Focus and motivation

It was getting up late, eating, going to work, eating, sitting brain dead without single thought until going to bed for 3 weeks. Even constant 'how are you?'s did not annoy me.

So you're saying it's recurring condition. that sucks.

I'm back to wanting to get up

I know that feeling Mariusz.  Somehow I keep getting up again

Thanks for this lovely reply James.  Please tell us about your novel if you want to - completely understand if you don't also!

I'm feeling better again. But I had 3 weeks feeling completely empty, unable to make myself do anything

Mariusz said:

I've just run out of long term ideas, all of them have failed, and in result my motivation died out. It sucks big time, when nothing gives you joy

Sorry to hear Mariusz, those times are terrible. Hope it passes soon.

Helen said:

this/might not be relevant to you but I thought I'd put my two cents (well, pennies for you?) in in case.

Thanks Helen - they're really great.

Helen said:

7 things to tick off every day or write comments about:

These seven are really good.(particularly as they feature things that I often, with focus elswhere, overlook). I will write them in my notebook to tick off whwn my health is better.

Helen said:

(I have kids

(I don't - which makes my drift to losing sense of time and focus even less understandable.)

Helen said:

Note I've been working on a novel for about ten years but can only stand to work on it on and off.

Sympathy and solidarity. This has been an aim of mine too.

Don't give up on long term plans

I've just run out of long term ideas, all of them have failed, and in result my motivation died out. It sucks big time, when nothing gives you joy

James, Tron and Brozoskeleton have given you great advice I see, but just in case you're old school here's something similar that I do - I put myself on a ten week program (based around school terms) using a blank notebook.  I like writing and drawing with a fineliner pen and highlighters.  Then I have 7 things to tick off every day or write comments about:
 - Quiet time in the morning
- Drink water and do stretches
- Do something productive/work
 - Walk for 40 minutes (helps with anxiety)
- Do an after-school activity (I have kids)
- Clean up after dinner (supposed to make the kids help - also means getting ready for the next day, e.g. put clothes out, have bags ready)
 - Get everyone to bed on time.
You might not need this/might not be relevant to you but I thought I'd put my two cents (well, pennies for you?) in in case.

Also - I get very interested in things for a few weeks or months then after a while I can't stand them (special interests).  My counsellor suggested I try to commit to things for a few months and then plan to do something different.  I'm trying to do that, working for myself, although I'm not sure my hobby businesses are going to cut it income-wise!!  But being able to switch projects before you burn out seems great to me.  Note I've been working on a novel for about ten years but can only stand to work on it on and off.

Tron and NAS90609, a note of thanks - incorporated your advice, and the first part of the project has been completed!

I will now compile the two suggestions and plan a route of action.

Many thanks @nas82323!

Many thanks Tron!

For me, the one thing that kills motivation on big or long-term projects is overwhelm. Knowing that with all the work I've done and all the time I've spent, I'm still not close to getting it all done and there's still a million things to do and what one of them do I focus on?

One way to avoid overwhelm is to get yourself some good ways of organising the project in a way that lets you easily shift your focus from 'macro' (thinking about the whole project) to 'micro' (thinking about particular details).

Do not try and carry the whole project round in your own head.

This might be stuff you already know but here's what works for me...

- Break the project down into logical stages or steps;
- Keep to-do lists for each stage with a way of marking what has and hasn't been done;
- Find ways of prioritising those lists so critical things don't get forgotten and less critical things can be put back (or dumped!);
- Get all that into some sort of timeline so you can see both the 'what' and the 'when' of a project;
- Don't make the organisation system bigger and more complex than the project!

There's tons of ways of doing this - anything from a whiteboard to brainstorm or a place to stick different coloured post-it notes to any of a hundred apps to more hardcore solutions like GANTT charts. The 'Eisenhower Matrix' is a good one for prioritising.

I'm a big fan of the Todoist app - that keeps me on track for everything from managing all the details of big projects to reminding me to take out the garbage each week. 

I hope some of that helps. Good luck!

Hi James,

great question and glad to offer my own tips. I have a job and subsequent interested that require a lot of time and attention from me. I’ve often found myself working for 12hrs straight or more at a time (not reccomended btw). 

here are a few things I swear by and my peers have used also. 

1. Get plenty of sleep the day before, trying to focus when tired is impossible and you take longer completing the most basic of tasks. 

2. Exercise - Do some form of working out. Unlike the first point if your body is recovering from a workout your mind is actually more focused and sharper and helps you sleep better. So a win win. (I’ve recently stopped working out for a few months and its destroyed my productivity)

3. Specify your tasks. Even if whatever you do is not complicate, list out the key things you need to do. This could be key milestones or more specific. 

4. if you can get into a hyper focused state then you won’t likely get bored but if you find you can’t ‘continue’ or getting stuck. Then it means you need to take a break and switch off from your raks for a bit to let your mind refocus. Taking a walk or doing another unrelated task is great for this. 

5. get feedback from others who are expert at what you are doing or even a trusted voice. This will keep you on the right track. 

6. Some people talk about background noise, listening to music, podcasts, or silence. I like them all and use them when I feel. So days I will work in silence, others it will be a podcast. As long as I’m in control of what I listen to I’m good. Even cracking open a window to let in some background noise is handy. 

7. Control your environment. If I’m in a space that is too noisy, busy or distracting I really use momentum. As much as you can control your space. 

8. eat foods that are clean and not going to make your sluggish. I struggle with this but I know once I master this I will feel like a superhero. 

9. deadlines - everything goes out the window if you have a deadline. Worth considering but can become unhealthy for you if you can’t do all the above at the same time. 

10. take breaks. Whether its a tea break, or a week off or more. You NEED this to let your mind reset. There is nothing living in the world that doesn’t need to rest. 

11. enjoy what you are doing, if there are things in your project that you don’t enjoy, try and complete them as quick as possible to get back to the tasks you do enjoy. 

12. keep a diary 

13. drink 8-10 glasses of water a day

14. Where possible complete the biggest most annoying and time consuming task first  then the rest of the day will be easier  

15. Trust yourself. You would’nt be doing the project if you didn’t think you were capable. 

16. take pride in your work and keep your ego in check. 

17. Enjoy all of your hard work once its done. 

thats all I have for now. 

hope some of these help