I am struggling big time today. I'm just not feeling it. Being consistent day after day is hard.
I started blogging within the last few weeks. Although for the last 6 months I am up early in the morning reading listening, and watching things to learn more.
I just don't feel like reading or writing today. The ole noodle is a little depleted and I feel like just throwing in the towel.
It's frustrating because I know if I stay consistent with the goal I have I can accomplish it. Being unmotivated sucks. In fact, I walked out of my office and took a nap.
Who do you want to become
Despite feeling that way I don't want to give up. There is too much stuff I enjoy learning. This is where we stop and ask the question who do we want to become and why are we doing it? What we do next will determine the outcome.
Our minds like to take the path of least resistance. When we encounter an obstacle our brains do a 180-degree turn. It releases a stress hormone from the Amygdala, that creates a fight or flight response. That response can create a default state where we prefer to avoid the challenge and do something safer.
What we need to remember is what's going on is just a suggestion from our minds. We can either choose to do it or not. But asking ourselves what we want to become and what is important to us is what will create the motivation . It comes down to Why?
Why are we starting on a new career, why are we exploring a new path in life. Why are we trying to be more healthy? If you can answer that question it's easier to reset and move forward.
How to deal with the feeling of giving up
Get it down on Paper
Writing things down about why we are doing what we are doing is one of the best ways to reset our expectations. We often compare ourselves to others. What we may not realize is that they have been doing it much longer than we have or have had a little more help.
Physically writing it down gets the emotions out of our heads. It gives us a better perspective of where we are and where we want to go.
A good exercise to try is something called Morning Thoughts popularized by Julia Cameroon. Where you write 1-3 pages first thing in the morning or if you have a bad day whip out a sheet and get it down. No matter how crappy it is. It will help you reduce stress and clarify your thinking.
Look at the Small Victories
I keep a spreadsheet, called my Habit Tracker. I update it every day if I have accomplished the task. When I do, I get immediate positive feedback and I am more willing to continue doing that task.
Creating small victories just gives you a way to say, " I am not doing as bad as I think I am, I am making progress." That progress motivates you to keep making progress and that compounds over time to help you accomplish your goal.
Focus on the Process Not the Results
It's easy to get caught up in wanting to achieve the goal we have. We might be wanting to look better so we start working out. It might be we want a better job and to make more money. There are lots of goals we might have.
But don't get too focused on the goal. We often expect a once-in-a-lifetime transformation in a short period of time. Those don't happen. We often short circuit our progress with that thinking.
It's better to focus on what we are doing day in and day out. Make that the goal. If you want to get out of debt, are you spending less than you make? If you want to be healthier, are you going to the gym each week? If you want to be smarter are you reading and learning something new every day?
If we focus on the process the results will come
Let People Decide
So what do I do if I feel like giving up? It's simple I show up
The simple act of showing up, when you're not at your best at least proves to yourself that you can grind through it.
Then let others decide if what you are doing adds value