How to Feel Motivated When You're in a Slump

If you’ve been feeling unmotivated or stuck in a rut lately, you may wonder if you’ll ever get your spark back.

There are many factors that can contribute to your lackluster outlook. You want to be more productive or energized, but you simply can’t seem to push forward. This is a common human experience, so try not to get too down on yourself.

Taking some simple proactive steps can actually do wonders for your spirit. Consider these suggestions for how to feel motivated when you’re in a slump.

Discover Your Purpose

One common issue that often underlies the feeling of being stuck is a lack of purpose. You may not really know what it is you want out of life. Perhaps your career feels unfulfilling or you aren’t satisfied with your personal relationships. Maybe it’s a combination of things that have left you feeling blue. No matter what challenges you’re facing, there’s a good chance they may be related to a lack of purpose.

Take some time to brainstorm what it is you feel is missing from your life. Then, use that list to create another list containing potential ways to achieve your desires. This step will provide the roadmap you need to leave your slump behind.

Add Some Structure

Do you have a daily routine or are you pretty much just winging it? If it’s the latter, your lack of motivation could actually be related to a lack of structure. Creating a routine that you follow each day is a good way to increase motivation. Structure keeps you focused and can instill habits that boost productivity.

Combine your newfound sense of purpose with a set schedule, and you’re likely to gain a sense of direction that excites you.

Refine Your Goals

Knowing your purpose allows you to get a sense of what it is you truly want. It’s the foundation for setting and achieving goals. Unfortunately, one of the main reasons people have trouble achieving their ambitions is due to poor goal-setting. You don’t want your goal to be too high or unrealistic; that just sets you up for failure and disappointment. However, setting goals that aren’t challenging enough is likely to keep you feeling stuck and unfulfilled. You also don’t want to add too many goals to your list, as that will simply be unattainable.

Choose one or two to start. Make sure they feel reachable and that they light you up. Then, write down the steps you’ll take to attain your new objectives. Include ways you’ll monitor and measure your progress.

Finally, don’t be afraid to tweak your goal if you find yourself going off-track. You could even scrap it and start again if you find a certain objective doesn’t fit after all.

Reflect on Past Achievements

When you’re in a slump, it’s easy to fall into the trap of focusing on what isn’t going right. You may feel like you’ll never be able to move forward and achieve the types of goals you desire for your life.

One sure way to snap yourself out of this funk is to take stock of all the great things you’ve accomplished thus far. Doing so gives you a boost of confidence to know that you were able to reach significant milestones once before, so there’s no reason to believe you can’t do it again.

For instance, if you’re proud of completing a college degree, why not consider getting a Walden University diploma frame, for example, to display your credentials? Adding this beautiful visual reminder to your space can increase your productivity by motivating you to keep moving forward and working hard.

Design Your Environment

What surrounds you on a daily basis has a major impact on how you feel. Take stock of your environment to get a sense of its influence on your mood and motivation. This includes both your physical setting and the people in your sphere.

If there are things that simply aren’t working or are causing you stress, start to consider what you can do to positive change or alter those items.