Sometimes starting a new project we feel full of energy. We work several hours in a row and are very productive, but then there comes a time when this energy goes away, and then we feel tired and unmotivated. What happened?
The causes can be different, but the most common are three:
1. When starting a new project we are motivated by passion, and our body secretes a whole series of hormones that have a powerful stimulating effect. These not only allow us to stay awake longer for many consecutive hours, but also stimulate our creativity, sharpen our attention and improve our memory. But it is very difficult to maintain this state for several days in a row so that our body slowly returns to its normal state, but due to the sustained effort, we also experience a feeling of exhaustion which is reflected in a strong demotivation.
2. The project is more difficult or takes longer than we anticipated. I mean, we thought it was going to be easy to do, but once we started working we noticed it wasn't going to be as simple as we thought. And this discourages us.
3. We have lost our bearings. In short, it has been so long since we started the project that we have forgotten our goals and the reasons that prompted us to start. This may sound unbelievable, but the fact is that it happens all the time since usually the routine tends to blur the reasons why we decided to start a certain project. The good news is that all is not lost.
How to recover the motivation?
- Rest. It's hard to find the motivation when you feel physically and mentally exhausted. Therefore, it may only be necessary to have a couple of days of absolute rest.
Furthermore, putting the project aside for a while is very useful because when you return to it, we will probably have gained new perspectives and will be able to objectively evaluate the work already done.
- Be aware of your thoughts. Sometimes we think a lot of things that we are not fully aware of. As if to say, it is an internal speech that runs continuously as if it were background music in our head. This speech does not happen on a fully conscious level, but it still determines our state of mind.
For example, if we think that we don't like what we are doing while we are working, that it is a stupid choice or such ideas, the project will not be successful. How could we motivate ourselves in this way?
Therefore, one must be aware of one's inner dialogue and accept that most of these ideas are not real, but dictated by fear. In short, we are probably scared because the project we are dedicating ourselves to represents a novelty. And we know that all new things scare us, so we subconsciously create these thoughts along the way to help us stop, as if it were a form of self-sabotage for
allow us to stay in our safe zone.
- Always keep in mind our initial goals. We should never forget the goals that motivated us in the first place, and to do this perhaps it is appropriate to write them down and put them in sight. I know it may seem like a trivial matter and you probably think you don't need it, but always remembering why you are doing something, especially when it comes to something we don't like, could have the effect of increasing our willpower and improve our mood.
- Don't neglect our favorite activities, especially those on which our well-being depends. In short, we must continue to listen to music, go hiking, play sports… It is important that we do not dwell on an activity or a project, running the risk of exhausting not only our physical strength, but also our creativity. The ideal is to find the right balance between work and fun.
