The 7 Biggest Challenges to Staying Motivated (And How to Conquer Them)

At Motivation Depot, we're all about helping you find motivation to face your day and meet your goals! But we also know this is no easy feat. It always starts the same way. You start a task fired up and full of hope. That lasts for a few days, but sometime around the beginning of the second week, you suddenly find that working towards your goal is like pulling teeth.

What happened? How did you lose motivation? Often it's a combination of stressors in your life pulling you in different directions, both internally and externally. Fortunately, that's what Motivation Depot is here to help with - guiding you towards motivation even when things get hard!

Challenge 1: Conflicting Emotions – Motivation's Evil Twin 😈

How can you want to do something so much and not want it at the same time? But that's often what happens with motivation. You may want to meet your goals but at the same time find yourself paralyzed and struggling to put the work in.

This could come down to a few things. Fear is a big reason for those conflicting emotions. What if you put in all that work and it doesn't pan out? What if you're not good enough? You could also be wiped from other stressors in your life. It may help to surround yourself with things that remind you why you want to meet your goals, helping you stay upbeat as you pursue them.

Challenge 2: Lack of Time – The Day Only Has 24 Hours, Seriously? ⏳

There are only so many hours in the day, and it often feels like they're all taken up. Work may only take 8 hours on the clock, but when you count the commute time, the household chores you have to do when you get home, and trying to spend time with your friends and family, it all adds up.

It's understandable to spend some of that free time scrolling social media and looking for things that make you laugh. But if you're running out of time to do the things you're passionate about, you may need to reprioritize your schedule. Remember, even Beyonce only has 24 hours in the day. Set a time to work towards your goals each day - and a time to take a social media break!

Challenge 3: Prioritization Predicaments – The Battle of the "Shoulds" 🤷‍♂️

Too many things to balance? Try breaking them down into different categories based on priority. At the top are the things you HAVE to do - the Musts. This may include work, taking care of your kids, making dinner, etc.

Below that are the things that you'll survive without, but that you know you SHOULD do and will need to do if you go too long without them - the Shoulds. This includes things like household chores, pursuing your goals, and taking some time for self-care.

Finally, there are the things you CAN do - the Cans. These are things like getting ahead on work, meal prep to make things easier for you the next day, taking a break to do something you enjoy, and so on.

Challenge 4: The Curse of Comparison – Keeping up with the Joneses 🏡

Imagine you're running a marathon. If you spend all your time looking at where the other runners are, you're going to inevitably fall behind. To win, you have to keep your eyes in the direction of the finish line.

In life, comparison can be a killer. You only see the final product with those around you, not what's going on in their heads. It's easy to feel as though they're thriving while you're struggling, and that can make you feel like what you're doing isn't worth it. It's a vicious cycle. So instead of comparing yourself to others, keep your eyes on the prize!

Challenge 5: Goal Overload – The Buffet of Ambitions 🍔🍕

It's great to have dreams! But sometimes you can be overwhelmed by having too many goals. Remember, you only have so many hours in the day. You have to prioritize. That doesn't mean giving up on your dreams. But decide what you want to focus on now and what can wait until later.

Challenge 6: Fear of Failure – The Monster Under Your Bed 🙈

When something is important to you, failure hits even harder. It's no wonder so many of us are paralyzed with the fear of failure. But here's the truth: you can always recover from failure. You can go back to the drawing board and get better. It might be hard, and that's worth acknowledging. But if you never finish, you'll have no way to move forward and no path to success.

Challenge 7: Burnout Boulevard – The Road to Exhaustion 😴

When you take on too much, you can only head in one direction - straight to Burnout Boulevard. It's not always your fault. Sometimes work piles on too much or life takes an unexpected turn. Just remember when you can to rest and get in some breaks. You can't pour from an empty cup, after all!

Bonus: The Motivation Depot Solution! 🚀

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Motivation isn't always easy to find, but now you have the tools to help you with seven of the biggest obstacles in your path! And you have Motivation Depot whenever you need an extra boost.