By now, it’s inevitable that we’ve faced those moments when we feel stuck, unmotivated, and overwhelmed by the tasks facing us. It’s as if every ounce of drive has been literally sucked out of our body and the mere simple tasks have now become a mountain to climb. Whether it’s a personal project, a work assignment, or life goals in general, finding motivation during those times can sometimes seem like an uphill battle. But here’s the good news: there are a lot of straightforward, functional ways to get your drive back on the right track.
In this article, we’ll go through five easy ways of finding motivation if one is stuck. This strategy aims at helping you break out of the slump, find your purpose, and make small yet meaningful steps to move on.
1. Divide Your Task into Smaller Steps
The biggest causes, in feeling unable to get moving: it seems a huge and overwhelming task. Once you stare at the big project or goal in front of you, it’s easy to feel you don’t know what to do next. The key could be breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps. With this, you make the project feel less intimidating and quite achievable by focusing on just one small task at a time.
Why It Works: Our brains are wired to respond to progress. When you complete a tiny step, that gives way to a tiny feeling of accomplishment that may well trigger the release of dopamine, the so-called “feel-good” chemical that amps up motivation. The small win also relieves some pressure for perfection and affords you an opportunity to build momentum.
How to Apply It: Take that task or goal in question that’s making you feel stuck, and break it down into little pieces. If the work project is overwhelming, determine the first small action you can take-maybe it’s drafting an outline or making a phone call. Or, if it’s some kind of personal goal, break it down into micro-goals-such as, 15 minutes each day working toward it.
Example: When writing a 30-page report, Jenny became overwhelmed; she immediately broke the project into small steps: “write the introduction” and “research key data.” After finishing these more minor tasks, she gained the motivation to continue and completed the whole report within one week.
2. Change Your Environment
Sometimes, an inability to move forward isn’t always about the activity itself but also has to do with one’s surroundings. Whether it’s working in exactly the same place for too much time or within a surrounding that surrounds you with distractions, your surroundings can drain your energy and make concentration more difficult. A change of scenery can refresh your mind and help reset your motivation.
Why It Works: Your surroundings have a lot to do with your state of mind and productivity. A cluttered or distracting space can just drain you, whereas a fresh, clean environment allows you to create and feel more focused. A change in location may also provide a mental reset and help you view your task from a new perspective.
How to Apply It: Sometimes, when you have become stagnant in thought, revisit the location in which you are working. This can be as basic as going into another room, changing locations to a coffee shop or outside for fresh air. Clear clutter from your workspace; build a clean and organized, inspiring environment to help refocus your mind.
Example: Tom was having a hard time focusing on his research as he was working from home. He changed venues, moving his work to a local café where a change of scenery and quiet atmosphere helped him find the motivation he needed to complete his project.
3. Reconnect with Your “Why”
When you’re in the doldrums, at an emotional low, it’s hard to see the big picture-just why you started this task or goal in the first place. When you get back in touch with your “why” again, that is a potent way to rekindle the spark of passion and motivation. Remembering the reason for your efforts may be what you need to spur you through the rough parts emotionally.
Why It Works: Motivation follows purpose. When you are crystal clear about why something matters to you, you’re more easily able to tap into your inner drive. Whether it be for personal passion, professional goal, or long-term dream, linking up with your “why” simply reminds you of the rewards waiting on the other side of your effort.
How to Apply It: Just stop and ask yourself why you do what you do, or set a particular goal. Ask yourself, “Why did I start this?” and “What’s the outcome I’m hoping for?” That’s writing down on paper or simply seeing in your head. Focus on the big picture, so to speak, and you’ll find that motivation to work.
Example: Laura was having a hard time trying to keep herself motivated while preparing for an important exam. She just told herself that passing the exam would open up an opportunity to her dream career, and she had an urge to hit the books all over again with full focus.
4. Use the “Five-Minute Rule”
It even seems daunting to commence a task when one is feeling stuck. The “Five-Minute Rule” is a simple trick to get yourself over the barrier of procrastination by convincing yourself that you only have to work on the task for five minutes. Once you have gotten started, the idea here is that you are often compelled to continue.
Why it works: Our brains are wired such that we avoid big or challenging tasks because too much friction is involved. But committing to just five minutes sidesteps that friction. And once one gets started, the task usually isn’t that bad, and thus easier to continue with a task once momentum is built in starting.
How to Apply It: Choose something you’ve been putting off, and set a timer for five minutes. Then, when your brain will tell you, you only have to spend those few minutes on the task. You can do more, of course, if you feel like it. Usually, when you get started, you will be willing to continue doing your work. Even if you stop after five minutes, you’ve made more progress than if you hadn’t start at all.
Example: James felt daunted by cleaning his whole apartment, so he applied the Five-Minute Rule and committed to cleaning just one corner for five minutes. He cleaned for 30 minutes after getting started and reported that he had felt much more accomplished than he had anticipated.
5. Reward Yourself for Small Wins
Sometimes motivation flags because the reward seems so far in the future, too abstract. One way to counteract this is by rewarding yourself for small wins along the way. In giving yourself immediate, tangible rewards, you will reinforce positive behavior and create a motivational feedback loop.
Why it works: Rewards turn on the brain’s pleasure center, which in turn increases the likelihood that you repeat that behavior in the future. If you attach a reward for completion to a small task, then your brain links the effort to a positive outcome and therefore will motivate you in continuing to work toward the larger goal.
How to apply it: Specify small realistic rewards that you will give yourself once you have completed something or reached a milestone. It may be something as small as a cup of coffee because you finished something work-related, or an episode of your favorite show because you finished some project. The idea is to make it immediate and linked directly to the effort.
Example: Melissa found it hard to stay focused on her online coursework, so she implemented a reward system. After finishing each module, she allowed herself 15 minutes of “relaxation” time with her favorite TV show. Having a reward promised helped her stay motivated and allowed her to complete the class on time.
Conclusion
Feeling stuck is just about normal along any journey, but it doesn’t need to stop your progress. You can rekindle your motivation by breaking tasks into smaller steps, changing your environment, reconnecting with your “why,” using the Five-Minute Rule, and rewarding yourself for small wins to get moving in the right direction again. These easy-to-apply strategies will go a long way in enhancing your productivity and framing of mindset.
Remember, this does not always happen in the form of some lifetime-changing moment. Most often, it comes from the little everyday things you do. Try one of these strategies today and watch how fast you’ll go from feeling stuck to feeling motivated and ready to tackle your goals.