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Ways to Get Motivated When You’re Stuck
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A stroll in the cold is never fun, especially when you’re not prepared for it. As a result, you probably rushed back inside to get a coat (and maybe a hat) before heading out. People make adjustments of all sizes simply because they want to “revamp” their comfort levels in more ways than they realize.
Ways to Get Motivated When You are Stuck
What is preventing you from achieving your goals and dreams?
Nir Eyal’s study on motivation at Stanford University, which is chock full of common sense, is also highly useful in this regard. And it’s especially insightful in addressing what prevents us from carrying out our good intentions and overcoming our “natural” (as in, biological) resistances to doing so.
With Eyal’s thesis in mind, I’ve based this essay on the idea that staying focused on the tasks at hand is critical to achieving the objectives we’ve set for ourselves.
It’s well-known that everyone strives for balance in their physical and mental well-being, even if they don’t realize it. In order to get our organism back in balance when we feel out of sorts, we try to make whatever modifications are necessary.
For example, when we’re driven to look for food by hunger pains, we’re compelled to do so not merely by body sensations but also by changes in our neural system. In today’s world, a club or spear isn’t really necessary; all we need is a close-by cabinet or refrigerator (or maybe a 7/11). Only our thumbs, purse, or wallet will suffice as weapons.
Similarly, the more hungry we are, the less concerned we are with what food is available. In other words, when we’re hungry, food is food. The only thing that really matters to us is that it’s safe to eat and won’t cause anaphylaxis.
Going beyond the realms of self-control and feeling
What does Eyal’s account tell us about motivation, given our innate, unalterable, and automatic adjustment mechanisms? Simply said, the motivation we need to keep on track with our objectives is the suffering we will feel until we achieve them (whether they be ultimate, immediate, or intermediate).
Emotions and beliefs have traditionally been seen as having a significant impact on motivation. You do what you want to do because you’re in the mood for it. Or, if you just believe you should, you may be compelled to do so because you would feel bad if you didn’t.
Eyal’s study, on the other hand, shows that your emotions don’t need to play a large role in the decision-making process. There are times when this is a good thing. You don’t have to wait for your sentiments to urge you ahead if you can be clear on your objective and arrange your activities and time frame appropriately. To allow emotions take control and operate as a trigger to you may be setting yourself up for failure.
“I simply don’t feel like it right now,” you tell yourself, is an excuse to put off (perhaps permanently) something you were inspired to accomplish before.
A child’s reactionary and reflexive behavior is similar to that of a child’s thinking. Adults, on the other hand, shouldn’t behave in this manner. When you allow yourself to get distracted, getting back on track becomes much more difficult. This is especially true if you haven’t learnt how to avoid distractions in the first place.
Being less distracted is a self-discipline ability that must be mastered, particularly in today’s technologically alluring world, which may tempt you into shifting your attention to an activity that in the time seems more fascinating but is unrelated to your goal.
It’s also possible to replace anything else if the work at hand is not viable at this time. For example, you might practice guitar or take a vacation from your current situation by assisting someone else. If you don’t watch out, the way you vent your rage might lead to anything addicting, such as an unlawful sexual connection or rushing into something dangerous like gambling or drugs.
As a result, you should make every effort to choose goals and objectives that are both difficult and feasible. Because if you’re having trouble and starting to lose faith in your ability to achieve your objectives, you’ll be less likely to veer off course.
To put it another way: The so-called path of least resistance is really a path of greatest difficulty. And what we all prefer to avoid is anything that we consider to be unpleasant or time-consuming. In other words, we have no desire to add any further hardship to our lives. However, if we choose the easy route and miss out on the ultimate prize, the only question we need to ask ourselves is if we’re capable of doing so. It’s up to us whether we want to go for it.
Let us now return to Eyal’s concept of homeostasis—or, in layman’s words, inner tranquillity, rest, and peace. Using this approach, he highlights the ultimate goal of human conduct. It’s not a good enough excuse to give up or put off doing anything just because we’re afraid of doing it wrong or because we’ve hit a roadblock. Emotions should not play a role in deciding whether or not to halt or continue a procedure. In order to be happy in life, we must not give up on what we believe would bring us fulfillment until we get further knowledge that either changes our minds or convinces us that it’s impossible for us to achieve it.
We should also be willing to work around obstacles and stick to the personal beliefs that inspired our initial objectives. And this should be independent of any immediate sentiments of discouragement or of what we usually connect with willpower in general. As long as we understand that we will almost surely meet unanticipated hurdles along the road, we don’t have to rely on willpower (instead of self-discipline) to keep us on track.
Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Eyal lists a wide range of proven methods for avoiding the temptations that lead to self-sabotage in his highly regarded book. This includes but is not limited to deep breathing, scheduling certain tasks, and avoiding social media while you’re at a stalemate in your work.
To paraphrase a popular 12-step program saying, “If we don’t prepare, we prepare to fail.” As a result, don’t even begin a project without first clearly identifying your objectives and creating a design that will help you achieve those objectives. You may be able to enjoy some short-term pleasures if you do so impulsively, but in the long run, it will leave you bitterly dissatisfied.
Summary
Stay focused on the tasks at hand is critical to achieving the objectives we’ve set for ourselves. The motivation we need to keep on track with our objectives is the suffering we will feel until we achieve them. Emotions and beliefs have traditionally been seen as having a significant impact on motivation. A child’s reactionary and reflexive behavior is similar to that of a child’s thinking. Adults, on the other hand, shouldn’t behave in this manner.
When you allow yourself to get distracted, getting back on track becomes much more difficult. This is especially true if you haven’t learned how to avoid distractions in the first place. To be happy in life, we must not give up on what we believe would bring us fulfillment. We don’t have to rely on willpower (instead of self-discipline) to keep us on track. Don’t even begin a project without first clearly identifying your objectives.
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