How many times have you started a new activity (such as a personal project or exercise routine) with a burst of enthusiasm, only to see that initial momentum evaporate? This often leads to depression and causes us to give up prematurely. I’ve experienced this letdown dozens of times myself. But fortunately, with a bit of thought and reflection you can turn this negative emotion around.
The key to harnessing your emotions is understanding them. The natural pattern of human emotion is peaks and valleys. When we start a new project we’re filled with tremendous optimism. All we can think about is the expected benefits, and since we haven’t started yet, we aren’t aware of the difficulties involved. This natural high causes a surge of mental and physical activity. The peak is a great thing because the energy boost gets projects off the ground. If you’re a creative type like me, you know that this period is euphoric. You feel like nothing can stop you.
The downside of this surge of energy is that it inevitably ends. Exerting large amounts of energy wears you down, and after the initial optimism wears off we feel extremely tired. However high you started off, you fall down just as low. This causes a loss of confidence. The combination of fatigue, scant results, and an awareness of impending adversity makes us want to give up. From personal experience I’ve learned a few ways to hold strong against negativity.
Be Prepared for a Letdown
Emotions, by nature, lose their power when we understand them. Prove this to yourself. Next time you get angry, take a moment to reflect on the reason behind the emotion. When I step back and reflect, it’s easy to see that my anger is caused by insecurity/selfishness/jealousy etc. After I understand the cause my anger fades away.
The same technique applies to a loss of motivation. Instead of giving into negativity, step back and analyze. Look at the causes. Are you tired, burned out, disappointed by the results? Are these feelings justified, or are they a by product of a low point in the emotional spectrum?
To illustrate these ideas, I’ll use my most recent project as an example, the creation of this site. When I launched Pick the Brain it took an enormous amount of effort. I was completely new to blogging, web design, and traffic building so there was a steep learning curve. Writing new posts, setting up the site, and trying to build traffic took up nearly all my free time. After about three weeks I was completely burned out. I got depressed and started to question if the site was worth the effort. I wasn’t seeing any returns and I started to find enormous faults in my writing and the purpose of the site. There were moments when I was resigned to failure.
One reason I was able to overcome this loss of motivation is that I prepared myself for a letdown. Beforehand, I researched blogging and learned that it generally takes 9-12 months before a site begins to see significant traffic. Knowing that my lack of success was perfectly normal helped me get over it. The same is true for other endeavors. If you know losing 20 pounds in a month is unrealistic, you’ll be able to accept losing only 5 more easily.
I also knew my own emotions and was prepared for the initial emotional peak to pass. When I was first inspired to launch a website, my expectations were through the roof. Dreams of AdSense revenue danced in my head and I pictured throngs of loyal readers as if they already existed. But because I understand my emotional pattern, I realized this optimism would give way to depression. In the back of my mind, I foresaw the impending motivational battle, and when it came I was ready.
Reevaluate Your Strategy and Motivation
The passing of the emotional peak is a blessing in disguise because it allows us to reevaluate our plans from a fresh perspective. At first we are blinded by our own optimism. When we lose our motivation we can see gaping holes our in plan. We can either get down on ourselves and give up, or we can use this negative emotion to discover our faults and correct them. After I pulled myself out of the motivational cellar, I went back to all the negatives thoughts I’d had and applied them to improving the site. Having a pessimistic attitude opened my eyes. It made me realistic about my abilities and expectations. Emotional valleys bring us back to reality. Without them we’d be raving lunatics with unlimited self-confidence.
Use a loss of motivation as an opportunity to reconsider what your motivation really is. One reason I lost motivation is that I became too concerned with the financial aspect of blogging and lost sight of the real reason I started: sharing my passion for self improvement and the pursuit of happiness. When I realigned my motivation with my passion, the lack of results didn’t matter. My motivation returned because I realized connecting with people through my writing is an end in itself. Even if this site never makes I dime, sharing my ideas and experiences to help other people is worth the effort.
In truth, sometimes giving up is the right decision. If you started doing something for the wrong reasons you’ll likely lose your motivation. This is a good thing. It allows us to see what really motivates us. In these cases, the best choice is to move on to a new endeavor. Don’t fight self doubt, use it for your benefit.
