Let’s talk motivation.

Or rather… the complete and utter lack of it.

I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately and feel about as motivated as a sloth on a rainy Monday. 

My motivation and I are currently on a trial separation. And judging from conversations with friends, I’m not alone.

Is it the weather? The time of year? Our age?

Whatever it is, it’s driving me nuts.

Take this newsletter, for example.

I absolutely LOVE putting together my newsletter for all of you to enjoy, laugh over, and maybe even feel inspired by. It’s genuinely one of my favorite things to do.

But this past week?

I procrastinated.

I couldn’t think of what to write about, so naturally… I did nothing.

Which, as we all know, is an excellent strategy when you’re on a deadline.

Apparently, my procrastination skills remain highly motivated.

The pressure kept building while I avoided it like a middle school math test.

Why?

Fear of failure.

If it wasn’t going to be good… or perfect… or mildly brilliant… then apparently my brain decided it was safer not to do it at all.

Sound familiar to anyone?

Then there’s the food situation.

I love good food. I mean, honestly, who doesn’t?

Unfortunately, I also have degenerative disc disease in my back, and keeping my weight down helps keep the pain under control.

That should be motivating, right?

And yet lately, my appetite seems to have staged a full-scale rebellion.

I eat when I’m hungry.

I eat when I’m not hungry.

I eat because something tastes good.

I eat because Tuesday was emotionally demanding.

The immediate reward (hello, delicious snack) keeps beating the long-term reward (less pain, healthier back).

And I know I’m not the only one nodding along here.

We know what we should do.

We just… don’t always want to do it.

Now let’s talk exercise.

I actually love working out. Truly.

Exercise is like my morning cup of coffee. I have my routine, my favorite classes, my schedule.

But lately?

I’ve skipped a few early morning workouts in favor of sleeping in.

And missed a few other classes just because.

No dramatic reason.

No emergency.

I was simply parked in the doldrums.

So why does motivation disappear sometimes?

I’ve asked myself that question more than once.

I’m not saying I’m unmotivated… but even my to-do list looks tired.

For me, there are a whole lot of possible culprits:

Perfectionism.

Too much to do.

Negative self-talk.

Distractions.

Burnout.

Overthinking.

Overcomplicating.

Or maybe just plain old mental fatigue.

But lately I’ve started wondering if it’s not really a loss of motivation at all.

Maybe it’s a loss of consistency.

Because the more I do something, the easier it becomes.

The easier it becomes, the happier I feel (thank you, dopamine).

And the happier I feel, the more likely I am to keep doing it.

Funny how that works.

So maybe I haven’t lost my motivation after all.

And maybe you haven’t either.

Maybe we’re just waiting for motivation to show up like some magical life coach riding in on a white horse.

Meanwhile, life is standing there saying, “How about you just start?”

So that’s my plan.

Less waiting to feel motivated.

More channeling my inner Nike commercial…

…and just doing it.

But I’m still hoping motivation magically appears one morning and does my workout, writes my newsletter, and says no to dessert for me. A girl can dream.

–Peni

P.S.: Sometimes motivation gets tangled up with perfectionism and overthinking—something Piper knows a little about too. Piper’s Perfect Pick is a gentle reminder that waiting for the “perfect” moment (or perfect decision!) can keep us stuck longer than we’d like.