Staying Motivated When Life (or Work) Gets Tough
When life gets hard, motivation often disappears. But what if staying motivated during tough times was easier than you thought?
Let me explain…
The Science of Motivation: Understanding What Drives Us
Motivation can ebb and flow throughout our life and career and the solution isn’t just about “pushing through”. It’s shaped by our inner drives and needs, and getting to the root of this is key. Once you understand the science behind your motivation you will be able to understand why you lose it and importantly, how you get it back.
There are two main types of motivation:
Intrinsic Motivation: This comes from within - driven by curiosity, passion, growth or simply a love for what you’re doing. When you’re intrinsically motivated, you want to do the task, as the process itself brings you joy, satisfaction and personal reward.
Extrinsic Motivation: This is motivation influenced by external factors, like recognition, reward or even avoiding negative consequences. You do the task because of the outcome you expect to get from it, for example, a promotion, pay rise or an award.
Motivation levels are also influenced by factors like dopamine (a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward), the need for autonomy (feeling in control) and our sense of purpose. When we face challenging periods, it is completely natural and normal for our motivation to dip – understanding why it does can help you put strategies in place to get it back.
Why We Lose Motivation During Hard Times
When we’re hit with life’s challenges, motivation can pretty much disappear – so why does this happen? I have noticed some common themes with my clients which I want to share with you:
Overwhelm and Stress: High levels of stress and overwhelm can leave you feeling mentally, emotionally and physically drained, instantly stopping motivation in its tracks. Our brains are wired to only handle so much, so when the pressure builds, the natural reaction is often to shut down. You don’t have capacity to feel motivated and focus on your goals at this time.
Self-Doubt: As you navigate life’s natural ups and downs, self-doubt can sneak in and make even small tasks feel impossible. Falling into a self-doubt spiral can mean lots of overthinking and negative thoughts, which then leads to a dip in confidence. When you don’t believe you can succeed, your motivation is often nowhere to be seen.
Unclear Goals: Motivation and drive also fades when you’re unsure of what you’re working toward. Without clear goals and action steps, it’s easy to feel lost or directionless. Instead of focusing and moving forwards, you can feel easily distracted and spend your time procrastinating.
Can you recognise any of these patterns you might be falling into? Please know that these are so common, the last thing I want you to do is be hard on yourself! Becoming aware is the first step to learning how to stay motivated, even when times get tough.
Regaining Motivation: Practical Strategies for Personal and Professional Life
Motivation is like a muscle - you can rebuild it with the right strategies. I highly recommend you try out the following three suggestions and see what supports you the most.
1. Finding Your “Why”
Your “why” is the core reason behind your actions, the one thing that keeps you grounded and motivated when things get tough. Take a moment now to connect to your purpose – taking into consideration what I shared earlier about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.
What is truly important to you about this goal?
How does achieving your goal fit into the greater vision of your life?
How will achieving this goal positively impact your life?
How will achieving this goal positively impact other people’s lives (friends, family, partner, others…) or make a difference in the world?
What is your intrinsic motivation to achieve this goal (if there is one)?
What is your extrinsic motivation to achieve this goal (if there is one)?
Think about how you can keep your “why” at the top of your mind as you navigate life. Could you create a poster and stick it on your mirror at home, maybe it’s a post it note by your desk, a pinned note in your note’s app or your phone background. There is no right or wrong, choose whatever works best for you! Revisit your “why” whenever you need a boost.
2. Setting Small, Achievable Goals
As I shared before, overwhelm can completely drain your motivation so think about how you can break down your goal or task into bite-sized steps. Starting small can help build your momentum, which helps you feel more motivated and leads you into that amazing flow state.
Break down your goal or task into smaller parts and think about how you can celebrate each milestone, no matter how small. All these little steps will build up and celebrating yourself and each “mini-success” along the way can keep you motivated and make the journey feel more rewarding.
3. Create Excitement
When you’re lacking motivation, your energy dips. It becomes this cycle of self-doubt, no motivation, feeling bad and guilty, more self-doubt, less motivation and so on. I want you to try and shift your energy to excitement about the life that you’re creating.
A great way to shift your energy is to connect to your senses – could you create a playlist with songs that help to motivate you, is there a specific candle you light when you need to get into the zone, maybe it’s making your go-to hot chocolate or visualising yourself achieving your goal. I want this to become an anchor for you, which is the method of linking an external stimulus with an internal response. So when you visualise, listen to your playlist, light your candle or drink your hot chocolate, you connect to the feelings of motivation. It doesn’t need to be any of these examples but choose something that feels good for you and practice using it – the more you use it the stronger the anchor will become.
Elyssa’s Go-To’s For Staying Motivated
I really want to preface this with it’s never a one-size fits all and it’s important to find what supports you to stay motivated when life or work get tough, but I wanted to share my go-to’s for staying motivated which hopefully give you a little inspiration.
I love having lots of post it notes around my office with little reminders for myself to boost my motivation.
I have specific playlists to help me shift my energy – one to lift me up which I love to dance around to in my kitchen and one that really gets me in the work zone.
I have a vision board as the background for my laptop which helps me connect to my purpose and the bigger vision.
I break down my goals into smaller tasks either using a Gantt chart to keep me on track or I time block my day.
I love setting intentions each day along with writing a to-do list which focuses on how I want to feel as I complete each task.
If I’m really struggling with motivation, I focus on ticking off small admin tasks, so I feel like I’ve achieved something when I don’t have the capacity to focus on bigger projects.
I will also give myself a break when I need it as sometimes no matter what I try I just need some time away from my desk! I usually go out for a walk to get some fresh air and move my body.
How Companies Can Maintain Motivation During Organisational Changes
Uncertainty and change in the workplace can lead to employee’s feeling less connected and driven. Here are some ways companies can help boost motivation, especially during transitional periods.
Prioritise Clear Communication: People crave stability, especially during periods of change, which can leave employees feeling unsettled and disconnected. Keep employees in the loop through regular updates and open dialogue, to create an environment of trust and support.
Encourage Open Feedback: Listen to employees and allow them to openly share ideas, voice their concerns and ask questions. Creating a feedback loop helps them feel valued and heard, leading to an increase in motivation.
Offer Support and Resources: Think about how you can provide resources, for example stress management workshops or access to coaching to help employees navigate changes. This helps to create an environment that prioritises employees’ wellbeing.
Recognise and Reward Progress: Leaders focus on celebrating achieving big goals but think about how you can help increase motivation along the way by acknowledging and rewarding progress. Build morale by recognising your teams’ efforts and even consider whether you can offer tangible rewards.
Help Them Find Their “Why”: During change, it’s common for employees to become disconnected to the company and its mission. Clearly communicate with your teams to help them identify their personal "why" that aligns with the company's purpose, fostering motivation and engagement.
When people feel supported, motivated and valued, they’re more likely to navigate challenges and avoid burnout in the process. Please get in touch to discuss how I could support you and your employees to do this through workshops, coaching and bespoke wellbeing consultancy.
Staying Motivated
It is completely normal to not always feels motivated, give yourself some grace, especially during touch moments in your personal or professional life. Have fun with trying some of the above recommendations and create a toolkit for yourself that you can utilise anytime you need support with staying motivated. You’ve got this!
Book a free discovery to discuss how I can support you to achieve your goals.
Elyssa x
