Motivation Articles

Medically Reviewed By: Aaron Horn, LMFT, MA

Motivation

Motivation is when a person wants to work towards a goal. When you’re motivated, you have something in mind that you want to do, and you’ll work to reach that goal. Motivation has to do with having a desire to get to a specific place physically or emotionally. You might feel motivated to build a company, or perhaps to run a marathon. Maybe you even have the motivation to work on your mental health. Motivation comes in all shapes and forms, and it happens when a person feels an inner sense of drive to reach their desires.

Setting and Accomplishing Goals

When someone is motivated, they set goals for themselves. Those goals should have milestones that occur along the way. It doesn’t mean that that there won’t be bumps in the road or problems to work through. Getting to where you want to be isn’t always a linear process. It’s important to remember that there’s a reason that you’re motivated to achieve your goals. You want something, and you’re determined to get what you want. When someone is motivated, they’re passionate about what they’re striving to bring to fruition. It’s important to remember that motivation comes from passion. If you love something, whether that’s a topic, a hobby, a person, or a movement, you’re likely to work hard towards that goal. When we’re excited about something, we want to make something happen.

Roadblocks

Inevitably, you will find roadblocks along the way when you’re working toward a goal. It could be that you’re trying to write a book, but you can’t seem to find the words. That’s understandable.

When you’re working on a project that you care deeply about you want it to go well. If you’re attempting to write a book, and you can’t find the words, you may become frustrated or even angry. That’s natural. But remember that there are always roadblocks along the way to success. What some people view as a failure, others see as hurdles you need to jump over to get to where you’re going. Try not to judge yourself harshly when you’re finding the internal motivation to work toward a goal you want. 

Passion and Motivation

Some things make life worth living. Those are the interests and hobbies that we love. There are also people who help us get to where we’re going along the way. We all have things in our lives that we’re passionate about doing. We have hobbies and interests that we care about deeply, and when you’re motivated to achieve something, it’s because there’s passion involved. Sometimes, it’s hard to get motivated. It’s common to feel unmotivated at times, and even stagnant. However, it's an important thing to discuss with your support system. When you feel stuck and unable to get out of your funk you need to verbalize those feelings.

When You're Having Trouble Getting Motivated

Sometimes, it’s difficult. As hard as you try, you can’t get motivated to do something that you really want to do, and you don’t know why. One possibility is that you’re overwhelmed. It’s possible that what you’re motivated to do is a large or tedious task that doesn’t necessarily feel real right now, but with the right education or training, you can get there. You may have big dreams, but you have to start somewhere. So, if you want something but it seems daunting, take one step forward at a time, and you will achieve your dreams gradually. If you’re having trouble figuring out what you want to do in life or what your goals are, you can talk about it in therapy.

Therapy

When you’re having trouble getting and staying motivated, maybe it’s time to speak with a mental health professional about why that might be. You may not be aware of the reasons you’re stuck. But you can explore these issues in therapy with a counselor. Whether you’re working with someone online or in your local area, treatment is an excellent place to discuss keeping yourself motivated. With the power of motivation, you can achieve your dreams.