Being inspired and staying motivated all of the time is impossible for most of us. Even if you started out your venture bubbling with positive energy and motivation, you may have lost all that gradually over time. It’s perfectly normal. Creativity and imagination doesn’t follow one around, especially when there are insufferable daily tasks to take care of. Even the most creative people on the planet occasionally lose their inspiration. Famous writers are not immune from writer’s blog. Some billionaire entrepreneurs are not unknown to take a break to find their footing once more. It is any wonder that regular people undergo bouts of not being able to do anything?
If you feel like you have lost your inspiration and drive, you can definitely find it again. The issue probably lies in you not balancing your work and personal life properly. Most people these days work just too much and don’t take time to think, which can result in both physical and mental exhaustion. If you are unable to create new things and be driven towards reaching your goals, then here are several tips that will help you find yourself once more:
Take a Break
When was the last time you were not in your office? Are you once of those people who are working even on weekends? Then you are definitely overexerting yourself. You simply don’t have time to think and be creative. If you want to find your inspiration again, then you need to distance yourself from your work to look at the big picture. So, take a break. Take the weekend off or a week off from work. That means there will be no working from home or taking calls. Spend this time focusing on yourself. A good way to find inspiration is to spend this time going though diary, blog post, or other entries you made when you began your venture. What did you write about your future goals back then? When you re-read them, you will be able to find your motivation once more. Also, being on break will allow you to distance yourself from stresses of work, which will make you feel better and invigorated enough to think creatively again.
Go on a Vacation
Most workers, especially millennials, think that going on vacation is a sign of being lazy. That is only true if you are going on vacation all the time. If you have not been on a vacation in the past two years, then now is probably the time for it. Vacations are not just time to relax on a beach and catch up on sleep. There are a lot of things you can learn on vacations too. Travelling is one of the time honored ways to expand one’s worldly knowledge, while also getting some well reserved resting time. You should definitely take a week or two to go on a vacation at an intriguing new location to get your bearings once more. You will return relaxed, and also creative and driven once more.
Read a Book
Do you know what Bill Gates does most of his time? Reading. Most successful people attribute their knowledge and creativity to an avid love for reading. Don’t say that you don’t have time to read. Make time to read at least one hour every week. And don’t hesitate to read what you actually want to read, not what you are supposed to be reading. You can pick any fiction or nonfiction book. The point is to read and learn something about the world and yourself. Reading is also a great way to escape daily life. Why do you think so many people do it? A little mental escapism once in a while would be good for you to focus on what’s important later.
Practice Breathing Exercises
Have you lost your motivation because of stress and exhaustion from work? Do you have trouble sleeping? Then you can try practicing breathing exercises couple of minutes a day. Breathing exercises are designed to help people find their focus. Many practitioners claim that relaxation breathing or meditative breathing help them relax, stay calm, and focus on what’s really important. If stress is killing your inspiration, trying a breathing exercise will very likely help you find your focus once more.
Make To-Do Lists
Richard Branson, the celebrity CEO of Virgin Group, attributes his success to one habit: making to-do lists. Branson makes to-do lists of everything, including daily things that need to get done, and also his goals. He once shared a to-do list he had made in the seventies that included “learning to fly” as a thing to do. The point is that to-do lists helped this former record store owner become a successful billionaire. The idea behind the habit is that by listing your goals and tasks, you convert them from mere ideas to things that can actually be accomplished. If you are struggling to get something done, don’t wait for inspiration to come to you. Break down the task into smaller tasks, and include them in your calendar. Sooner rather than later, you would have accomplished your goal.
Sleep Well
Sleeping only four hours a day is not a badge of honor for a hard working individual. It is, in fact, one of the dumbest things you can do. Adults need between 6 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. Failing to get adequate amounts of sleep at night leads to irritability and lack of focus during the day. It can even lead to serious health issues. If you are not getting enough sleep, then it’s probably no wonder that you cannot focus at work or be creative. Plan your day accordingly so you can sleep well each night. Do this for a week or so and you will feel healthy and inspired once more.
Don’t let your lack of motivation or inspiration keep you down. Try one or two of the above methods and, more importantly, keep on doing what you do. Your motivation might return to you, as Maya Angelou once advised.