3 Reasons People Feel Unmotivated at this time (AND How To Flip The Script!)
What an odd time we are all in! Few would have seen this coming and yet here we are.
I don’t know about you, but when this all first came down I dreamed this could be a time of leaning into some changes I had been considering.
Okay I’ll be vulnerable….
What I wanted to do was to get serious/consistent about logging my food daily, make a new habit of doing my physical therapy, set some intentional time aside for Bridges development (my side hustle), send out a handwritten card each day and be intentional about connecting with family during this season.
What actually happened, so far, was extra time with family…
Here’s the 3 reasons I think motivation is lacking in this season:
1) A new normal syphons a lot of energy. Even though most of us gave up a commute, depending on our situations we now have other things on our plate – online everything, meal planning, taking care of kids, checking in with compromised family members.
Needing to be intentional about setting up new normals for the regular stuff is a lot, never mind adding in new stuff.
2) The situation demands our attention. I have never watched/read as many press releases as I have in the last couple of weeks. Likely neither have you. There have never been this many. If we had a nickel for every time we have heard the word “unprecedented”…
We have had to become familiar with new vocabulary, using words like social distancing, essential and non-essential, and more in ways we never did before.
We’ve learned new practices, like how long to wash your hands and why that is important.
We have concerns about the economy, the statistics, the future, how long this will last, who it will affect, and the decisions being made and who is making them.
These foci were not even on our radar a month ago. That’s a lot to add in.
3) There are so many good options to choose from. There’s only so much a person can focus on at a time. We are already spread pretty thin, adding in a new goal can feel like just too much at this time.
So, what’s a person to do?
I’m glad you asked!
1) Get your sea legs under you. Settle in to the new normal as best you can.
- Maintain consistency your usual routines as much as possible – get up at your normal time, have your regular breakfast and quiet time, etc.
- Adjust your routine as needed - for instance, I can’t go to the gym anymore, but I can go for walks or bike rides now. I have added in some yoga even (don’t worry Mom, I’m meditating on God’s word, peace and Presence.)
- Decide when and how to splurge a little. It may be good practice to reward yourself for just getting through the day. Perhaps chocolate actually is essential right now? So deciding in advance what you will do helps. And don’t forget to include non-edible splurges – take a bath, plan for a nap, take time to set up a playlist, paint your nails … whatever makes your heart smile.
2) Choose one new focus at a time.
- Make a list of all the possible things you could be moving forward on. I like to use some sort of spread sheet where I can add columns and sort, but maybe I’m just nerdy like that. Add new things as you think of them. I like to call this an “Ideas Parking Lot”. You can park your ideas there and not have them taking up space in your day to day thinking.
- Pray over your list. Ask God for wisdom.
- Choose ONE thing to focus on. Make a reasonable SMART goal.
- Bonus points if you set up your yellow and red flags and invite someone else into the process.
3) Repeat Step 2 when that focus has become old hat to you.
I was reading 1 Peter today in the Passion translation and wanted to highlight these verses.
6 So be truly glad.here is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. …
13 So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires….
23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
Your new life!
We all have the option to lean into to all God has for us.
Let’s embrace it together!