By Lily H.

Motivation as defined by Oxford Languages is “…the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way,” or “the general desire or willingness of someone to do something.” It is so hard to stay motivated during these times and many have grown complacent or have gotten “lazy”. Since the pandemic, many things have changed and many people haven’t had the motivation to do the things they love. CNBC said that “…working remotely has gotten comfortable with at-home workouts; the Covid pandemic has uprooted most of our routines, and interfered with our motivation.” Therefore, it is important to know how we can gain motivation and what we can use that motivation for.

To start off, you will need to make yourself a routine that you will start doing everyday. Routines are essential so that you can have more self-control and self discipline. It causes you to have a sense of “I need to do this”, which will help you be more motivated to do that task. It doesn’t have to be a huge list or even a list at all, you just need to be able to say I will do this by this time of the day. Once you have gotten your routine down, it won’t feel like a chore. By then, it will feel natural and require less energy.

Next, when you do get your routine and/or task(s) done you should reward yourself. Take yourself out for coffee or even just go on your phone and scroll social media. The reward will challenge yourself to do it again and again, continuing the cycle since you will have something to look forward to. Another reason is because it will bring positivity to what you’re doing, and the more positive you feel the more you will want to do it. Though remember – once it becomes negative, you should stop and take a break, since negative thoughts will narrow your focus and make you feel out of your comfort zone.

While you are doing the task, don’t be harsh on yourself if you forget to do something or didn’t do it all. There are more than ways of having motivation; one is “flow” where you just do it without caring what the prize and or outcome is, then there is where you just focus on the reward after doing the task. It is best when you are most motivated by “flow” because you don’t want to internalize external pressure or feedback. It will become part of your own self esteem and your ego will be wrapped up in your performance. While you are doing your task, keep in mind your triggers that may cause you to become upset or frustrated. That also includes making sure you don’t overload or burn yourself out.

In conclusion, having motivation is difficult when you don’t know how or what to do to maintain it. It doesn’t have to be something large, but just something to start. The hardest part really is to just start. Also, remember that you should always try your best but don’t be harsh on yourself. Self-deprecation will only bring negative emotions and can cause you to become prideful or have ego when you do fulfill the task. Always know your triggers so that you can avoid them and continue your flow and feel motivated without the reward. Lastly, even though it is best to work once you’re in the flow, you can always reward yourself once you have finished so that you feel like it was worth it and will continue to make you feel motivated.