Finding Motivation

It’s mid-November. It’s the end of the semester. I’m pushing through one more week until Thanksgiving break- one more week for me to study for finals, finish projects, and complete essays. While I’m super thankful for seasons I get to be involved and busy, I feel a little exhausted and burned out from all the projects I’m wrapped up in.

It was 9 o’clock last night, and I looked back at my day wondering what in the world I actually spent my time doing. It felt like I got nothing done in comparison to what I wrote on my list to actually get done. I planned to focus my whole day on writing an essay; but so far, I only had half of it written. Instead of writing the rest, I hung out with friends.

I was super unproductive and fighting guilt for it.

Leading up to that night, I would open my laptop and stare at the screen for about five minutes. Then I would get up and do some laundry, then come back and stare at the screen for another 10 minutes. I would get up to change my sheets (that’s how you know I’m really bored), and then come back to stare at the screen again.

I did a merry-go-round motion of circling around a bunch of tasks to keep from getting done what actually needed to be done. I struggled to find motivation all day.

I struggle to find motivation when I find distractions to fill my time instead of the tasks I’m responsible for accomplishing. I can have every corner of my apartment spotless or take a really good nap when there’s an assignment I’m trying to avoid- it’s a talent, really. But avoiding responsibilities isn’t how I should handle the things I’m instructed to get done. It’s a really poor use of my time and only draws out the task I’m dreading.

I want a good work ethic that shows I work hard, not a work ethic that shows laziness and unproductiveness. If I plan to focus on one thing at a time, I can get it done faster. The reward will be finishing the task and then getting to spend my time doing whatever I want to.

Sometimes, I need to change my approach to responsibilities. When I fill my time with distractions, it keeps me from achieving the goals I set and accomplishing the things I need to be diligent with. Develop a work ethic that’s honoring to the Lord- it will be rewarded.

I struggle to find motivation when I set unrealistic expectations for myself. Expectations can be the death of any good thing. I set expectations to juggle finishing assignments, attending every meeting and checking everything off the list. Eventually the balls I’m juggling fall and so do I. This results in me giving myself an even harder time for failing to keep the balls going. And then I’m stuck in another circle of not getting things done and getting upset about it.

I have a tendency to let expectations determine how I feel about myself- if I succeed, I’m great; if I fail, I’m bad. While expectations I set can be a map that lead me to my goals, they can also lead to roadblocks of frustration when they aren’t met.

I need to recognize that expectations don’t determine my abilities or whether I’m a good student or not. My goal should be to handle the responsibilities I’m given as a way to glorify God, not as a way to glorify myself.

I struggle to find motivation when I don’t allow myself room to breathe. Keeping up with everything can be hard when you can’t catch your breath. It’s like running a marathon and wondering where you can stop only to find out that there are no breaks. It’s impossible to finish the race at the same pace you started without a break. You have to set a pace that allows you the energy to carry through to the end.

You want to give your best on everything? Give yourself time to breathe and recognize you aren’t superhuman.

I need to swallow my pride and realize that I can’t carry the weight of everything myself, and I’m not expected to. I can only do so much, but God can do SO much more. I need to rely on Him to sustain me through busy seasons instead of trying to push through on my own.

When I struggle to find motivation, I need to step back and look at where I’m putting my energy and attention.

-I can’t accomplish anything with distractions. When I stay focused, I can accomplish the task I’m wanting to achieve so I can maintain a good work ethic and get it done.

-I can’t do everything, and I shouldn’t expect myself to do everything. This will only lead to being overwhelmed and overworked. Expectations shouldn’t determine who I am.

-I can’t do everything myself. Where is my strength coming from? Am I trying to do everything myself or am I relying on God’s strength to carry me through busy seasons?

I also wrote about stress *here* (click on “here”) that you can read if you’re dealing with that!

With all these factors that play into moments where I struggle to find motivation, I must remember the reasons behind why I do what I do.

I need to cling to the purpose I have, the goals I’ve set for myself and work at everything with my whole heart so that Christ may be glorified through these things.

I struggled to find motivation that day. When I find myself in this position, I need to push away all the barriers that keep me from my goals. I can get a lot more done than I think I can.