Everyone has goals for themselves. You might want to achieve a specific job, start a family or become a version of yourself that you’d prefer. The only challenge is that somewhere along the way, you lost the motivation that made you desire those goals in the first place.
If you’re feeling unmotivated in life, you’re not alone. Anyone can use these tips to start living their best life and maintain the ambition they’ll need to reach their goals. Think about what would most improve your life to transform your sense of drive — starting today.
1. Reflect on Your Life
Reflecting on your past can be the best way to move forward if you feel unmotivated to do anything. Consider what happened between when you decided on a goal and when you lost motivation. Make a list of everything that comes to mind so you can refer to concrete ideas instead of vague guesses.
Your list will likely contain things that make you unhappy in your personal or professional life. Maybe you’ll pinpoint the challenges holding you back from starting something new. Use that list to identify areas where you need help and look for people who can be that helping hand.
2. Partner With Experts
There’s no shame in asking for help from experts. Your friends and family won’t always have the strength or expertise to guide you. These are a few steps you can take to learn from people who have helped others in similar situations.
Meet With a Wellness Coach
Wellness can be a challenging idea to understand. It’s a term that includes numerous aspects of your well-being that combine into a well-rounded, satisfied individual. Sort your list of reflections into wellness categories like:
You can always meet with a wellness coach if you’re overwhelmed, confused or unmotivated to do anything with your list. They’re professionals who create actionable strategies with useful tools to help clients with everything from social anxiety to time management skills. A consultation appointment may connect you with an expert who can cheer you on as you start making progress toward your goals again.
Schedule Therapy Appointments
Therapists offer assistance that’s slightly different from wellness coaches. Emotional or mental struggles sometimes require more detailed processing before you can start living your best life again. A therapist uses behavioral science to walk clients through deconstructing, processing and healing from traumatic experiences or mental health challenges.
Your future therapist might teach you how to set boundaries to preserve your mental energy and build self-esteem. They could give you tools to improve your communication and achieve what you need from a personal or professional relationship. These skills are invaluable because you’ll process complicated things that might otherwise hold you back from feeling motivated.
Work With a Nutritionist
Nutritionists are other great resources for anyone feeling unmotivated. Your lack of energy could signify that your diet needs a second look. They may recommend eating more protein to gain energy from additional iron or reducing your caffeine intake to prevent energy crashes.
They may also recognize a lack of vitamins in your diet, which could cause you to become sick by weakening your immune system. A nutritionist can teach you how to get those nutrients through whole foods that work with your budget. They’ll also have experience making dietary changes to adjust for medical conditions, which may be needed if you receive a recent diagnosis.
Talk With Financial Advisors
Finances are always a source of stress for people, no matter how much money they make. Struggling to stick with a budget or pay off debt is enough to make anyone feel unmotivated about achieving the life that they want. If your budget isn’t working for you, a financial coach can help you gain a new perspective to reduce your stress and find the motivation to reach your financial goals again.
You can also meet with other advisors if you have questions about your income or savings. An investment advisor could point out how you can grow your nest egg through more timely investments to put money away for retirement or a college savings account. It depends on how you want to use your income and what you want for your future.
Connect With Spiritual Leaders
Feeling unmotivated in life sometimes indicates a lack of spiritual fulfillment. If a missing religious or spiritual connection is on your reflection list, consider exploring that part of your life. You’ll meet with new leaders, connect with communities and make friends who identify with the same values and beliefs.
Defeating isolation and finding spiritual purpose could provide the motivation you need. It’s an especially beneficial step if you don’t have any particular goals. Spiritual or religious beliefs also guide people, helping them feel motivated to use their time on the planet to help their communities or change lives through acts of service.
3. Give Yourself Grace
Sometimes people experience negative self-talk and then they’re unmotivated to do anything. Think about how often you call yourself names or bully yourself when you feel lazy or unproductive. Giving yourself grace is a powerful skill that will help you throughout your life.
Use a physical journal or an app to note whatever self-talk occurs most throughout your day. As you read through your entries, you’ll catch recurring thoughts holding you back. Replace them with positive affirmations to be an advocate for yourself and push negativity out of your life that isn’t helping you reach your goals.
Start Living Your Best Life
You’re not alone if you’re feeling unmotivated in life. Everyone has moments or phases where they struggle with the same challenge. The good news is that there are always opportunities to help yourself, no matter what’s causing your negative thoughts or moods.
Reflect on what led to your current situation to identify your biggest hurdles. Seek help from professionals who know exactly how to restore your motivation, positivity and well-being. If you combine these steps with being kinder to yourself, you’ll achieve the life you desire and more easily combat periods of low motivation.