We've all had those days. You wake up feeling low, without knowing why. Just the night before, you were eagerly planning your day, excited for what was to come. But then, a bad night’s sleep hit. Maybe you didn’t rest as well as you'd hoped, or perhaps you simply woke up feeling unmotivated. You walk to the window, only to see grey clouds and rain dominating the sky.
You know you’re supposed to work on that important project—if you're a writer, that means writing. But this feeling is universal. So, you head to the kitchen, have breakfast, check the news, and scroll through social media... before you know it, you're lost in TikTok, watching all kinds of nonsense. Two hours slip by—what happened?! Now it's time to get serious and get back to work. But how do we drag ourselves to the desk and commit?
Maybe you had planned to hit the gym early or go for a jog, but now all those great intentions feel distant. Instead, the idea of turning on Netflix and eating nachos seems more appealing. Trust me, I’ve been there—many times. More than I care to admit.
But here’s the thing: if I give in to the Netflix-and-nachos plan, I know I'll feel worse later. I call it "the procrastination hangover"—that nagging feeling of dissatisfaction for not doing what we intended, as awful as the hangover from drinking too many shots of cheap tequila. It’s unbearable. And ironically, we often deal with it by procrastinating even more.
A classic example: you promise yourself you’ll go jogging in the morning, but when you wake up, it’s raining. You think, “I can’t jog in the rain; I’ll get sick. Maybe tomorrow, if the sun is shining.” And if it rains again tomorrow? You can guess what happens.
The same goes for working on your project. On a "good" day—when you’re well-rested, in a good mood, and full of energy—you dive into it eagerly. But on a grey day, when nothing seems meaningful, it feels impossible to even begin.
I believe what separates ordinary people from extraordinary ones is the ability to show up no matter what—rain or shine, motivated or not. It’s about building the strength to overcome feelings, discomforts, and obstacles, and showing up every single day.
So, when you ask how to keep going when you lack motivation, the answer is simple: show up anyway. Do what you planned to do. Push through, despite how you feel. You’ll find that as you start working, that feeling of uneasiness fades. You shift your focus to the task at hand, and before you know it, the low energy disappears.
Trust me, it works wonders. When I don’t feel like writing, I sit down and write anyway. Once I start, I lose track of time. My mind and body become so focused that I don’t have time to think about being unmotivated. This is how you complete valuable work—by working consistently, diligently, and without major interruptions.
If we all only worked when we felt perfect—when the sun was shining and we were at our peak—we’d still be living in caves, hunting rabbits, and making fire with sticks.
The key is this: the more unmotivated you feel, the more you need to push yourself to do it. As David Goggins says in Can’t Hurt Me: “The reason it’s important to push hardest when you want to quit the most is because it helps you callous your mind. It’s the same reason why you have to do your best work when you’re least motivated.”
So, if you’ve been waiting for a sign, here it is: go back to work!
#PersonalDevelopment #Leadership #Motivation #Mindset #SelfAwareness #Lifestyle