The funny thing is, the post was about motivation and I was 80 percent done writing it and my motivation fizzled, *poof* it was gone. Or maybe I could say it was transmogrified; every time I would go to finish the post, something else would capture my attention and suddenly organizing my sock drawer became crucial. Okay, so maybe I didn’t organize my sock drawer;  however I did manage to strip all the paint off my wooden staircase which is a task I have been avoiding for 4 years. So yeah, my motivation shifted and boy was I motivated to avoid finishing my post. Luckily I have a good friend who reads this and kept asking me where my next post was. Turns out I was motivated to come up with vague answers to evade the question. This made me think about all the energy I was expending avoiding my post,  so I figured it was a good time to explore this issue,  as I know I am not the only one who experiences the capriciousness of motivation. 

So I wonder if it comes down to an alignment of determination and motivation. Certainly one won’t work with out the other. So what throws them out of alignment? For me with my last post, something felt off and I couldn’t figure out what.  Stopping and focusing on something else often provides me with the inspiration to continue. This time, no dice, my motivation and determination fell out of alignment and the only thing I was determined to do was anything else. 

So how do we get motivation and determination back in alignment so we can finish what ever it is we started? First, accountability,  it helped me to know that I am responsible for updating my blog.  no one else is going to do it for me and you, my readers,  are counting on me. It also helped that my friend kept reminding me about it in a non-shaming, and supportive way.

Second,  just facing the task, especially without expectation can help. I stopped finding other chores and excuses and sat down to write;  motivation and determination sloooowly started to come together.  Finishing or re-writing this post,  would not have been possible by staring in my sock drawer or sitting on my stairs with paint remover.

Thirdly,  I mentioned “without expectation,” when I sat down to write,  I did not pressure myself  or tell myself I had to get it done in one go-round. I let go of expectation and said “do your best.” In doing this I stopped feeling overwhelmed;  I believe when we stop overwhelming ourselves and  relieve that pressure, then we can progress. Feeling overwhelmed is a big motivation/determination crusher.

I am sure there are other ways to get motivation and determination back on the right track, and that I have not covered everything. I will keep doing research (I am bound to lose my motivation again probably sooner than later), so check back for updates about motivation.