How to reignite that motivation

Are you struggling with motivation? We all fall victim to a lack of motivation at some point. Whether you are halfway through cleaning out the basement or procrastinating about finishing the bills, here are a few ideas that will get you back on track:

1. Take 10…or 20 minutes to break away from your task and do something else. Go for a walk, work out or get the mail. What you do is not as important as simply doing something other than the task that has hidden your motivation. Just make sure that your break doesn’t end up lasting forever. Set the timer on your smartphone or stove, and when break time is over, refocus on the task.
2. Expand your mind. After that break, pick up a book, magazine or your computer and read something that pertains to your project. If you are cleaning out the garage, for instance, looking at Pinterest images of creative storage options or reading an article that shows you how to paint that newly cleared garage floor might be just what is needed to reignite your energy.
3. Ask for help. Sometimes having a friend beside you when performing a seemingly daunting task is all that is needed to get the job done. Whether someone else provides hands-on support or not, asking for others’ opinions on how to complete the process can also help generate more excitement for getting it done.
4. Measure your priorities. This one is listed last for a reason, since very few organizing projects are a waste of time. But…if you’ve tried everything else and you are still low on motivation, maybe it’s time to ask yourself whether the job needs to be done at all. What will happen if you don’t do it? Will it result in a safety issue? Will it make your life harder? Will it make someone else’s life harder? If your answer to these questions is a “no”, then maybe you would make better use of your time, and rediscover that motivation, if you shifted gears altogether.