5 typical demotivating situations and tactics to avoid them or minimise their effect

I am sure that you have already gone through times when you have experienced a lack of interest or enthusiasm about work, goals, and life in general. Perhaps you are experiencing one or more of these situations right now in your workplace, at home, or in your life. You feel depressed, discouraged and demotivated, as you see yourself stuck in the same old situation with no hope for change anytime soon.

In this article, I will identify five typical highly demotivating situations which may be some of the very same ones that you are experiencing right now. I will also share a few tactics to avoid them or minimise their effect.

Five highly demotivating situations

1. Feeling stuck

The feeling of being ‘stuck’ is very common among people. Nevertheless, the question is 'why you are feeling this way?'. Perhaps it is due to a lack of direction, or because your route path is not as specific as it should be. What can you do then? One thing you can do is to evaluate whether you are making enough, and tangible, progress, or not. This feeling of being ‘stuck’ may well come from the absence of relevant progress in the recent past. In this case, raising self-awareness of your current state and defining a new plan with new deadlines can also help you to move out of this stagnant situation. Another thing you can do is to connect with the right people that can boost you and encourage you to take a creative stance and help you to look at things afresh.

2. Procrastination

Procrastination is commonly the result of a ‘should do’ attitude. Perhaps you are hesitating because you are not fully committed, or you are preoccupied of the side effects or of the potential outcome. Perhaps you are just distracted by other things, so you are not really concentrated on the task, or indecision has taken over about what to do. In this case, you must not overthink but seize the moment by creating or re-creating a compelling deadline and milestones that can help you determine the know-how and the timeframe within which you will get the job done. This new action will provide the enthusiasm and the energy you need now to move on. In addition, you can also think of ways of making it more fun in order to want to achieve it. Another way to avoid procrastination is by re-focusing on why you are doing what you are doing (purpose), and to think about who else would benefit from you completing the task.

3. Self-doubt

Nothing saps motivation more than self-doubt. Perhaps you are feeling unsure about your chances for success because you think that you lack the ability. In this case, you should first question whether it is really about the lack of ability, or if the issue is putting in the effort and persisting through setbacks. It is tricky how your mind sometimes talks you into feelings of self-pity to avoid facing the reality of facts and making decisions that will change your situation. In case it is indeed a matter of self-doubt, what you can do is to strive to re-connect with your self-belief and your strengths. Think of past successes, what you have already achieved, and how you have achieved it, and try to replicate it in your current situation. In addition, mix with likeminded people who can boost your confidence and that can inspire, encourage, and support you.

4. Too many setbacks

Setbacks and barriers are usually one of the major causes of demotivation among people. Perhaps you have got discouraged to see your progress hindered or delayed too many times. You are probably wondering whether it is still worth it to keep trying. In this kind of scenario, you should focus on growth and concentrate on making progress, even if it's small to start with. You should also do your best to remove any barriers that you can, and try to look at setbacks as informative rather than signs of personal failure. In addition, you should connect with people you work or live with who share a similar passion who can reassure, inspire, and boost you positively. Another thing you can do is re-consider your approach, and perhaps review and change your strategy making it more flexible or adapt it to your current situation.

5. Giving up or giving in

Oftentimes people lose sight of why they are pursuing a task, what they intend to do, and what their route path is. If you are in this situation, you should strive to build your self-control muscle. Like all the other parts of the body, when it doesn’t get much exercise, it becomes weaker over time. You should explore whether this muscle needs strengthening (for example by taking more consistent challenges) or resting due to its overuse (it may have got depleted because you have been using it a lot and with too many tasks competing for your time and energy).

I am confident that at this point you have probably identified one or more demotivating situations that you are stuck in and that, hopefully, you are planning to use some of the tactics suggested to avoid them or minimise their effect. I know that if you really desire it you will be able to liberate yourself from the chains that are keeping you from enjoying life, and achieve you goals and dreams. I challenge you to take action now - do it, and you won’t regret it for the rest of your life.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author. All articles published on Life Coach Directory are reviewed by our editorial team.

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