Here are 5 (not so common) reasons you might keep losing your motivation when trying to reach your goals. From doping too early to doing what you "Should". Let's explore the potential pitfalls and how to avoid them!
You could be depressed
We should get this out of the way up front, as it's serious and important. Losing interest in things you once found enjoyable (Anhedonia is the medical term) is one of the main symptoms of major depressive disorder. Other symptoms can include; feeling down most days, irregular sleep patterns, over or undereating, a lack of energy or anxiety.
If you think you might be depressed, check out this NHS Mood Self - Assessment tool and consider talking to your GP.
You're not depressed, but your unhealthy lifestyle is slowing you down
An unhealthy lifestyle isn't going to give you enough energy to pursue your goals. Improving your diet, activity levels and gut health will improve your immunity (less time away from the task at hand), increase your energy levels, reduce stress and improve your mood so you are ready to take on the world!
As a clinical nutritionist, I'm a huge nerd in this area so you can trust me when I say, that this one is the one to pay attention to. I'm writing a more in depth blog on this topic soon but for now, be sure to examine your alcohol intake, sleep quantity and quality, exercise and activity habits, fruit & veg intake and processed food intake along with the all important hydration levels! Get a free 30 minute session with me if you are interested in improving your health.
You Doped up Too Early
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (chemical messenger) in your brain responsible for feelings of happiness and is involved in a lot of other complex processes as well including mood and motivation.
The trouble is, you may have got the dopamine hit in your brain to make you feel all warm, fuzzy and accomplished by writing down a plan or list and telling everyone who would listen what you were going to achieve (no shame in it, we all do it!). The trouble is, this leads to feeling like you have already accomplished it so it has the opposite effect of demotivating you in the long run.
Definitely still write down and plan out your goals (in fact, here are some beautiful, free, goal-planning templates to do just that!) but be aware that that's only the first step and you should build in strategies to keep motivated along the way, like not having milestones too far apart.
You're Doing What You "Should" Be Doing
If you're finding it hard to stay motivated to do something, it could be that your reason for doing it is based on a vague idea that you "should". Take a second to really examine why you are attempting this goal. A good exercise for this is to keep asking yourself "why?" 5 times, to drill down to your true reasons for your goal attempt.
The fact is, maybe those reasons aren't strong enough, maybe they don't align with your values or maybe you realize this isn't what you wanted at all.
For example; You are killing yourself in work trying to get a promotion, you're stressed out, miserable and getting nowhere. When you examine this goal thoroughly, you see that you were just going for it because you felt you "should", your friends are all getting promoted, and it's something that's encouraged in the job but it's not even something you really really want.
These "should" usually come from our parents, friends or societies general expectations. These "shoulds" can also come from yourself too! Stay aware and challenge them when you notice them.
Goals not Aligned with Values
We talk about values a lot in coaching because they are so important! Knowing and living more in line with your values can be really transformative. If you find yourself constantly demotivated, maybe what you are trying to do is not in line with your values.
For example; my top value is freedom & flexibility so when I tried to climb the corporate ladder in a stuffy 9-5, chained to your desk, suits wearing type job I found it extremely difficult. I realized this and changed my goal to grow my career in a fun, flexible tech company who valued results not time spent at desk!
If you resonated with any of these reasons then I hope this article was helpful! If you want to learn more about how to properly motivate yourself so you don't keep losing motivation over time, please check out my upcoming workshop "How to get & stay motivated for Any Goal!"