10 Ways to Overcome a Motivational Roadblock Everyone gets in a rut every now and then, a Doldrum where all our

motivation is sucked out and we just don t feel like working on anything. A short-term dip into one of these emotional ruts is fine, but sometimes we need a boost so we can climb back into the sunshine and resume the pursuit of our go als. Whether you re struggling to lose weight, finish a college course, become mo re socially active, or accomplish some other important goal, review these 10 tip s to reclaim your lost motivation: 1. Process Orientation: Instead of focusing on your goals, try extracting joy fr om each individual task along the way. In other words, focus on the process inst ead of the product. You may find that many of your tasks are enjoyable (or can b e made that way) if you stop worrying about their overall purpose. 2. Set a Goal: Conversely, it s also important to have goals so that you know wher e you re heading. This tip may seem to be in conflict with the previous one, but i t s not. Goals (like losing weight, graduating college, etc.) are important in the sense that they help lay out what tasks we should pursue. 3. Create an Action Plan: Clarify all the steps required to obtain your objectiv e, the anticipated timeline, and the resources you will need. 4. Jury of Peers: Once you have an action plan, find a group of people whowill h old you accountable and tell them what you intend to do. Tell them to ask you fo r progress reports on a regular basis, to keep you on track. 5. Write it Down: There is something about the act of writing down a goal that m akes it official. On a sheet of paper, make a contract: clearly document your go al, then sign the contract, signaling commitment. Stick the contract onto the wa lls in your work area, your fridge, or anywhere else where it might serve to kee p you motivated. 6. Create a Ritual: We are creatures of habit. The easiest way to climb out of a n emotional rut is to establish routines that encourage productivity. When it co mes to establishing new rituals, the first 30 days seem to be themost critical; so for the next 30 days, try structuring your days such that you are consistentl y working toward your goals. 7. Back on the Horse: Instead of allowing a short-term failure to ruin yourmotiv ation, make up your mind to jumpback on that horse and keep moving forward. We l earn from our failures; in this sense, our failures are good, all partof the pla n, if only we ll treat them thatway. 8. List the Benefits: If you ve forgotten why you re trying to accomplish a particul ar goal (which is pretty common whenever we lose motivation), try writing down a ll the benefits you plan to experience once your goal is attained. For example, if you re trying to lose weight, consider your gains in health, vitality, energy, lifespan, and attractiveness. Focus on the benefits instead of the challenges. 9. Visualize: Close your eyes and visualize the future you anticipate. Make this a part of your routine. The purpose of such visualization is to solidify within your mind the worthinessof the goal, to clarify your path. 10. Change Priorities : Sometimes our lives or opinions change in such a way tha t renders certain goals obsolete. For example, if you have a goal to increase yo ur income despite feeling financially satisfied, perhaps the answer is to find a new goal that will inspire you more. There you have it: 10 ways to break through your motivational roadblock so you c an resume your forward progress. There is no shame in a temporary loss of motiva tion (I find myself there all toofrequently), but the key is to evaluate goals, chart actions, and move forward one joyful step at a time.