Where to Find Motivation?

Is there a day you just don’t feel like doing anything, but to lie on your bed staring at the ceiling and do nothing? Skipping everything you told yourself you will do every day and find yourself lack of motivation to continue doing it? That’s me right now, but I’m glad I have finally written my first three sentences to kick start my writing mood. I am demotivated. I have missed my gym session today, but I had an intensive badminton session yesterday evening. Excuse. 

Where do we find motivation anyway? I am curious if you would let me know your source of motivation, I will try to tell you mine. If you don’t have one, please read on. What drives you to do everything you are doing? Is it genuine passion and your love for the job keeping you where you are? Or is it financial security? Indeed one of the biggest challenges is to achieve breakthrough in your workplace. Quitting your job you don’t enjoy is one of them. 

Today my motivation was nowhere to be found. I woke up being frustrated,  instead of spending 10 minutes being grateful. With frustration engulfing me, it was not easy to be thankful. I missed my morning gym session and I was grumpy the whole morning. Good breakfast didn't make up much. Frustration converted itself into demotivation. But why am I being frustrated? I am devoid of patience and being restless about many areas of my life. 

"I thought you were supposed to be all motivated and positive about everything in life that you every day write to encourage others?", you asked. It's true, but I'm still a human anyway. Full of flaws and negative traits I'm trying to improve 1% on every day. There are days I feel depressed and all negative. Today is probably one of them. I just don't feel like improving 1% today. Maybe I have been too harsh on myself. Trying to meet my own expectations but when I can't, I get frustrated. 

Perhaps I was being frustrated for having fallen into a trap I don't know where about the end is. At 23, I am no longer a kid nor am I matured enough to take up huge responsibilities. If I act like a kid, I will be deemed childish but no one takes a 23-year-old fresh graduate seriously neither. I am smack right in the middle of this awkward group of young and ambitious people but often get disillusioned with their idealistic mindsets. 

Maybe that guy was right. About two months ago there was this certified financial planner trying to promote a term assurance product. He warned me over email that I will be frustrated over many things if I don't realign my expectations with reality. Maybe not. 

"I sincerely hope your deduction will come through in the near future, else, you have to see the reality of the world, the sooner the better, or if there is too much a divergence from what you hope and what is real, you will live a frustrated life."

This is not to be construed with living an idealistic life. I do aware of everything going on around us, nationwide and globally. I share the same sentiment with every Malaysian citizen, paying GST and pumping standard RON95, but I can choose not to be carried away by all these external disruptions. A victoriously positive mindset helps us not to complain so much (our typical Malaysian trait) but to steadfastly build our internal strength. 

But our golden question - where to find motivation? It can come from incentives and satisfaction derived from doing what you're doing. Perhaps my incentive and satisfaction is slowly fading off, but it's not the end. There are several ways to recharge your motivation: 

1) Go Back to Basics 

Reviewing our goals and objectives is fundamental to ensure us moving forward with revitalised purposes. Writing down a mission statement is necessary to provide greater clarity on our goals, and help us to realign our strategies in achieving our goals. 

2) Lift Your Foot Off Pedal 

It can be tiring going through the same things over and over again, everyday. Perhaps taking one or two days off would propel you even further when you resume your activities, with renewed strength and inspiration. Just don't think about it at all, do something else that is non-related to your daily activities. You will find yourself more motivated at the end of the day. 

3) Keep the Synchronisation in Harmony 

When I am lack of motivation to do things I am committed to do, more often than not I have not done something else properly. My daily blog writing hinges heavily with my habit of reading and exercising. I have been exercising frequently, but I haven't been reading books of different genres. I'm currently reading book on housing loan, nothing about personal development. I am running out of ideas. Or perhaps I am just a lazy bloke. 

4) Mingle with your Social Circle 

I find this extremely helpful to reflect on what I have been doing. After a while I may lose motivation on doing my daily works, but every now and then my friends would pick me up at the right time, encourage me to go on! Even dropping one or two kind comments makes my day! I have been really blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by nice people. We are social beings after all, being surrounded by warm and nice friends helps to edify us in times of emotional downfall. 

5) Reward System 

This does not have to be linked with scrumptious food but if that was what makes you tick, by all means go ahead. Say if you manage to pass an exam, go all out to celebrate with friends and family for one day, then return to your room to prepare for the next battle. Every small victory worths a celebration! If we only celebrate our huge victories, we may as well wait a century. Every single celebration, no matter how small in magnitude, encourages us to leap further.  

I don't know about you, but these five ways worked for me. Perhaps you can give them a try when you lose motivation in your daily work.