When You're Just Not Feeling Motivated...😕
Welcome to another edition of the newsletter!
This Month’s Book Club Selection
I’m excited to share this month’s book club selection! This month we are reading nonfiction (we switch up month-to-month) and the book we will be reading is…Stolen Youth! I am friends with both authors, Bethany and Karol, and one or both should be able to join us for our next book club discussion to answer YOUR questions! I can’t wait to discuss it with you all!
What You Might Have Missed At Classically Abby…
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Quote of the Week:
“Never let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you.” - Joey Adams
Classic Style Inspo
Have you ever heard of color analysis? It was very popular in the eighties, and it basically classified people’s coloring by season. Then it recommended certain colors to bring out people’s natural skin and hair colors to make them look the most attractive. I’ve recently been doing some research into this, and I have found it makes such a difference when you wear colors that work on you!
Things I’ve Been Loving: Fit Me Concealer
This concealer is an oldie but a goodie. It’s been around for a long time, but it works great and is a staple in my makeup bag.
Welcome to Classically Abby!
I'm a wife, mama, opera singer, entrepreneur, YouTuber, and your guide to becoming the classic woman you've always wanted to be! Follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter to see how! And together, let's be classic.
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When You're Just Not Feeling Motivated...
Hello friends and happy Tuesday! I hope you’re all doing well. This past weekend was so sweet and lowkey. My husband and I spent the whole weekend together, just the two of us and Mr. Baby. The previous two weekends had been busy with Jacob’s birthday and then my son’s, so it was nice to just chill out after so much craziness. We spent almost all day in the pool on Saturday, and then on Sunday we went to a little outdoor shopping mall near us that is so pretty to walk around. We also spent much of the weekend reading - both of us were pretty involved with our books, and we definitely enjoyed getting to read them to our hearts content! All in all, it was a perfect weekend and one I would definitely love to experience again. There are those days that are amazing because you ran around doing incredible things, and then there are those days that are wonderful because you did absolutely nothing with the people you love. This past weekend was the latter.
I’m going to be honest with you. Today, I sat down to write this article and almost didn’t have it in me to write it. I was feeling down and tired and totally unmotivated. But the truth is, not being motivated isn’t an excuse not to do my work. If I wasn’t motivated to take care of my son one day, would it matter? Not one wit. I still have a responsibility to give him my all. Similarly, I’m still responsible to you all, my readers. But I wanted to share my thoughts on this feeling, because I think it’s important. We all feel unmotivated sometimes. We all wake up some days and just don’t feel like doing anything that requires hard work. It’s human nature - our moods ebb and flow, our energy ebbs and flows. We are not robots - not everything is programmed and automated and ready-to-go at any moment.
So what do we do in those moments? What do we do when we simply don’t have it in us to get down to business? I’m going to share what I did today so that maybe it can help you, but I’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments below, too. I think we can all learn from each other today, and this is a space where we can all improve.
Just get started. Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to start. I’ll procrastinate or sit around doing nothing if it means I don’t have to start a project when I’m feeling unmotivated. But the best and easiest step I can take when I’m in a mood like this is to just begin. Sit down at the computer. Start typing. Start editing. Start doing what I have to do, and allow the momentum of the process to carry me through. For example, I sat down to write this article with no motivation to write it, and I’m already halfway done. And now that I’m halfway through, I’m pretty certain I can get all the way to the end.
Embrace where you’re at. So, as you can see, I’m writing an article about the very feeling I’m experiencing right now. I had a few other options of things to write about today that I was interested in sharing with you all, but when it came down to it, I knew that I wouldn’t do those topics justice today. Instead, I am embracing where I’m at and what I’m thinking about. I am feeling unmotivated, so it’s better and easier for me to write about what I’m thinking while I’m thinking it than it is for me to completely fake where I’m at emotionally. The truth is, what I'm writing now is going to be the truest form of my writing because I am experiencing these emotions in real time - and pouring my thoughts out on paper as I do. Now, that’s a better use of my energy than trying to hide where I’m at!
Don’t interrupt yourself. As I’m writing this, I am allowing myself to get all of my thoughts on paper before self-editing. When you’re unmotivated, any trip-ups, any stopping and starting, will derail you and prevent you from finishing your project. Instead, move forward like a freight train until you finish what you’ve started. Then go back and edit and fix and nitpick yourself. But start by getting through whatever it is you’re working on so you don’t have an excuse to stop yourself from completing the task. I find that’s so helpful when I’m working on an article - the stream of consciousness allows me to power through my unmotivated state.
Being unmotivated can occur for a whole host of reasons. You’re stressed. You’re tired. You’re upset. Your mind is simply absorbed elsewhere. And that’s normal. But even at those times, we can’t always step back and wait for things to settle. Sometimes, we still have to push through. And if we do, we can look back on our day with pride for doing what we had to do.
What do you think? What are your life hacks when you’re feeling unmotivated? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
I learned a long time ago that motivation is a bonus for productivity, not a requirement. When you have things that need doing, relying on motivation is a poison that most of us can't afford. For some things you can find external motivation. For example, I usually watch cleaning videos on YouTube when I am deep cleaning or mopping or something like that. Other times, you just have to find the willpower and discipline to dig in and get to it.
Love this post, as this is something I was really struggling with recently. Sometimes I’ll add something to help me focus (like a “study with me” video) or to help me try and enjoy the work that needs doing, like listening to a podcast or music. Lists are a great tool as well! Sometimes it’s hard to find motivation when there’s too much clouding my mind, so writing a list of what needs to be done and starting with the easiest task can get the ball rolling. 😊