by Julie Kang

Why do you lack motivation?

Do you ever find yourself staring at your to-do lists at the end of the day, realizing that none of the tasks have been completed? Or do you sometimes arrive at your therapy sessions and confess to your therapist that you haven't completed the agreed-upon homework from the previous week? Perhaps you often feel overwhelmed by a pile of chores but lack the motivation to tackle them. If so, you are not alone in experiencing this frustrating lack of motivation.

Although it is a common experience, feeling unmotivated can lead to anxiety and frustration. Rather than blaming yourself for failing to complete your tasks, take a moment to check in with yourself and consider whether there are any unmet needs that may be contributing to your lack of motivation.

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, our basic and survival needs must be met before we can focus on self-fulfillment. For example, if you are hungry or tired, you may not have the energy to tackle a pile of dishes. Similarly, if you are feeling distressed or overwhelmed, you may struggle to focus on a task that requires concentration.

However, there may be times when the task at hand is simply unenjoyable or tedious, making it difficult to find motivation. For example, folding laundry is a task I personally dread. I can leave my clothes in the dryer for hours because I don’t want to do the chore. In these cases, it's important to acknowledge that your lack of motivation is due to a lack of willingness or desire.

By understanding the underlying reasons behind your lack of motivation, you can begin to take steps to increase it. This might involve addressing any unmet basic needs first or finding ways to make the task at hand more enjoyable. Whatever the cause, it's essential to be patient and compassionate with yourself as you work to build your motivation and accomplish your goals.

Ways to get motivated

Before you try to motivate yourself, it's important to make sure that your basic needs are met. Don't force yourself to do something if you're not feeling physically or emotionally up to it. Once you've determined that you're ready to tackle your tasks, there are several strategies you can use to stay motivated:

• Reframe your motivation. Instead of focusing on how unpleasant a task is, think about why it's important. You need to clean your room because you don’t want to trip on things. You need to do laundry because you need clean clothes to wear. Focus on the meaning behind these tasks and remind yourself of the consequences of not doing them.

• Break down the task. Large tasks can be daunting, so it's helpful to break them down into smaller, more manageable pieces. Set realistic goals for yourself and plan out your time accordingly.

• Set a reward. After completing a task, treat yourself to a reward. It can be tricky to pick a reward because you don’t want to undermine your efforts. That means, if your task is to clean the dishes, your reward cannot be not doing dishes for the next two days. Likewise, you cannot reward yourself by baking a cake after cleaning the dishes either, because that will bring you more dirty dishes. Find something that is unrelated to your task, like watching your favorite show after doing the dishes, to create and maintain momentum.

• Get rid of the temptations and distractions. When working on a task you don't enjoy, it's best to remove any temptations or distractions. Turn off your phone or television and focus solely on the task at hand.

• Plan for obstacles. Not every day will go as planned, so it's important to anticipate potential roadblocks and have a backup plan in place. For example, if you want to go running every day, you should have a plan for rainy weather. Do you go to the gym instead? Do you wear a raincoat? Do you give up running that day? Be prepared to adjust your schedule if necessary and keep your momentum.

Remember to take care of yourself as you work on building your motivation. Avoid burnout and be kind to yourself if you miss a task. With these strategies in mind, you'll be better equipped to stay motivated and accomplish your goals.