Have you ever lost your motivation? The motivation for completing that big project, or achieving that goal, or even your motivation for life itself - where getting out of bed is a chore in itself? If you have, then you are not alone.

This last week has been a doozey! Anything extra on my plate, even down to washing the dishes, has been overbearing and simply too much. It is like the world had suddenly decided to plonk itself on my shoulders and told me to look after it for a while…thanks very much Universe!

So why do we lose our motivation?

The main reason we lose our motivation is because we put too much on our plate and scatter our energies here, there and everywhere. This skews our focus and we lose sight of what we are actually striving for. The unmotivated, flat feeling is simply telling us its time to stop, take stock, settle down and re-focus. If we ignore these warning signs, you can bet your bottom dollar the physical body will ensure it slows down one way or another.

The difficulty in feeling unmotivated is that you need that extra push/shove to do things – i.e. motivation! This can lead us into a vicious circle where we capture the little energy stores we have (the ones we have in our reserves), use them to get us moving, and then, because we have nothing left and nothing extra coming in, we feel even more depleted and are back at square one.

What can we do?

So instead of going around in circles I have come up with a better solution. Why not feel and be totally unmotivated. Yes, you heard me, really embody the unmotivated flat feelings and do absolutely nothing! It is the resistance that prolongs the agony and recovery time, not the feeling. The more we respect our feelings, the quicker we can move on with our lives and I only have 11 weeks til the Noosa Triathlon, so I’m not going to muck around!

Once we surrender to these somewhat flat and exhausting feelings, our body knows it has been given the green light to start the recovery and strengthening process. You can liken it to a cold. You can fight it all you like. However, it is only when you stop and rest that your white blood cells and the rest of your system can take over and do what it needs, to get you back to health.

So to help us get through those flat times, I have included a motivation exercise. Remember, it is normal to feel unmotivated and every feeling we experience is a guide to our next step in life.

Motivation Exercise

When feeling flat or unmotivated, try the following:

1. Stop.

2. Surrender to your exhaustion and flatness (lying down is always good);

3. Allow yourself time to surrender. (The amount of time is up to you, could be 15min, or a couple of hours. Put on a timer if you like.)

4. “Let go” of everything and anything you need to (visualisation may also help) and feel and watch it all fall away.

5. When you feel that sense of peace and calm, enjoy it.

6. Take some deep breaths and notice your thoughts and how you are feeling.

This exercise may help you release all that is burdening you and clear the slate so the bigger picture is in sharp focus once again. This will then, naturally, create the motivation you need to get you there. For me that means I’m off to pump up my tyres, lay out my tri suit and shoes, and get ready for some cycling and running around the Brisbane river tomorrow morning. Can’t wait!!! …who says I’m not motivated!!!