Like everyone else, there are times when I feel no motivation and I just want to do nothing. Being a solopreneur is not easy. You’re all on your own. When you lack the discipline and when you don’t have the motivation to work, there is no one there to encourage you. You need to do something to drive yourself up.
I’ve been very consistent with this blog since 2015. And most of the articles I published are over 2,000 words. There are many times I feel like giving up and just don’t want to write.
But somehow, I manage to find ways to motivate myself back up again and just keep writing and publishing content here.
Whenever things are not going smooth for me, when I don’t feel motivated, and when I feel like procrastinating, there are 3 questions I will ask myself.
These questions work like a lighthouse, they show me my dreams and the goals I want to accomplish. They remind me of my purpose in life and the future that I wanted to create.
You can ask yourself these questions too whenever you’re feeling like giving up.
Well, these questions have been working for me, but I’m not sure if they are going to work for you. Perhaps, you can also customize these questions and make them meaningful and empowering for you.
Here are the 3 questions I ask myself to keep me on track:
1. Is it so difficult to [ACTION]?
This is a simple question, yet, it gives me a lot of power and drives me into taking action.
For example, when I’m feeling no motivation to write, I will ask myself, “Is it so difficult to write an article?”
This question leads me to think about writing isn’t something so difficult. Comparing to those people who work in the construction site and under the sun, writing can be an easy task. You just need to write like you are talking to someone.
Whenever I think about it this way, it makes me feel like I’m lucky and that I should be grateful for my career as a blogger and a content marketer.
I get work by sitting on my comfortable chair, writing articles while enjoying a cup of my favorite coffee. Most people have to work really hard to earn a living. Hence, I always feel proud of myself that I’m able to make a living online.
So, whenever you don’t feel like doing something but you want to, ask yourself this question, “Is it so difficult to [ACTION]?”
- Is it so difficult to get up early?
- Is it so difficult to write an article a day and publish it on my blog?
- Is it so difficult to walk 10,000 steps a day?
- Is it so difficult to exercise for 15 minutes every morning?
Is it so difficult to read for 30 minutes each day? - Is it so difficult to meditate for 10 minutes before you sleep?
After you ask this question, make a comparison and think about those people who have to work harder to make a living.
Do you know that there are many others who have faced even more difficult situations than you, yet, they didn’t give up and choose to hustle on?
Is it really so difficult to achieve your goals? I don’t think so. You just need to work hard on it.
“For every reason it’s not possible, there are hundreds of people who have faced the same circumstances and succeeded.”
2. Is this the kind of life I want to live?
Another question I often ask myself is whether I’m creating the life I wanted to live.
Every time when I’m feeling lazy and don’t want to work, I will imagine what will happen if I procrastinate. And then I will forward the picture into the future and see myself being a failure. I see myself fail to achieve my goals, living in poverty, not able to take care of my family, etc.
As a result, the fear I generated in my mind forces me to take action and work on my goals right away.
When I’m slacking off and procrastinating, I will envision myself living the future that I don’t want to live, and then ask myself, “Is this the kind of life I want to live?”
The answer is an obvious no. This question creates fear in me. I don’t want to fail at my goals. I want to live a better life. I can’t continue to procrastinate, play games, oversleep, or not contributing, that is not the kind of life I want.
Thus, I will reconnect with my goals and start taking action, right away.
Remember, your future is created by what you do right now, not tomorrow. So, don’t wait for tomorrow only to take action because there is always a tomorrow.
What you need to do is to take immediate action. Stop giving yourself lousy excuses why things are not going to work or why you can’t.
Be courageous and face the hard truth that you have to work to make your dreams a reality. Hence, take action now.
Do you want to live like a failure in the future? If you don’t, then, take action now.
“There are only 2 options: Make progress or make excuses.”
3. What is the one step I can take now to get me closer to my goal?
This is another question I commonly ask myself whenever I’m feeling lost and not sure what to do.
After I ask this question, I usually able to come up with one action step that I can take right away, and I will just do it.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a big plan or a complete blueprint to achieving your goals and dreams, you just need to take one small step.
When you’re driving at night, you switch on the headlamps. Although the headlamps can’t show you the entire road, it can only show you what is in front of you, but you can still get to your destination.
Therefore, don’t worry about not know what to do, you just need to make progress and the path will unveil itself.
Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. And all you need to do is to take that one step right now.
So, ask yourself, “What is the one step I can take now to get me closer to my goal?”
Once you have identified the action step you need to do, do it right away. And once you start making progress, the momentum and motivation will come.
By the way, if you want to learn more about setting and achieving your goals, take my course at Goal Setting Formula.
Conclusion
These are the 3 questions I often ask myself whenever I don’t feel motivated, wanted to procrastinate, and not sure what I should do.
You can use these questions, or you can also create your own version to help you. The key is to direct your mind to think empowering thoughts that will pump you up and help you make progress.
Do you find these questions helpful? What thoughts or questions you have when you feel lazy and don’t want to work?
Let me know what you think by leaving your comment below. Cheers.