Lost Your Spark?

Happy Friday Friends,

Why are there times when I feel like I could take over the world and I am motivated to do ALL the hard things? And, then there are times when I couldn’t be bothered to do the simplest tasks.

Work, workouts, reading, writing - anything really.

Here’s a great example. Who doesn’t love training arms? Whether you’re a bro or not, training sun’s-out muscles is THE BEST. Arnold spoke about “the pump is like cumming” in his famous Pumping Iron documentary. But, there have been weeks when I didn't even train arms. Shocking I know!I go to the gym and simply go through the motions. I grind out the sets because I know consistency is important but, I’m half-arsing it. My motivation has pretty much gone.

Last week I wasn’t motivated to do anything. From a work perspective, I couldn’t get myself moving. I had meetings with my team, and I focused on the important things that needed my attention but it was hard. Some of my to-do items that required more effort and creativity didn’t get done.

Why?

Why does motivation work in ebbs and flows? And, how can we either make it more consistent or get the levels up in the times they’re down?

In this state, some people will want to lie on the couch and watch Netflix for hours. A giant bowl of Frosties and binge Brooklyn 99*. They prefer making sure the couch is well-indented to the contours of their body.

*Quick side note: If you haven't binged Brooklyn 99 you're missing out. 

For me, I want to get out of the house and walk. I want to walk for miles and miles. I’m not sure where I’m going but I have this need to keep walking. Maybe I’m hoping I’ll find motivation around a bend. Maybe I’m walking away from the reason I am demotivated.

The problem is, you can’t often pinpoint the reason - so how can you run away from it? Also, if you don’t know what motivates you then how will you know it even if it is waiting around the next bend?

I’ll admit though, sometimes a short 20-minute walk does clear my head enough to give me the energy to return to what I need to focus on. But, when your demotivation is deep, the walk usually doesn’t help.

So what now?

Here are a few reasons I am feeling demotivated at the moment. Although personal you’ll notice that each is broad enough and will resonate with you on some level.

Lack of a North Star When the end goal is vague or undefined, it's challenging to maintain focus and drive. I know goals are integral to success, there is more than enough evidence to prove the point. But, for some reason, I haven’t been strict with myself this year in setting personal or professional goals. And, now it’s affecting me.It doesn’t matter the size of the goal but the important bit is to have one.

My Tank is Running on Empty Running a startup.Wearing many, many hats in a startup.Trying to raise capital for a startup.Plus extra learning and writing.Giving time to my family.Making sure I’m training hard, every morning.Continuous work without adequate rest and balance can lead to burnout. The resulting mental, emotional and physical exhaustion often leads to a steep decline in motivation.

Difficult HumansSomeone once told me, “80% of success in any job is your ability to deal with people.” The hardest thing about dealing with people is that humans are an unknown variable. So many things can affect a person from day to day that it’s almost impossible to know what you’re going to get. Dealing with difficult people can be an energy drain and as discussed in #2 low energy often leads to low motivation.

Negative Nancy PantsI don’t consider myself a negative person. I am a realist though. Negativity and realism are like 2 sides of the same coin though - there’s a fine line between them.

It’s challenging to be positive about everything all the time. So I let a little negativity and reality into my life. But, when negativity surrounds you the waves of motivation will soon follow. And, you will drown in it. Whether it’s coming from your internal voice or the culture at work, too much negativity for too long a period will demotivate anyone.

Misalignment with Personal ValuesEngaging in activities or pursuing goals that don't align with personal values, beliefs, or passions can lead to a gradual loss of motivation. This is a big one for me and I’ve found myself in a few situations where my values haven’t aligned with a leader's or the company’s. Link to values post. The first thing we can do here is find our values and make sure they align with what we’re doing or who we’re working with.

Survival ModeI’ve been in tech startups now for almost 10 years. That’s a lot of time spent standing on my tippy toes on the edge of a very high cliff. The view ahead is spectacular but the reality at your feet tells a different story.To remain in a constant state of “survival” is exhausting, and draining. This is even more top of mind for me now as the leader of a startup.

Here are some of the things I do to stay motivated, in life and work.

Hip Hip HoorayCelebrate the small wins. Although I have not been great with setting personal goals, we’ve done a good job at setting goals for the business. We break those down into smaller objectives. And, we celebrate those small wins as often as we can.

Have a Kit-KatI make sure to take breaks and give myself room to breathe. It’s easier to keep pushing and pushing than it is to let yourself let go for a few moments. But, you’re not going to win any prizes for going all in, all the time.I make sure to switch off from work and my phone, spend time with my kids and do hobbies that bring me joy.

Johnny WalkerI walk. A lot.If I am having a creative block, I walk.If I’m frustrated after a session dealing with a difficult human, I walk.Even when I’ve had a productive deep working session I will need a walk after to give my brain a little breathing room.You’ll be surprised how good a walk is for your body and your brain.

Start up a Little ChinwagOften all it takes to get me up and motivated again is to have a few good conversations. It could be a workshop in the office, an interesting call with a customer or calling a mate to talk shit for a few minutes.The key is breaking the monotony of being solo and in your own head. Humans are natural herders, we are better with others around us. 

“Time is on my side, yes it is…”The reality is that sometimes there is nothing I can do to motivate myself. I have to hunker down and ride out the storm. I know that it will eventually pass. And, as crap as that sounds, the hard times are when you build the most resilience. You’ll be proud of yourself that you’ve come through the storm all oars intact. 

Tap into the power of resilience and rediscover your drive. Take that first step towards understanding what motivates you.  Whether it's a walk, a chat, or setting clear goals – and watch as the tide of motivation flows back in. Embrace the ebbs and flows; they're all part of the journey. Your motivation is around the bend, waiting to jump out and shout SURPRISE. 

Peace, love and muscles,

Jarren

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