We all need a little motivation every now and then. Even the most driven individuals can get burned out, frustrated, lose their energy. It’s not a personal failing, it’s just something that happens because we’re human, not machines. Sometimes it may be due to personal issues, physical issues, or mental health. Other times it’s just simple burn out.
I find it happens to me, too. I can get into a fantastic groove working on various creative projects, writing, drawing, cooking, making music. But eventually I’ll run out of steam and have to take a break to catch my breath.
The problem, I’ve found, is that it can difficult to get back to it. Why is it that we find it easy to slip out of good routines and processes, but so hard to get back into them? Just like it’s easier to pick up a bad habit than it is to break one.
It would be wonderful to have a cure-all for when this arises. Pop a pill, drink an elixir, do a funky dance or something like that. But no. As the saying goes, there are no easy answers.
But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something that will work for you. You just have to find it. When you’re in one of those ruts, you have to ask yourself, “What motivates me?”
We’re all motivated by something different. It may be you have ideas in your head that you feel passionate about. Or maybe you have a desire to prove to someone – maybe yourself, maybe a friend or family member – that you’re better than they think you are. Or maybe you want to impress someone, a woman who makes your heart flutter, or a man who makes you feel funny inside. Or maybe you can’t sit still, that you have to do something, keep busy, keep moving.

Whatever it may be, you have to remind yourself every once in a while. I’m not going to claim that this will shake off that funk your in and get you back on track, but I do think it’s a first step. What I mean is, the way to correct course is to take a step back and remember what it is that fuels your passion, that keeps the fires burning.
Once you remember that, it can start a chain reaction, like lighting a fuse. You remember that motivation – the spark – and it gets you thinking about your journey, what got you started in your creative endeavor, made you want to be creative. Then you’ll start to remember how good it feels to create. You’ll remember what it is that you enjoy about the process. And before you know it, you’ll be back in the groove.
Like I note above, there’s no quick fix. Even what I describe about remembering your motivation isn’t going to immediately change things. There’s a process, everyone is different. But I think that this is a good way to begin that process.
Remember, we all need to be creative in some way. No matter what it is, try and do it regularly, get into a routine, follow your passion. It’s good for you.
RB