Completing tasks and reaching goals is hard enough, but without motivation,  accomplishing these things can seem impossible. We have all struggled with having no motivation, so what can we do to gain it back?  The first thing to do is identify what is causing your lack of motivation. So, here is a list of 5 things that steal your motivation.


1. Being Disorganized

We all know what it feels like when our mind is scattered, so we all know how hard it is to do anything with a scattered mind. When your tasks are unorganized, it is hard to see where to begin, what should be the priority and what steps you need to take to complete each task. Also, disorganization can make commencing a project or reaching a goal too overwhelming, making it seem too difficult to start. Disorganization can also cause a lack of clarity on what you need to do to reach your goal. You also may be unable to focus on your goal if your mind is scattered. 

To fix this, all you have to do is get yourself organized. To get organized, try using a calendar or creating to-do lists to help sort out your tasks. Once you have organized your work, you can figure out what you need to do and where to start, which will help boost your motivation. To learn more about how to get more organized, visit The Ultimate Guide to Staying Motivated.

2. Fear

Starting new projects or trying to accomplish your goals can be scary, even if it was your choice to be in this situation. Fear can slow you down and even cause you to freeze when trying to achieve your goals. Slowing down or freezing interrupts your productivity and motivation. Also, when you are fearful, you are less motivated to do the tasks because they seem daunting. So ultimately, fear inhibits your motivation. 

To stop fear from blocking your motivation and preventing you from completing your tasks and reaching your goals, you must learn how to conquer your fear. To overcome your fear, you need to learn how to think positively. When you are scared of failing, try instead to imagine yourself reaching your goals and completing your tasks successfully. Also, you should face your fears head-on, find out what you are scared of and try to find ways to overcome any possible negative outcomes. By concurring your fear, you won’t have anything blocking your motivation, making it easier to accomplish your goals and tasks. You can learn more about keeping a positive mindset in The Ultimate Guide to Staying Motivated.

3. You Are Not Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep gives you the energy to accomplish whatever you need in your day. So, sleep also is what helps to get you motivated to do the tasks that you need to do each day. When you do not get enough sleep, you are slower and have less energy, which means you also have less motivation. In an article reviewed by a medical professional, Rob Newson discusses how “consistent, quality sleep can help you perform better at work and leave you feeling more motivated during the day.”

Also, to be productive and get your tasks done each day, you need to be able to work for long periods, which is impossible without sleep. So, sleep is essential to motivation. If you think your lack of sleep reduces your motivation, try sleeping more each night. Also, ensure that you are having a quality sleep each night. Sleeping without waking up at night is essential to having a good night's rest that will give you enough energy to keep you motivated each day. To learn more about how sleep helps your motivation, check out The Ultimate Guide to Staying Motivated.


4. Burnout

We have all experienced stress in our lives, but did you know that excessive stress for long periods can lead to burnout? Being burnt out is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.” When you experience burnout, you are mentally exhausted and thus do not have any energy to do anything. So, being burnt out steals your motivation because you do not have any energy to complete your tasks.

Being burnt out “reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you to feel increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.” Luckily, there are things you can do to help when you are feeling burnt out. 

  1. Turn to other people that care about you for help.
  2. Reduce stress in your life by balancing your life better.
  3. Set boundaries with the things that are causing you stress.
  4. Give yourself time to relax.
  5. Reevaluate your priorities, making sure you put your well-being as your top priority.
  6. Get lots of rest.

5. Using Technology to Distract Yourself Instead of Motivate Yourself

People often use technology to escape responsibilities and procrastinate on doing their tasks. Because you are escaping the stressful world around you, when you are on technology or social media, you often do not want to do the work or tasks you must complete that day. So, technology can cause you to lose motivation to do your work. 

However, you can also use technology to help get your motivation back. Many tools exist to keep you productive while using technology. Check out our list of the top productivity tools to help you use technology to motivate yourself. If you find that you use social media to escape your responsibilities, you can use BeTimeful. BeTimeful is a social media blocker that blocks your distracting feed while allowing you to use the messaging function. 

So, download BeTimeful today to help regain motivation. This way, you can enjoy using social media without getting distracted and you don't need to block apps on your phone.  If BeTimeful's News Feed Blocker is not enough reduce your screen time consider reading this review of Atomic Habits.

6. Not reading motivational books

Reading books that inspire you will help you keep your motivation. If these productivity tips are not enough, then we recommend reading this summary of Deep Work by Cal Newport or any of the books on our best focus books list: "Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction" by Chris Bailey, "The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results" by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, "Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day" by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, "Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World" by Cal Newport. 

BeTimeful also has many other resources to help you become your best self:




Sources:

“Sleep & Job Performance: Can Sleep Deprivation Hurt Your Work?” Sleep Foundation, 19 April 2022, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/good-sleep-and-job-performance


Smith, Melinda, et al. “Burnout Prevention and Treatment.” HelpGuide.org, https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm.