Remember Your "Why"

I think it's safe to say that many of us have experienced times in our life when we have felt unmotivated and uninterested, resulting in difficulties engaging in daily tasks as we'd intended. We may feel burnt out after periods of stress or being overworked, or we might be experiencing symptoms of depression, or perhaps we simply don't enjoy the task we had intended to complete that day. Whatever the cause, it can be terribly hard to work up the energy and discipline to engage in those activities when we have no motivation to do so.

I'll briefly note that there are numerous ways to help build up one's energy and "recharge the battery" if you are feeling drained, including treating underlying causes and caring for one's mind and body through self-care. Although extremely important to ensure these considerations are being taken into account, today I wish to discuss one quick mindset shift that may help during those moments when your to-do list is at the ready and your motivation is low. 

One simple approach that you can use to help build up your motivation is to consider why you planned to do that task to begin with. Will it help you reach a goal you have? Will this task benefit your health or well-being? Does this help a loved one? Connecting with your "why" can be essential for reminding yourself what purpose you are trying to accomplish. 

By directly connecting your actions to your values, your purpose becomes bigger and more meaningful then the task itself. The task now ties in with what's important to you and the person you want to be. This meaning can give us strength and a renewed interest in participating in the task, even if the task itself continues to be unpleasant or unwanted.

Let's use the common example of cleaning. Say I intended to tidy the living room, only to find myself feeling sluggish and unmotivated. Connecting to my "why" would mean remembering how much I value a clean and organized space and recognizing how this activity will help lead to a sense of well-being and health once it's complete. Perhaps it would also mean remembering a larger goal I'd set for myself, such as cleaning the house before company visits. It may even connect with my value of family, if I was cleaning so my partner could enjoy a nice clean space after getting home from work. Remembering these "whys" won't make the tidying any less effortful, but if I reflect on them beforehand it can certainly help increase my willingness to make the effort for the sake of my greater goal or meaning.

If you find you're having difficulty recognizing how an activity connects to your values, it may be time to look more critically at your reason for having it on your to-do list. Are you doing it because everyone else is? Is it a habit you've carried on despite your values changing? What's lead to it being necessary to do? If none of these answers align with your values, it may be worth considering whether you can remove it from the to-do list and move on to more important things.

If you continue having difficuly engaging in activities that are valuable to you, it may be worth exploring the barriers you are experiencing with the help of a therapist. Together you can break tasks down into appropriate steps, problem-solve challenges, and explore how your past experiences and present circumstances may be interfering with your goals.