Conclusion
Dealing with emotional highs and lows is an experience common to all people. We generally accept our emotions as beyond our control. They are powerful and mysterious and appear quite irrational. But if we contemplate our emotions, if we explore the inner workings of our minds, we find that like all things, emotions obey the law of cause and effect. Armed with this knowledge, we can continue to allow our emotions to dominate our lives, or we can use them to our benefit.
Don’t be surprised by a loss of motivation and don’t be disappointed by it. Understand it as natural effect of the human mind, and utilize this knowledge of self to make your emotions work for you.
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[…] John Wesley has a variation on this take at Pick the Brain called Overcoming the Loss of Motivation that follows a Surge in Productivity. […]
Thanks for a great post John. I could not agree more with your thinking.
I myself experience it - I get these bouts of doubts (heh) where I question a project and feel utterly certain that it’s all going to fail.
And interestingly I get these doubt-attacks whether the project is successful or not. If I’m not (yet) getting results I feels sure that I never will. If I’m already successful, I feel sure that I will lose that success and that people will soon expose me for the fraud I am. Or feel like, in that moment.
These feelings come maybe once or twice a month, usually late in the evening or at night. I used to take them very seriously, but now I know that they come - and are gone by the next morning.
I think feeling this way is the price we pay for doing anything interesting. Imagine doing only the things that are so easy, that you could never be in doubt of a positive outcome…
Boooooooooooooring! :o)
As you write, the key is to know yourself and to allow these feelings to exist.
Great post. It definitely hits home now that many of us are a week into our New Year’s resolutions.
[…] Patricia presents 10 Reasons NOT To Give Up TV, Erek Ostrowski presents Getting Out of Debt (Part 1) Alan presents Money (What it really is and how it is acquired) Jack Yoest presents Media Training at The Leadership Institute John Wesley presents Overcoming the Loss of Motivation […]
Awesome post! I’m in the midst of a downward surge right now having just launched my startup a few weeks ago and you’re absolutely right that’s it’s only natural to go through the progression.
Thanks Theo. Best of luck in getting back on track and making your startup a success.
[…] “How many times have you started a new activity (such as a personal project or exercise routine) with a burst of enthusiasm, only to see that initial momentum evaporate? This often leads to depression and causes us to give up prematurely. I’ve experienced this letdown dozens of times myself. But fortunately, with a bit of thought and reflection you can turn this negative emotion around.” John Wesley helps in “Overcoming the loss of motivation that follows a surge of productivity.” […]
You are soooo right! I really appreciate your writing about the let down afterwards. I can’t tell you how many times I have mistaken that let down as a signal the idea or decision was a bad one and abandoned it. I like your suggestion to tae advantage of this period to re-evaluate and correct. This is really good - thanks!
Dave,
I’m glad you recognize the same pattern in your own life. Hopefully sharing this will help more people persevere when they experience a letdown.
Nice post. I have many ideas and thus many projects have sprung up, and this post helped me realize my natural tendency to continue working on each one pieces at a time. A burst of energy here, a letdown there, a burst there, etc.
[…] John Wesley presents Overcoming the Loss of Motivation that Follows a Surge of Productivity posted at Pick the Brain. Overcome the inevitable loss of motivation by understanding your emotions. […]
Great Post! I particularly like your suggestion to expect the “down” period and be prepared for it!
When I start a project, I usually try to find a role model to hang onto during these down periods. Using your example of blogging (I go through the exact same doubts as you), I have bookmarked a few blogs that I really like. Its not that these blogs always have something great to say. Its just that they are persistent, and every now and then they have something that speaks directly to me. And thats why they are my role models. Being great all the time, is of course the goal. But if I can’t do that, I will settle for just be around all the time, and being great every now and then
A very timely post for me and I thank you for it. As an artist the highs and lows are quite common with me. I have just completed a series of commissioned work and it is now so hard to be motivated to paint for exhibitions for the up and coming year and of cause it effects those that are around me. Though blogging takes quite a bit of my time reading and writing, it also can be very motivating by reading stories such as yours. Thanks for sharing.
Great post. The other thing that really helps me when I hit that lowpoint is a coach or mentor. If you can find someone who has been there before, it can be a wonderful support.
[…] Know your emotions. If you’re experiencing emotional highs and lows you’re in luck - that’s normal. But the inevitable loss of motivation after a huge surge of inspiration is tough just the same. […]
[…] John Wesley’s Pick the Brain Resist the Temptation to Submit to Authority, Einstein’s Theory of Religion, and Overcoming a Loss of Motivation […]
Thank you very much for this post.
