There comes a time in life when everything around you is going round and round in a complete blur. Work becomes overwhelming, family obligations become time consuming, and other commitments take over all your 'free-time'. Often, this is when we lose our motivation to the things we love to do. It is very easy to get pre-occupied with so many obligations that we have that we forget to do things for ourselves. We often lose the motivation that once pushed us to stay creative, stay active, or stay engaged. The loss of motivation can come in so many different forms- it can come from being tired at the end of the day (or the beginning of the day in some cases); it can come from the lack of ideas; it can come from the lack of time. And it seems to be a cyclic pattern. One feeds off the other. So how do we overcome? It's a hard question to answer and one that probably cannot be answered here. But, I think we need to take some time and reflect on all those things in our lives and determine which are the most important and the most fulfilling. Which things is our lives are going to keep us going? Which things are going to put a smile on our face? And which will bring us happiness, peace, and joy? Then, once we figure that out, we need to say good-bye to those things are a sucking away our time, our energy, and our spirit. It may be hard to say farewell or re-organize our lives, but in the end it will benefit you and those around you. I don't know about you, but I tend to be very cranky when I am unhappy, tired, and searching for the spark I need to get up and go!
Motivation, however, is tough to sustain without help. It is very easy to fall into the routine of being lazy and unproductive. But it is okay to ask for help- for a push or a nudge. Just as you want to help others- others want to help you. And it is perfectly okay to ask for it! It is not a sign of weakness. I know it is hard. It is hard for me to ask. I don't want to burden people or put them out. But I need to remind myself that I never feel burdened or put out when someone asks me for help. I am usually happy that they feel that they can come to me and trust me. In my life, I have found that I need to be pushed. As such, I work with a trainer to keep me active and healthy. She helps me to focus on the now and the task at hand. She helps me gain confidence in myself and my abilities which has made me grow in so many ways. Now all I need is a pottery trainer....one that will push my limits and keep me going. But in fact, I do have those trainers, though they may not go by that name---I call them teachers, colleagues, friends. Remember, each of us has a little "trainer" inside that can push each other to reach our potential.
I have found that once motivation is lost, it is very hard to get back. As it has been said, "A body in motion stays in motion. A body at rest stays at rest." I can't emphasize how true that is. In my pottery life, in my personal life, and in my athletic life....once you stop pushing yourself it is very hard to get momentum to start again. Take it from someone who knows....
