What You Can Do About 7 Deadly Sins That Destroy Motivation

Feeling like you can't get out of bed and climb uphill to your destination, or simply stroll at a leisurely pace down a level path? Here are seven factors that might be holding you back.

1. You don't have faith in yourself

You may be unmotivated to attain your objectives because deep down within (or perhaps not so deep down) you don't believe you can do it, or you don't believe you deserve it. Increasing your self-confidence is an important part of increasing your motivation.

2. You're feeling overburdened

Perhaps you just have too much on your plate right now and need to clean it. You may be delaying because you don't want to deal with the stress of going through your long and overwhelming to-do list.

3. You chewed off more than you could chew

While self-assurance is essential, it is also beneficial to be realistic. If you set a goal to save a million dollars this year but make less than six figures, you'll probably abandon it once you discover it's unrealistic. Set goals that have realistic expectations that you can meet.

4. You are terrified

Believe it or not, you may be delaying and avoiding your destiny because you are frightened of your own greatness. You could also be frightened of the changes that will occur if you achieve your objectives. Confront your worries by writing them down, and possibly processing them with a friend or loved one, so that dread of change does not interfere from your motivation.

5. You are stuck in the past

You may be unnecessarily circling back to prior identical attempts to attain your objective, becoming engrossed in the tale of how it didn't go so well last time. Wipe the slate clean and move on—if you dwell on the past, you will never be able to effectively move on.

6. You are not receiving the assistance you require

Take a time to consider the people around you. What are they saying about you and your goals? Are they encouraging and checking in to see how you're doing, or are they dismissive of your goals and abilities? Consider spending less time with negative individuals that sap your motivation, or at the very least keeping them out of the loop on this one issue.

7. You lack a strategy

It is difficult enough to fulfill your goal and create a new company, but doing so without a strategy is nearly impossible. You may be missing motivation because you are not utilizing strong tools such as affirmations or a timetable.