# Getting Motivated I often lack motivation to start a task or continue on a project. It feels almost painful knowing I have to do something, yet don't want to do. Within myself I can sense a few reasons why I might not want to start. I catch these glimpses of my psyche as I try to understand why I *just can't do it*: - **When I know something is going to be hard**: I am essentially anticipating the pain, grind or bore of what is to come, and my body is stopping me. - **When I don't know exactly what is required of me:** Not knowing what the next step is, when I know I have to do something is really demotivating. It is similar to the point above, because figuring out what is needed is intellectually demanding. - **When I have a fear of failure** When I have a nagging sense that I won't be successful its difficult to get motivated to work on it. You have to overcome the fear by telling yourself it's ok to fail. - **When I would rather do something else:** If there is something else that is pulling me away from what I should do, I can convince myself temporarily that this is a good use of time. Later on, I will then regret it. - **When it feels pointless in and of itself**: I try to set tasks that bring me closer to my long term goals, but even then I find some tasks have so little value in isolation. Its only in the bigger picture that they matter. The lack of immediate satisfaction puts me off. I think there are ways of tackling these different situations with more precision, which I will hopefully articulate at some point. There is one thing that works most of the time. **To get motivated you have to get over the initial pain threshold and let your mind get absorbed in the task. As you build momentum you get in the zone. You stop overthinking and anticipating the task, and the momentum keeps carrying you forward.** Removing any distractions or barriers that prevent you from keeping your mind on your task is helpful. Design your environment for success. ##### Related - [[Motivation]] - [[Career Strategy]] - [[Creative Block]]