As they say it- life is not a bed of roses. We all have our days when we just can’t do something. You have a list of tasks. You want to do better, you want to improve. Yet you are unable to move a muscle and your productivity goes down to zero. Is it laziness, boredom or procrastination? Or maybe you’re just demotivated. Demotivation can be really dangerous. The longer you stay demotivated, the worse it gets. It prevents you from starting anything new or hinders your progress in your existing tasks. Honestly, this is something we all know. So the question arises- How to fight demotivation and start being productive?
Here are 12 practical tips to help you fight demotivation and get productive
Good news!
If you’re here to read this article, you have at least made it to the first step. You might feel unmotivated right now, but at least you have subconsciously identified you wish to do better in life. You understand that your purpose in life is more than just your job.
Identify your purpose.
You’re more likely to feel demotivated if you are living your life without any goal or intent that you genuinely believe in.
Remember, you can only get yourself to do something when you really want to do it. Not because an Instagram page told you so. Not because a book told you so. Not because everyone else is doing it. No amount of motivational speeches can motivate you enough to do something if you’re uninspired. This way, you’re just going to be just overwhelmed by the task and feel unmotivated.
Ask yourself what you really want to do in life and what would be your reason behind it. How would it affect your life in the short term or after 5 years or after 10 years? What is the kind of life that you want to have and what needs to be done to achieve that lifestyle? Identify and answer your “whys”.
Get out of the cycle of negativity
This may feel hard. Or even impossible for now. But the only way you can act on it is when you come out of the negative cycle, rearrange your thoughts around it. Spend your time doing a hobby you love. Research says that spending time on creating goals during a day is associated with higher positive affect for that day. It results in increased well being, creativity and relaxation of the mind.
Identify your problems/limitations.
Write down what is that thing that is stopping you from doing what you want. Is it the lack of inspiration, lack of motivation, time or resources? Remember not knowing “what to do” is a valid question as well. Just your chain of questions changes around it. As boring and mundane as it may sound to write down things, it actually helps.
Try to come up with a solution.
Once you have identified your limitations, now you know where you need to start to come up with a plan. Connect with your friends, mentors. Remember the internet is a vast space. If you feel you do not have someone in your circle that you communicate with, you can always read blogs. There are a lot of people out there who will answer your questions if the correct person is contacted.
Know it is okay to discover.
Irrespective of your age and the degree you studied for in your college. Do not let anyone make you feel bad about your career choices. Your life and your choices are far different from the time when you as a kid just passed 10th standard and were told to choose a career path for yourself. It is okay to discover hobbies/skills that are different from your domain. It is okay to evolve with time. Don’t be afraid of judgements. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Know that you can try more than once.
Stop comparing your life with others.
It’s okay if someone else you know is doing your dream job right now. It is okay if your friend went to your favorite college in Paris to pursue their masters while you couldn’t. Everyone has their own journey. You will reach your destination too. Appreciate your own journey. Comparing it to others will only set you back.
Start with small goals.
Often we set up goals that are too big and hairy. While working towards them, we might get into a phase where we get overwhelmed by the task and end up getting demotivated instead. Understand that success is not achieved overnight. You cannot decide today and excel in a skill ten days later. Set your goals for a week and a month in pursuit to achieve your big goal.
Change your lifestyle.
Understand if you want to rise above, there are some lifestyle changes that you need to make. You don’t have to make vast changes and stick to a hard timetable from day one. It will only exhaust you. Start with one hour a day. Make time to work towards your goal.
Improve your network.
Get in touch with people who you think are doing good. Don’t shy away from starting a conversation. Our life is greatly influenced by the people around us. And having people around you not only who are successful, but also who keep you happy is important.
Love yourself a little more.
You are growing, learning new things and discovering yourself all at once. Lighten up on yourself. No one is perfect.
Reward yourself.
Whenever you reach a specific goal, reward yourself. Celebrate your small success. With your favorite food, a Netflix show, your favorite movie, whatever makes you feel good. Understand the concept of productivity. It does not mean that you have to be doing something productive every single minute of your day. It will only take a toll on your mental health when you are not able to. Doing things that make you happy which may not be counted as being productive is important too.
Do not engage with self sabotaging.
Put aside your fear of being mediocre or a failure. Do not be afraid to get embarrassed. Focus on your accomplishments, skills and strength. And if you have skills that you need to polish, it only makes you human and does not decrease your value.
Also read: The fear of being mediocre and a failure
Even the best of us face these issues. But there is nothing that we can’t overcome given we set our mind on the right track. I hope these tips help you. Do you have another tip to add? Comment down below.
