Has this Labor day found you bored with nothing to do? Are you having a day when it is just difficult to get started and difficult to stir yourself up for even the simplest of tasks through your lack of motivation and confidence? Are you so tired sometimes that you find it very hard to be motivated  enough to have the desire to do anything? If that sounds like you, or if that has ever sounded like you, we  have two bits of news for you – you are not alone and with God’s help it can be easy to overcome feelings of lack of motivation and self confidence.  We all suffer from low motivation sometimes; the difference between the successful and the less than successful is simply that when suffering lack of motivation and confidence, the successful use simple techniques to get motivated.

So what are these techniques, you might wonder and how can you apply them to your situations to achieve your goals and gain self confidence?

Usually lack of motivation appears because you do not really know what you intend  to do as far as your goal is concerned or you may not feel like getting started, so the first technique is to organize your efforts to get you motivated. If you lack the motivation to even begin to organize your efforts, you need to pray to God to give you the energy, the passion and the desire to be motivated to organize your efforts. Since, prayer may take some time to begin to work, you will need to pray that prayer unceasing until you begin to realize that God is answering your prayers and you are now becoming motivated to become organized.

When you become motivated, Get out a pad of paper and write at the top where you want to end up as far as your goal is concerned.  Let us say that you want to put a fish pond in your garden! Starting at the top of your sheet write something like:- ‘I have built a fish pond fully stocked with fish and plants with a nice water feature in the form of a waterfall to keep the water fresh and oxygenated- these are your goals.’

Now instead of dreading starting your fish pond project, begin to picture your completed project. See what you have just described on paper in terms of your completed fish pond, which will go a long way to removing your lack of motivation.

Then on your paper write down all the activities you will begin to carry out to accomplish having the pond looking exactly as you described on the pad.  Notice, it is important that you write the steps that will be necessary to complete your fish pond and then next to the steps necessary to complete your fish pond,  write out all the activities YOU CARRIED OUT, notice we did not say all the activities you need to carry out but the steps that you actually carried out to create your fish pond.  Once you get your head around this and think in terms of writing things as though they were already achieved the task becomes easier to complete removing once and for all your lack of motivation.

Going back to our fish pond illustration, what you are doing here when you do this, you are  simply developing the skill of creating a  plan of action to reach a desired result. Your PLAN OF ACTION made up of your short term goals will lead to the fulfillment of you reaching your goal of having a fish pond.

When deciding how much time you may require to complete a short term goal be sensible and allow extra time.  Time pressure will only add to returning to a lack of motivation and confidence so why apply it?  Falling behind your tasks leads quickly to more lack of motivation.

You may need to spread some of your short term goals over one or two sessions but keep them as brief as possible ensuring that they are scheduled for the best time of your day. For example, we find it better to carry out mental tasks such as this article first thing in the morning  or late in the evenings when all is quiet and peaceful and when we are fresh. You may find a different time of the day or night more suitable for you. Don’t be afraid to experiment to find what time works best for you. For us, we find early afternoons a time for lack of motivation, usually lunch has been served and a nap seems very attractive!  When you set your short term goals, set them with the time in mind that will work best for you to implement them. If you know you need a nap after lunch or get sleepy after lunch, you may not want to plan to accomplish any short term goals during that time.

Now that you have written everything out in as much detail as possible with enough time allowed to complete each task you can take action on step one. In case you have not worked it out this is called WORKING YOUR PLAN! You have lain out before you every step of the way and you know without doubts that the completion of each individual task is taking you closer to your overall goal – SUCCESS and total removal of your lack of motivation!

Try to complete as many of your individual tasks one after the other in the same day if possible, this increase your sense of achievement and your motivation. Why? Simply because the busier you are the more progress you will make and the more progress you make towards your goal the more motivated you are to achieve it.

Try to write out the tasks you completed on your way to achieving your overall goal, this will further motivate you to keep going towards the fulfillment of your goal.

One simple method of curing procrastination and low motivation is to set short term goals that can be quickly achieved. When you look at what you have already accomplished, you will be spurred on to keep going to accomplish more!

It is amazing how little effort appears to be required in short term goal achievement as you achieve and tick off each one on the way to your main goal, it is in this way that you will be able to say goodbye to lack of motivation.

There is little repetitive work in building a fish pond but other goals could entail a great deal of repetition. If you have a number of repetitive tasks to carry out, try to Marry them with another task to maintain your interest. Doing the same task over and over can lead to boredom and boredom kills goal achievement and self motivation.

One of the most important short term goals that you can set for your self is rest time. In fact we would go as far to say that unless you schedule enough relaxation time when you are not carrying out some short term goals task you will not achieve your main goal.  Do not allow yourself to become weary or you will lose focus and drift off your track toward non-achievement.

Make sure you balance your goals and your work so as not to cause overload and exhaustion!

Scheduling rest time allows you to refuel. You need to re-energize your batteries. When you do this and focus,  achievements follow close behind leaving lack of motivation far behind you.

Achieving goals is the foundation to a successful life whether those goals are to provide adequately for your family or build a business, each has their foundation in goal setting and achievement. You don’t have to suffer from low motivation and lack of confidence when God is with you and for you! If you are having problems following these easy steps or lack the motivation to even begin, God wants to help you! If you want God to help you defeat your low places, your lack of motivation and your inappropriate confidence, Join us in this simple prayer;

Dear God,
I am tired. I am tired of the daily grind of life, the hustle, the bustle and the never seeming dreadful feeling of never getting anywhere and not being able to get started to set goals or accomplish them. I am in a low place or in a place that I don’t want to be in and I need your Supernatural hand to come into my circumstances to give me the desire, the passion, the energy and the strength to be able to go on and set goals.  I realize Father, that you have created me for much more than what I am currently experiencing and I am unable to change my life or circumstances myself. I need a Savior to do that for me, I need Jesus Christ. I therefore, invite Jesus Christ to come into my life and my circumstances to become my Personal Lord and Savior, I need His help and the inward work that only He can do to help me begin to set goals and reach them. I am stuck in repetitive motion, with my worldview contaminated by Radio, TV, magazines and all kinds of channels competing for my attention. Help me become more focused dear God, I pray. Help me not to be double-minded and unstable in all of my ways like the people that are talked about in  James 1:8. I surrender my life to you dear God, I release control of my life and place it in Your hands. Lead me dear Father, I pray, help me set and reach goals so that I may break out from the apathy that has seized and claimed my life, I humbly ask and pray. – Amen!

Happy Labor Day!