Why do we lose motivation in life?

Some of main causes of motivation loss are:

• Lack of clarity about the goal
• Many obstacles that have not been solved yet piling up in the mind

If there are many obstacles in our minds, we are more likely to lose motivation. To be clear, obstacles are memories that make us feel like we’re out of control or can’t do well.

With that said, here are 2 strategies to help you stay motivated for the long run:

1) Write

If there are obstacles in your mind that prevent you from going forward, write down the obstacles. The more you write, the clearer you can understand why your mind has had no power to move forward.

Lack of self-understanding can easily lead to loss of motivation.

Try to write down these 4 things below on a piece of paper.

Give yourself enough time to look back at yourself deeply. The more detailed, the better:

1. Become clear about your goal
   Think about the goal you want and write it down in detail. When you understand why you do what you do, you are less likely to lose focus, you can become motivated, and you can focus more on what you need to do.
2. Recognize all obstructions
   Make a list of the things that keep you worrying or feeling uncomfortable. List the hindrances to your goal. It might be related to work, relationships, your health, etc.
3. Find the reasons behind the obstructions
   Write down all the reasons why you don’t like it or why you feel uncomfortable. Write honestly and be specific.
4. Set the solution
   Try to write a solution that you can act on right now.

Here is a personal example:

1. Become clear about your goal
   A: My pelvis needs to be aligned. It is slightly twisted. I’ll exercise for 30 minutes every day.
2. Recognize all obstructions
   A: Pelvis correction requires persistence, but it’s difficult to sustain and I’m not very motivated.
3. Find the reasons behind the obstructions
   A: Reasons for not continuing exercise:
   1) My mind wants results in a short period of time. I have past memories of when I postponed and gave up on exercise. My mind thinks that I won’t be able to sustain an exercise schedule. My mind thinks that I won’t be able to maintain the results. These obstacles in my mind are what make me lose conviction.
   2)There are numerous pelvic correction guide videos on YouTube. I continue to search for a video that explains it easier and get faster results (impatience/greed). Instead of sticking to one plan, I just keep watching more videos.
4. Set the solution
   A: Instead of expecting a quick result, I’ll look at it as a marathon and implement a long-term plan. Instead of watching this and that, I’ll follow one video until I master it.

You don’t need to write perfectly. The point is writing things down in order to see yourself objectively and better understand yourself. Your goals, problems, and solutions become clearer as you write them down.

2) Empty Your Mind (Meditate)

This is very important. Even if obstacles and solutions are recognized, it is not easy to change oneself if you are filled with many thoughts. This is because we speak and act according to what we have in our minds.

Once you discard your false minds, you can have actual changes. The more you empty your mind, the more comfortable it becomes. When your mind is comfortable, your efficiency increases.

Personal Example: I had a goal to become healthier. As I meditated, I found many expectations that I had to let go of, and greed in the sense that I wanted to fix my health quickly. Old memories of repeatedly postponing exercise time and getting angry at myself came up, and so did doubts about whether or not I could really change. As I let go of those minds, the attachment to how I wanted my body to look and feel faded away. Because I let go of all that pressure on myself, I started to exercise more consistently.

Excuses come from the mind.

I realized that when there is no thoughts like, “I should exercise”, I naturally started to exercise more frequently, and went on to achieve my goals.

Being able to reflect on oneself and discard the false mind is an exciting process because it results in actual changes. The benefits of meditation and writing go beyond self-awareness, but help to realize a better path to achieving one’s goals.