Regaining momentum and motivation
- Written byCareers and Employability
- Published date 23 January 2023
There are many reasons why someone may lose momentum or motivation for a goal or project, such as a creative block, negative feedback and rejection, or a break to simply prioritise other aspects of your life. Recovering from that delay or dip in motivation can be challenging, but it isn’t as hard as our brains make it out to be.
In this blog, we will guide you through how to refocus on your aims, reflect on your big picture and give you tips on how to stay accountable.
Take each step at a time, you will build momentum with each action and find your motivation builds over time. Here are some tips on how to refocus.
Reflect on where you are
You are not back at square one, because you have developed knowledge, experience and perspective along the way. It’s important to recognize what you have accomplished so far and celebrate your achievements, even the small ones, every step towards your goal counts.
Redefine what success means to you
Learn new skills and try out a new hobby. This will firstly help with creative blocks and inspire new ideas but also to redefine success and start to view failure as a part of life and development, not something to be feared.
Increase self-compassion
Create a list of ways to be kinder to yourself, consider which of your needs you are not meeting and prioritize your self-care and how you can implement it into your daily life and over time these healthy additions will increase your self-compassion.
Reflective coaching questions
These will help motivate you by either:
- Remembering the bigger picture and why It's important.
or
- If you are changing direction these will help to create a new path.
Finding your why
- Why did you set this goal in the first place?
- What about this is important to you?
- Why do you feel passionate about it?
Finding your vision
- Where do you want this goal to lead?
- What will it feel like to achieve this?
- How will you celebrate achieving this?
- How will achieving this impact you?
How to stay accountable
- Setting a deadline for yourself and telling your friends, family or colleagues.
- Have your goals on the wall as a visual reminder
- Keep track of your task list in an action plan
- Co-working, virtual or in-person working alongside peers or strangers.
- Posting on social media or Linkedin about your goals or creative challenges.
- Finding a Mentor to help keep you accountable and advise you along your journey.
- Getting a Coach to help you with confidence and fear and keep you accountable.
If you want additional support check out our career guides or speak to a member of your careers support team. We also run career-focused events throughout term.