How to Boost Motivation When You’re Uninspired
Discipline is the key to progress, but a little motivation goes a long way.
I love routines. I build my life around them.
I wake up at 6 am to prepare for the day. My evening includes reflecting and learning. I work out 3–4 times a week to keep myself active. And I write for 2 hours so I can publish an article daily.
But as valuable as routines are in building a healthy and productive life, I face moments when I have zero inspiration or motivation.
Some will say I need to “be more disciplined” or “just push through,” and I try to do that majority of the time.
But other times, the resistance feels so great even the thought of the routine drains me physically and mentally.
In these moments, I have two choices:
- Try to brute-force my way through the great wall of resistance, or
- Go around the wall
#1 is self-explanatory (and unappealing, to be honest), so I won’t get into it.
But what does going around the wall mean, and how do we do it?
Going around the wall means taking a different path to reach the same destination.
In other words, I switch up my routine.
Instead of using my willpower to push through the resistance, I introduce new elements in my routine to produce new anticipation and excitement.
As a result, I can keep progressing toward my goals through this new approach without relying on massive willpower.
For example, one of my goals is to write one article daily. Whenever I feel like I’m approaching the resistance, I alter these elements in my routine to help me get around the wall:
- When I write (early morning, lunch, or evening)
- Where I write (home office, dining room, or basement)
- What I drink (cold water, tea, coffee, or sparkling water)
- What I listen to (deep house, classical, jazz, or binaural beats)
- How I write (pen & paper, bullet points, long sentences, or voice)
With any routine, the main goal is to finish the task at hand.
By giving myself flexibility with the “how,” I can adapt my approach to best suit my current state rather than rely on brute force and try to fit a square peg in a round hole.
The takeaway for you:
Do you have an area where you feel massive resistance in your routine, no matter how hard you try to overcome it?
Observe your routine and change 1 or 2 elements. Switch up your approach and see if that brings a tiny spark of excitement and motivation.
Good luck.
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