Motivation

I seem to have a lot of problems that come and go, but one main problem that is rather consistent is my lack of motivation or drive. I find it very difficult to do anything. Whether it is something big like going somewhere for the day or something small like carrying the dishes to the kitchen when I go upstairs. It is a miracle that I got the motivation to write this now...

Things like school and work are no problem for me because there is no level of changeability (?) for me. I don't know how to describe it. It is following a pattern and routine. I don't miss school or work as a fact, so I don't skip from lack of motivation. I don't skip appointments that are already made, but I have trouble getting the motivation to make the appointment. If I am already out for the day, I have no trouble wanting to do more things while I'm out. Anything else is fair game, it seems.

If I ever get motivation to do something, it seems to be at night time, when I need to go to bed or don't have time to do something. I can plan to do it the next day, but my motivation is gone by then. I can plan to do something fun, but decide to not do it at the last minute.

It just feels like my brain is fuzzy and sluggish. Recently, I am always tired. I go to bed late at night and wake up tired. I keep thinking that I need to sleep in one night until I am done sleeping, but I always stay up too late. It's not like I'm getting that little sleep. I almost never get less than 7 hours sleep (when I'm not in school ) and frequently get 8 or 9 hours sleep.

How do you get yourself motivated? How do you get your life back "on track?" I don't even know where to start...

Sorry for the rambling, and thanks for reading my long post!

I would go to your doctor and get a physical, make sure you didn't have thyroid or other medical problems.

It is interesting that you talk about motivation for doing dull chores, etc. Who wants to clean up? Or, as my therapist once commented, "No one wants to clean bathrooms!"

What do you want to do and do you do it? It sounds like you are expecting your environment to come up with what you "should" do and then you want motivation to do that, which hasn't come from inside you.

Here's a good section on Motivation from Psychology Today: http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/motivation

I think one has to decide what one wants (what one's goals are) and then just work toward that, it's not necessarily enjoyable or easy. Motivation does not come from outside us (nor does "inspiration"), it's not something magic. One has to practice being motivated, has to use the motivation muscle to get better at it.

I am the same, except in place of "routine", substitute "appreciated and important." When either of those elements are not there, neither am I. I feel like such a flake, but don't seem to care enough if I don't feel I'm being acknowledged; not in an accomplishment way, just not invisible...

That is not true for everyone. I don't mind the dullness of chores. I mind the changing from one thing to the other. So when my care worker helps me clean, I always do the same things, and they always do the same things. That way I don't have to jump around different tasks.

I don't mind at all cleaning up after the ponies.

I'd rather have the same task than many different, then I can work some routine into them, and when I can, it takes much less effort and much less mental energy to do them. I don't mind doing tasks that other people find dull.

I suffer from not being able to put in action all the good intentions and motivation I build up in my mind. I feel sluggish most of the time and seem to escape reality by sleeping. My life used to be more interesting before but now, I need to find new things that will be worthwile. I am searching but everything seems dull. When I do gather enough energy to do some positive things (Even if I am not passionate about them) and accomplish some good deeds (Even if I find them a little boring but I know they are good for me ot others), I feel so good. When I am in this action, I tell myself how I should do this more often and I try to kind of enjoy and record the positive emotion linked to what I was able to accomplish. But somehow, for the following days, I am down again, with all this motivation and good intentions, but only in my mind and can't put them in action. Sometimes, I am just a few steps away from getting ready to go out to cycle or take a walk because I want to exercise more and at the last minute, I just head for my bed and sleep for most of the day even if the weather is great. In winter, it is even worst. If I failed, I promise myself to do better tomorrow. sometimes it works but now always. I feel so bad about myself.
I will read the link suggested by Perna.

That is what you want to do; that's why you do it. You don't need motivation to do it, you want to do it and you do it. But asking for or trying to drum up motivation to do what you don't want to do (and I don't think most people enjoy doing chores) is working at cross purposes with one's self.

Motivation works best for me if I mostly do what I want to do or if I incorporate things I do not want to do in with what I want to do. If you want a degree in school, you have to figure out how to want to study "this" class in front of you; the class will not change, it just "is", one has to change one's mind about the class so it is something one wants.

Motivation cannot come from outside one's self because it is personal to each individual. One has to decide what is important to one's life and then it is not so hard to follow through. I don't find dull chores very rewarding to me so I don't do them very often, only when I feel I have to, which is a form of motivation. But I don't fret that I don't do them more often, I know myself and that I will do them when I have to so I let myself alone to do it that way.