When Motivation Is Missing: How to Be More Productive

In life, you sometimes find yourself having those blank page moments, figuratively speaking. You have things to do, perhaps a long to-do list that needs you to get on it, but somehow after a while, you’re still staring at that blank page, or still organizing and cleaning your workroom, and not one inch closer to getting the real work started. Why is this? And why do we often struggle to find the motivation to get our work done?

There are several reasons why you might not work as well as you wish you did, and identifying these is one way to help yourself reach greater productivity.

Why Our Work Is Sometimes a Chore

Even when your work is generally enjoyable and you find it meaningful and highly rewarding, you may still find yourself struggling to get started with tasks you know you need to do. There are several reasons for this. It’s important to remember that work is something the Lord had in mind for us from the beginning (Genesis 2:15), and that was all before things came crashing down and work became toil (Genesis 3).

This, then, is one of the big, overarching reasons why our work is sometimes a chore. Our work is frustrating; it is often harder than it should be, and the rewards are often fleeting. The ground produces thorns for us, and that’s the case literally and figuratively – it’s through blood, sweat, and tears that we accomplish things, as we strive against circumstances such as minimal resources, difficult coworkers, dead ends, and fruitless labor.

Apart from this, we also face challenges within ourselves. We may have acquired unhelpful habits such as procrastination and putting off tasks out of fear of failure (or success), a lack of motivation, or perfectionism. We also struggle with task aversion, particularly when the task is boring, unpleasant, not high-profile enough, or overwhelming. This can make it hard to get started with work that needs doing.

Other reasons work can be a chore include being unclear about your goals and what needs to be prioritized. This can lead to confusion, indecision, and inaction for yourself and the team you are working with. If we’re honest with ourselves, we often lack focus due to distractions. Between social media, constant notifications, and office banter, to name a few, it’s easy to get sidetracked, lose focus, and not get things done.

Work can also become a chore if certain skills, like good time management, are missing. It’s easy to procrastinate and struggle to initiate tasks. In addition, if there isn’t external accountability and support, it can also be easy to set aside or put off tasks till another time, which makes it harder to get going later.

Lastly, there may be emotional, mental, biological, and physiological factors at play. Experiencing emotional or mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or burnout can make it hard to work. If you’re fatigued or sleep deprived, that can significantly affect your levels of motivation, creativity, and initiative.

Steps Toward Being More Productive

You’ll find that you aren’t always motivated to work. Instead of waiting for a wave of inspiration to hit, you can simply rely on being consistent and disciplined. Take care of yourself; issues like fatigue, burnout, or depression should be taken seriously and addressed through rigorous self-care.

In the situations where you’re struggling to work because you’re feeling a bit “meh”, here are some tips that might help you to get work done:

Break tasks down Taking on large tasks can be intimidating. Rather, divide those large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks and create a simple to-do list with specific, achievable goals. You can make use of the Pomodoro technique, where you work in focused 25-minute increments. You can take a short break after each session, repeating this for a set number of rounds, after which you take a longer break.

Create a schedule Plan out your day, week, or month, and set reminders and alerts that can help you stay on track. You can also set clear goals and deadlines for your tasks. Writing down your deadlines and goals helps to make them more concrete.

Get rid of distractions Identify the things that commonly distract you and remove or limit these during work hours. There are tools like phone apps, website blockers, or even time vaults that can help you lock away your phone for a set time if you find it too distracting.

Take care of yourself You need to get enough exercise and sleep to have energy and the ability to regulate your emotions better. A balanced and healthy diet can nurture your mental and physical health. Taking care of yourself can also include being sure to reward yourself for reaching milestones or completing tasks; this can motivate you to keep going.

Be accountable If you don’t have someone you report to, having a friend or mentor with whom you share your goals and who can support you and hold you accountable is important.

Understand your “why” “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31, NIV). Knowing why you work, the grand purpose behind your efforts, can boost your passion and motivation.

Your work doesn’t have to be an area of struggle. Each person is unique, but consider reaching out to a coach for support and help as you experiment with different techniques to find what works best for you. You can also reach out to a mental health professional, like a counselor, who can walk with you if you’re struggling with underlying emotional or mental health issues that are hindering your joy in your work.