, not letting anything else get in the way. It sounds so simple, but with a mind that travels at the speed of light zooming from one idea to the next, you’d be surprised how often it jumps the tracks and flies off without any guidance. There are times I’ll manage to get a page open and start typing only to be distracted by a noise, a movement out of the corner of my eye (typically one of the cats), or a thought I simply must pursue at this very moment.
Meanwhile, phone calls I need to return, messages I need to respond to, and tasks that have been sitting on my improvised desk for weeks go unattended. These are the times I take a few giant steps back to look at the overall picture. What is truly important to me now? Is it catching up on blog posts? Editing one of my books? Going outside to get some sunshine and exercise while working on the yard that is slowly taking shape?
Sometimes You Just Have to Pick a Direction
The what isn’t as important as how I approach whichever task I choose. Instead, I have to agree with myself to go all in, whatever I choose. I also have to be able to mix things up. An hour outside working in the yard, a couple of hours making a batch meal, some time catching up on correspondence or work I owe someone else; in short, I have to find my balance again.
When I’ve been so de-motivated I actually accomplish nothing, or feel like I do, it’s time to take a step back and look at what I’ve actually done. Maybe I took a few days off to binge read after not picking up a book for a month or more. Maybe I de-cluttered a space while trying to find something. The important thing is recognizing I truly was motivated to do something even if it wasn’t what I thought I “should” be doing.
I’ve learned when I get away from the “shoulds” and let my gut guide me, I get more done, and avoid sitting on my tush for too many hours at a time as well. Frankly, sitting in front of the computer for too many hours drives me further into avoidance behavior than anything else. If I get up and move; whether it’s a ballet class, weed whacking, planting, cooking, or cleaning, my mind de-clutters itself and finds a new toy to play with while it gets out of the way of my writing.
Getting Un-analytical
The truth is, mental clutter is the biggest cause for lack of productivity when it comes to my 
writing. As long as I’m thinking too much, or my thoughts are flitting all over the place, very little hits the page. In fact, I’ve recently learned (or perhaps re-learned) that my morning pages are meant to be nothing more than random thoughts flowing one into the other. Once I realized I’d been putting too much thought into my first-thing-in-the-morning writing, what had been taking me as long as 45 minutes suddenly took a mere 20.
I’m as guilty as some; guiltier than others of overthinking. I know it kills my creativity faster than anything else I might do. Sometimes it takes a less-than-subtle reminder; a Universal head slap, as it were, to make me pay attention and get off the overthinking roller coaster. It doesn’t clear things up immediately. I may only get a single blog post written in 3 or 4 days. In time, though, I’m throwing words on the page in a veritable hurricane of words. Ideas come to me at random moments, and must be noted before they flit away.
One of the many things I’ve learned in going on 7 years of writing regularly is it only takes a few words to get me writing, even if those words were jotted down days ago. Once they’re recorded, and I get out of my own way, the words come as if they were held behind a dam until I opened the sluices and allowed them to flow as they would. And maybe that’s exactly what they waited for.
Finding Missing Motivation is a Personal Affair
Perhaps my methods for re-engaging my motivation won’t work for everyone. I know my writing style doesn’t. But a little decluttering, be it physical or mental never hurt anyone. I think everyone works better with cleared spaces (as I look at my improvised office and see things I could put away or finally take off my plate). Sometimes, all it takes is putting the books I have lying on the sofa away to get a new idea, or at least get me to do some more cleaning.
When all else fails, it does help to take a step back and look at the big picture for a minute or two. What really matters? What’s the most important or pressing thing on my To Do list? Where have I missed deadlines that are subconsciously making me nuts and blocking me from moving forward? If you ask the right questions, the answers will make themselves clear.
About the Author
Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri 
believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income. If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author. And check out her new group, Putting Your Whole Heart Forward.
Be sure to watch this space for news of the upcoming releases of ” Rebuilding After Suicide” and “Sasha’s Journey”.
