Mindfulness

Ebb And Flow Of Your Motivation Levels

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If you’re in it for the long haul, you’re going to notice an ebb and flow of your motivation levels. You’ll probably go through periods of high energy where productivity comes effortlessly, as well as periods of lethargy where your work doesn’t come so easily, and the thought of quitting might even sneak its way into the picture.

We have written that burnout is the product of a lack of mindfulness, and in the context of this article we want to add that whether it’s burnout or the slow fade, a lack of mindfulness will make quitting more likely. Raising your conscious awareness about where your motivation level actually is will help you decipher when you should ride the wave of productivity, going full speed ahead, and when you should back off a little bit.

Most endeavors worth anything at all are marathons, not foot races. It’s okay to take your foot off the gas pedal once in a while, to adjust your work output to your current motivation level, protecting yourself from working past the point of exhaustion and into the dangerous realm of thinking about giving up.

If you can mindfully come to the present to become aware of how you are actually feeling instead of how you think you should be feeling, you’ll put yourself in the best position to reach a successful outcome in the long-term even if it means a slight dip of productivity in the short-term.