Stuck and Unmotivated? Here Are 7 Reasons Why You Might Be

“What if I get stuck and unmotivated and can't get it back to keep going?" The other day, during one of our sessions, my client blurted out these words. Isn't it a big one? I've even felt this way before.

But you and I know deep down that we set a goal for a reason, and we won't feel like things are right until we reach that goal. You can't just give up.

If you've been feeling stuck, unmotivated, and like it'll never happen for you, today is the day to decide to let it go.  I’m right here with you.

Whether you know exactly what you want or have a general idea, it can be tough to keep pushing forward when you feel stuck and unmotivated. In this blog post, we'll look at seven common reasons why it may be hard for you to keep pushing yourself to change your life and reach your goals.

7 Reasons Why You Might Be Stuck and Unmotivated

You don't have faith in yourself.

You might not be motivated to achieve your goals because you don't believe you can do it or don't believe you deserve it deep down inside (or maybe not so deep down). Increasing your self-confidence is an important part of increasing your motivation.

Take for example, Sally (I’m changing her name for privacy).

Sally had always dreamed of starting her own business, but she never took the leap because she didn't believe she had what it took to be successful. She constantly doubted her abilities and worried about failure. Because of this, she couldn’t find the motivation to even take the first steps towards her goal.

But Sally decided to work on increasing her self-confidence. She reminded herself of past successes and accomplishments and focused on her strengths and skills. She also came to me for support and encouragement, as well as from her friends.

When she worked on her self-confidence, Sally was able to boost her motivation and finally took action towards her dream of starting her own business! And she succeeded in launching her own company, which is now thriving.

You're stuck and unmotivated because you are feeling overwhelmed.

Maybe you simply have too much on your plate right now and need to clear it. You may be procrastinating because you don't want to deal with the stress of going through your long and daunting to-do list.

Emilia, a stay-at-home mom of five, used to feel like she couldn't handle her daily tasks. She had trouble getting herself to finish her never-ending list of things to do, which made her even more stressed. Emilia knew that she had to do something to ease some of the stress.

First, she looked at her daily schedule and made some changes so that her most important tasks came first. She also learned to give some tasks to her older kids and her husband, so she could focus on the things that only she could do.

Emilia also joined a group for moms on Facebook and started getting life coaching virtually.

Now that she has a better grasp on a better-balanced schedule and a network of people who care about her, Emilia is able to feel less overwhelmed and start each day with more energy and motivation. Don’t get me wrong, Emilia still has some hiccups every now and then, but everyone can expect that to happen. And when you expect things like hiccups, you are better prepared to overcome them and get back on track by not being stuck and unmotivated.

You bit more than you could chew.

Self-confidence is important, but it's also good to be honest with yourself and realistic. If you want to save a million dollars this year but only make $60,000, you'll probably give up when you realize it's not possible. Set goals with expectations you can actually meet.

Here is another example for you. Amanda, when she was a 32-year-old personal assistant, used to work non-stop but could barely make ends meet. She realized that she had bitten off more than she could chew when she set an unrealistic goal of saving a huge amount of money within a year.

Amanda took a step back and re-evaluated her financial situation. She noticed that the majority of her income went to things like happy hours, night clubs, and eating out almost every night!

So we got together, and she learned to set more realistic goals, and she then made a budget that worked for her income. She stopped going out as much and instead hosted game nights, barbecues on her balcony, and karaoke nights with her friends. She still left room in her budget to go out and enjoy her weekends every now and then, but now she is more mindful about it.

She worked hard and steadily saved money, and eventually, she achieved her financial goals without burning out or sacrificing on too much.

Amanda is now working fewer hours, staying on top of her finances, and starting her own business!

You're terrified.

Believe it or not, you may be putting off and avoiding your destiny because you are afraid of your own greatness. You might also be afraid of the changes that will occur if you achieve your objectives. Confront your fears by writing them down and maybe processing them with a friend or someone you love and trust, so that fear of change does not detract from your motivation.

I won't have to change the name in this case because it was me. I was afraid of being successful, not of failing. Have you ever found yourself stuck in a "what-if" loop? What if this or that happens? Well, I was stuck there for a very long time and thus unmotivated.

I couldn't move because I was so scared. I wasn't getting any closer to my goals because I couldn't stop thinking about "what ifs." I was afraid of things I thought would throw me out of my comfort zone too quickly.

But at the time, I was working with a life coach, and he told me, "What if you take things one step at a time, and if that problem you're worried about comes up later, we'll deal with it as it comes?" "What if it doesn't come up at all?"

That woke me up for some reason, and I still remember those words to this day.

You are stuck in the past.

You may be thinking too much about how you tried to reach your goal in the past and getting caught up in the story of how it didn't work out. Wipe the slate clean and move on. You can't move forward if you keep living in the past.

One other example is Linda, who had to close down a business that had failed. She felt like a failure and was afraid to start another business, but she couldn’t shake her desire to try again.

She couldn't stop thinking about how things didn't go well the last time and found herself stuck and unmotivated. But after a few sessions together, Linda realized that thinking about the past wouldn't help her move on. We talked about what worked and what didn’t work, and how to learn from any mistakes she could pinpoint from the last time she had a business.

She decided to start over with a new business idea and clear the slate. We made a list of her previous accomplishments to re-build her confidence. There were many things she had done well that she had forgotten about. By letting go of her fear of failure and remembering how much of a rock star she truly was, Linda was able to successfully launch her new business, and it is now thriving.

You are not receiving the necessary assistance.

Take a moment to observe the people around you. What are their thoughts about you and your goals? Are they supportive and check in to see how you're doing, or are they dismissive of your goals and abilities? Try spending less time with people that drain your motivation, or at the very least keep them out of the loop on this one subject.

I know from experience how disheartening it is when your own family or significant other aren’t supportive of you and your goals. That is another issue to work through, but the advice here is to surround yourself with like minded people.

Find a mentor, a life-coach, or even a supportive group online or offline. The good news is that many other options exist when looking for supportive people.

Are you are stuck and unmotivated because you don't have a plan?

It's hard enough to reach your goal and make something new, but it's almost impossible to do so without a plan. You might not be motivated because you aren't using tools that work, like positive affirmations or a schedule.

To stay motivated and reach your goals, you need to figure out what's getting in your way. Whether you don't believe in yourself, feel too busy, or don't have a good plan, there are steps you can take to get past these problems.

You can stay on track and make real progress toward your dreams by working on your self-confidence, setting realistic goals, facing your fears, surrounding yourself with positive people, and using effective tools. Remember that motivation can come and go, but if you have the right attitude and plan, you can do anything you want.

Stay true to yourself - you deserve the life you want.

Hope this helps!

Life can be tough, but it's important to give yourself a break and acknowledge all of the great things you're doing. Download my ebook for tips on boosting your self-confidence and feeling good about yourself - it's free!