Just because you have no motivation to do something doesn’t mean you’ve stopped enjoying it, loved it, or lost your passion for it.
There are many factors that contribute to a lack of motivation, for instance; if you’re going through a hard time in life, or feeling a little bit down, your motivation will drop, FOR EVERYTHING. You can still love to do something and not want to do it.
I’ve been through a patch recently where I couldn’t find the same amount of energy I used to have for editing and planning shoots, and it was getting me down. So I took a minute and thought about it. I still loved shooting, and when I got to editing I still enjoyed it, so why didn’t I put in the effort?
Simply put, life got in the way. I had done and was trying to do so much elsewhere in life that I was eating like shit, my sleeping was mediocre, and everything in my life was starting to irritate me. I let the small things get to me and they sucked out all of the enjoyment. This happened to such an extent that I didn’t want to do what made me happy.
When I realised this, I owned up to those reasons. I didn’t vow to instantly change them or make drastic changes in my life, but I set out a plan to just slowly but surely be productive again. And for the most part, it’s worked. I’m finding the time to edit when needed, enjoying all of my work again, working more frequently and consistently, and overall enjoying life that little bit more.
Now I will say some of this is related to external factors that I have no control over, and some of it is paying attention to myself. Learning and trying to understand what my body needs versus what my brain says has helped massively as well as making sure I get enough, and consistent sleep. Our bodies are incredible machines and will reward you if you treat them well.
So if you’re feeling down, or lacking motivation for something you love, I recommend taking a step back and looking at the entirety of your life. Be kind to yourself and remember that little and often is more productive than one massive go and burning out. Be consistent and listen to yourself.
Remember to enjoy life.
