5 simple hacks to try when you’re low on motivation
“Incredible things can be done simply if we are committed to making them happen.” — Sadhguru

Humans are moody therein being creative is life with highs and lows. Being that, I wrestle with creativity on a daily basis. I get frustrated for not mastering a new skill right away. Recently I lost some motivation. My failures matched my insides and this is where discord lives along with doubt and confusion.
So, how do we deal with this? How do we accomplish our goals despite all we have to overcome?
Become passionate about creativity. Through this act we connect with our spirit because the mind and body are in synchrony. They’re working together. Due to this connection, when we create we have peace of mind because what we do is aligned with we who we really are.
When in a creative flow, I follow an idea by jumping on a train of thought. I then develop this idea and it grows until hopefully someday I can bring it to life. When we create we manifest thoughts and ideas into the world. Once we bring it to life, magic happens. Something appears out of thin air from a sliver of thought. So it’s important to keep trying.
Here are 5 simple things to try when you’re low on motivation
- Commit once
Elliott Hulse explains the reason why you don’t even need motivation in his youtube video. “Motivation is a spark that gets things moving but it’s your commitment… to do the things you need to do to reach your goals. You do it because you have the mindset of a machine. You just fucking do it because that what you set out to do. You don’t think about it, you don’t wait for the muse, you don’t wait for motivation to come. Motivation is Bullshit you don’t need motivation you need commitment and discipline.”
A lot happens when you no longer stop to question your journey at every fork in the road. Writer Anne Lamott has this comment about doubt, “Every writer you know writes really terrible first drafts, but they keep their butt in the chair. That’s the secret of life. That’s probably the main difference between you and them. They just do it. They do it by prearrangement with themselves. They do it as a debt of honor. They tell stories that come through them one day at a time, little by little.”
When motivation is low, self confidence, assertiveness, diligence, and persistence will get you further than any other set of skills. Theres no other quality you need to posses other than to keep trying. The power of committing once is that you can stop matching the quality of your goals with your daily mood.
2. Simply start a Journal
When I’m feeling lost, I sift through my journal to retrace my steps back to an idea at its inception. This helps me feel the same drive that I had when I started. I get to read back to when I was initially raptured by a thought. In a way only I can understand it.
“Such an art of jotting down thoughts and daily musings has been found to be beneficial for everything from depression to organization and stress. Not surprisingly, this cathartic exercise is also good for your memory, allowing the recollection of events and ideas that might otherwise be lost”, Michael d’Estries writes.
Successful people like Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, Charles Darwin all kept a journal. Journaling allows you to untangle thoughts, intentions and ideas. When we write we give ourselves the chance to visualize our goals.
3. Make sure you’re having fun
Here’s a scenario that I’ve dealt with, I work towards something and then over time I start treating it like a chore. Like this idea is now something that I HAVE to do. The proper mentality is you GET to do those things.
Ex. I have to run today vs. I get to run today!
I manage stress by making sure my days are fun. Changing your intention (I GET to) before doing an action (running) changes your outcome.
4. Have a bit of grace
Look out for messages. Sometimes, out of no where something unexpected happens or some one coincidentally crosses our path. An event happens in everyday life that allows us to make a connection. Grace doesn’t always come in the forms you expect. Keep your ears and eyes out for signs that someone else has got your back.
5. Learn through the lives of others.
Surround yourself with thoughts and ideas from people who tug at your heart strings and your same yearnings. Look up to someone who is going where you want to be. Sometimes when you’re stuck all you need is a different perspective.
Conclusion: You’re Not Perfect
No one starts being perfect and that’s okay. Because in the beginning the only thing that you do have is passion and that is something you can’t fake. When you begin you are stumbling through and trying to build yourself a plane while trying to fly higher. People can feel when you’re trying to reach for something bigger than you and this is how people come to feel your passion. At the end of the day that’s really all that matters because this is where connection lies.
To be creative takes grit, Angela Duckworth writes, “Grit entails working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress. The gritty individual approaches achievement as a marathon; his or her advantage is stamina. Whereas disappointment or boredom signals to others that it’s time to change trajectory and cut losses, the gritty individual stays the course.”
The reward is that “at different times in our journeys, if we’re paying attention, we get to sing the song we’re meant to sing in the perfect key of life. Everything we’ve ever done and all we’re meant to do come together in harmony with who we are. When that happens, we feel the truest expression of ourselves”, writes Oprah.
When you find yourself waking up feeling low, remember that failures are just issues you need to fix. Try not to internalize the things you suck at in this point in your journey. It’s liberating when we don’t internalize failures and when we don’t blame ourselves for not being who we need to be. Truly understand that you are not perfect and that there is much to work on. However, by showing up everyday we can be the person we need to be to achieve our goals. Attitude is really the secret sauce to anything you want to accomplish in life.
This article was originally posted in my blog. Check it out!
