Feeling Stuck or Demotivated? Try This.

I was chatting with a woman this week and something she said stuck with me. She talked about how, as a student, you always have the end of the school year in sight. But as an adult in a stressful job or dealing with continuous long hours, there's no clear end in sight to motivate you to push through.

Maybe you're feeling this way about your work, caring for your kids, looking after an elderly parent, or any other situation that feels unchanging. If you're feeling stuck or demotivated, here's what helped me out of my rut in 2020 and has worked for dozens of my coaching clients.

1. Create an End Pick a deadline where, if nothing has improved, you'll take action. For example, give yourself one more year in your current situation. Just having an end in sight can relieve some of your stress and exhaustion. Once you have a deadline, let yourself daydream. What does your next chapter look like? If you no longer felt stuck, how would you feel? What can you do then that you can't do now?

Funny enough, my last boss commented that in September 2020, I started showing up more confidently and really stepped into my role. She didn't know that this was right after I had given myself my "fake" deadline of changing my situation by June 2021.

Once you have an end in sight, you can work on the ABCs of change:

• Awareness
• Bold moves
• Commitment

2. Be AWARE of Your Habits When I'm stuck or demotivated, my bad habits come out in full force: TV, wine, and chips. My healthy habits, like eating well, exercising, and meditating, go out the window. Yet, when we're stressed or tired, we need our healthy habits more than ever! The only way we can change our habits is by recognizing which habits need changing. ?

3. Take One BOLD Step Towards Improving Your Well-Being When I say bold, I don't mean big. Choose to do something that doesn't feel so comfortable. It's easy to watch TV instead of going for a walk or grab ice cream instead of fruit. When you're feeling stuck, you likely don't have the energy for big actions like looking for a new job or staying on top of your housework. Boosting your energy with small steps is key to reducing stress and exhaustion.

4. COMMIT to Your Plan Committing to one bold step can motivate you even more. It tells your brain what you're doing and why, which helps manage the change. One of the primary jobs of our brains is to keep us safe, and change usually signals danger. But in this case, change means amazing things are coming your way – you just need to remind your brain of that and stick to your plan.

Once your stress and exhaustion decrease, you might find you enjoy your job more or have the confidence to create the boundaries you need in your life. Or perhaps you'll sign up for that online dating platform and see who's out there. Or that when you look in the mirror, you smile more.?

To recap, pick an end date by when your current situation has to improve by. Then be AWARE of your habits that are adding to your stress or exhaustion. Take one BOLD but small, step towards creating a healthier habit to boost your energy and motivation and COMMIT to taking small, manageable steps towards a healthier and happier life.

To Thriving Through Change,

Shannon

P.S. Are you looking to tackle a big goal this fall? Stay tuned for my new Thrive Through Change group coaching program designed to help you Create a Life You Love. Early bird specials will begin in August. DM me "change" if you want to make sure you don't miss out.