I am covered up my neck in a mess of half finished, unfinished projects. I feel very down, tired and unhappy and pray god everyday to find the motivation to sort them out. The unfortunate thing is I have lost the willpower to finish them. I am doing my best to ignore them and forget them but they are there in the back of my mind always making me unhappy.
Evren,
I been in the same boat for awhile now.and the reason you feel like that is procrastination.the longer you wait the worse it gets.I totally know what your dealing with and hope that you understand that all those negative feelings will go away once you attack the projects and get organized.Think about the end result.the hardest part is the first step.the rest will follow.Let me know if i was any help.I got myself out of the slump this way.
Yours Truly,
Adam Lolovic
[…] If you don’t have a lot of time, just look on the sidebar: Best of Pick The Brain section contains the best informational and motivating articles, such as Learn to understand your own intelligence, Overcoming a loss of motivation, or Case study: How a headline made the difference between 100 and 5000 visits. Although John is a bit sceptical about his blog being remarkable, there are lots of things to learn from the big white bear, so I invite you to read John Wesley’s blog and comment here what was your favourite post and why. Good luck John, and keep on picking the brain. It sure works! You can take your badge and display it on your site. if (typeof window.Delicious == “undefined”) window.Delicious = {}; Delicious.BLOGBADGE_DEFAULT_CLASS = ‘delicious-blogbadge-line’; […]
Just wanted to say thanks for a good overview of something so simple, so many of us miss it. I’ve felt these peaks and valleys many times first hand, but never voiced the pattern I noticed for fear of being branded bi-polar. I have in the past been able to deal with anger and other emotions with logic and reasoning in the past, but such a broad application of such a simple idea hadn’t occured to me before. Thank you, again.
James
heyy , all this usual information i like this site,., loll omg and ofcourse its worth it u should be very proud of yourself, ur helping many ppl like u say avoid thinking negative, trust me this website is worth it,
Thanks Jennafer, it helps to hear that.
But you see Johnny Boy… now you DO have a loyal reader.
It’s unfair: you *feel* it, we have to read it.
No matter: knowing this alone is making a difference.
[…] John Wesley presents Overcoming the Loss of Motivation that Follows a Surge of Productivity posted at Pick the Brain - Wit and Wisdom for Your Inspiration. […]
[…] I occasionally go through periods when I lose confidence, feel flat like you said, and have trouble breaking out of it. For some people, I think it’s all just part of the emotional cycle of highs and lows. I actually wrote about it a ways back: Overcoming a Loss of Motivation. I’m not sure if there is any way to snap right out of the Yuck. The best you can do is understand that it will eventually pass and try to keep going without getting too down on yourself. __________________ Pick the Brain Getting Smarter Every Day […]
Great article. Came to it via a link on the Steve Pavlina forum.
Because I am always working on a personal project, I’ve come to recognize and expect the down days after the initial manic energy. It’s nice to know that there’s at least something positive we can extract from these moments.
Great article.
It reminds me of a documentary I recently saw on bipolar disorder with Steven fry, I’m not bipolar myself but have noticed all the same symptoms as those described on the program only to a lesser degree. Perhaps it’s not really a dysfunction but simply an extreme of a natural process that enables us to tackle something big, to overcome the mundane. if you keep in mind the natural cycle you can take advantage of the highs and lows.
Thanks for the article
That’s interesting Sukha, I’d like to see that documentary sometime.
I just wanted to say thank you John Wesley for such an interesting and uplifting site! And a comment for James S….I too have felt like I was bi-polar!! Your comment made me laugh. Thanks to all!!
Thanks, Helen!
[…] Overcoming a Loss of Motivation […]
We are as humans equipped to question our actions. How could we improve elsewise improve ourselves? When I get a down, I try to get a bigger picture..and look at human history. We all had downs or losses..the key is to accept them and learn from them.
[…] “How many times have you started a new activity (such as a personal project or exercise routine) with a burst of enthusiasm, only to see that initial momentum evaporate? This often leads to depression and causes us to give up prematurely. I’ve experienced this letdown dozens of times myself. But fortunately, with a bit of thought and reflection you can turn this negative emotion around.” John Wesley helps in “Overcoming the loss of motivation that follows a surge of productivity.” […]
[…] Overcoming a Loss of Motivation […]
Thanks for this. You helped me out more than you can know by me just reading this. Thank you, you are doing a terrific thing.
