7Steps to Overcome the Moto-Killers

7 Deadly Sins That Destroy Motivation and What You Can Do About Them

Feeling like you just can’t rise up and climb uphill to your goal, or even walk at a leisurely pace along a flat path to get there?

Here are seven things that may be holding you back.

1. You don’t believe in yourself.

You may not be motivated to achieve your goals because deep down inside (or maybe not so deep down) you don’t think you can do it, or you don’t feel like you deserve it. Developing self confidence is a key component to strengthening your motivation.

2. You’re overwhelmed.

Perhaps you just have too much stuff going on right now, and you need to clear your plate. You might be procrastinating because you don’t want to face the stress of going down your large and overwhelming to-do list.

3. You bit off more than you can chew.

While self-confidence is important, it’s also good to be realistic. If you’ve made a goal to save up a million dollars this year, but you make less than six figures, you’ll probably give up on your goal once you realize it’s impossible. Try setting goals with realistic expectations you can fulfill.

4. You’re afraid.

Believe it or not, you could actually be procrastinating and avoiding your destiny because—get this—you’re afraid of the greatness within. You could also be afraid of the changes that will come about if you meet your goals. Confront your fears by writing them out, and perhaps process them with a friend or loved one, so your motivation won’t be detracted by fear of change.

5. You live in the past.

You may be circling back unnecessarily to previous similar attempts to achieve your goal, and getting locked into the story of how it didn’t work out so well that time. Wipe the slate clean and move on—if you live in the past you’ll never be able to move successfully toward the future.

6. You’re not getting the support you need.

Take a moment to reflect on the people around you. What are they saying about you and your goals? Are they being supportive and checking in to see how you’re doing, or are they disparaging your dreams and trashing your abilities? Consider spending less time with negative people that reduce your motivation, or at least not including them in the loop of this one subject.

7. You don’t have a strategy.

It’s hard enough to achieve your goal and bring a new entity into existence, but to do it without a plan is almost impossible. You may be lacking motivation because you’re not leveraging powerful tools like affirmations or a schedule.