I’m glad Mat, and I appreciate your comment. It really means a lot me to know I’m having an effect on someone’s life. It keeps me motivated to write.
thank you very much for this site. I’m having a huge loss of motivation rigt now.
Well, I hope the article helps a bit. Best wishes with your motivation.
Wow, fantastic post John! I will be sure to share it with others.
Thanks, George. I’m glad it struck a chord with you.
[…] Overcoming a Loss of Motivation Great tips on staying motivated. […]
[…] Get Better …. May 27th, 2007 …by going to the the web site / blog called Pick the Brain: An Analytical Approach to Self Improvement. It has lots of good material such as articles on Overcoming a Loss of Motivation and How to Write Something Worth Reading. It also has lots of great links to other places. […]
I am fighting against my loss of motivation now.
I can’t find my initial passion with c++, which i have been with for about two months. i should be quiet and ask myself some questions such as why i learn c++. You lead me to the right way ,anyway.Thank you.
I do appreciate your article, but I was expecting an article with more suggestions for getting though a period of motivational depression. Suggestions such as setting incremental goals during these periods, examining the areas where one could improve, identifying one’s strengths and making simple changes to one’s routine. Or perhaps, I was expecting more of an analysis of your experiences with such events and personal experiments.
Your wonderful article, while not what I expected, took the anticipatory approach. You recommend that the reader anticipate the lulls and re-evaluate their initial purpose.
[…] Overcoming a Loss of Motivation […]
[…] was just reading an article about this the other day: Overcoming a Loss of Motivation __________________ When people see things as beautiful, ugliness is created. When people see […]
[…] Overcoming a Loss of Motivation: “The combination of fatigue, scant results, and an awareness of impending adversity makes us want to give up. From personal experience I’ve learned a few ways to hold strong against negativity.” […]
Daily Report for July 30, 2007…
Team Collaboration Shared Calendar Scenarios … The Notes/Domino team is looking for real-world scenarios of where business users want to share calendar information with others. IBM developerWorks Mozilla Drops Thunderbird … Mozilla announced plans …
I liked the “raving lunatics” part. So true.
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Greats for sharing your articles,
its help me to go further,
To your success,
Tracy Ho
wisdomgettingloaded
Alright, I think I’m burned out … now what? I’m not sure where it’s coming from, I just feel tired all the time and I can think of how to do projects and self improvement, I just don’t seem able to find the energy to get up and get it done. It’s a hell of a funk. I’m afraid it will become habit.
[…] There are many forms of exercise to choose from, and possible suggestions include brisk walking or swimming. Your diet also plays a big part, and you should try to keep a well balanced diet. Cut down on […]
Once upon a time there was about a King who would struggle like this with times of great heights and deep valleys. He called his wise men and asked them to come up with something that would help him in this area. They all failed which reveals how difficult it is for many to offer any help. However one came up with something that he felt would help the king. The man’s name was ” Experience”. Experience made a special ring for the king and he told the king to wear it always and to read the four words on it every time he felt extremely high or whenever he was in a valley. The King looked at the ring and was very pleased.
The words engraved were ” This too shall pass”
I love this, you’re great!
I ambitiously started my own company when I was 18, in a very tough industry. I am now 22, and still with the same concept. I am currently in my longest “motivational slump” and this reminds me of the positive thinking and emotional control that got me this far. This helps tremendously, and whether you read all your comments or not, I felt compelled to give you my appreciation.
Thanks!!
Sincerely,
Cambri Michaels
Excellent article! I got the kick I wanted on a morning that was not good earlier. this has given good positive energy for my work. thanks again for the great post. I have subscribed to RSS feed and keep looking for more kicks
Perfect to those People who wanted to be more educated in this matter:)
thanks man, this is very good, i jst turned 17 and i have many doubts n low motivation, i feel like im worthless, after reading this made me feel better about most things, you made me realize it takes time,patience and hard work to get what you want, thanks bro
Nice.. Tks : )
This is the first really HELPFUL website that i have found. Taking an issue, breaking it down, using examples, and then giving insightful ways to solve issue. Great writting style! You’ve won a repeat customer.