How To Deal With Lack Of Motivation – 8 Tips That Might Help

If I got paid every time I hit a wall with a lack of motivation, I’d be rich enough to retire on a beach somewhere.

But no one hands out cash for feeling uninspired. We all have those stretches—sometimes for a few days, sometimes for months—where nothing in us wants to move forward.

It’s not fun. No one enjoys being stuck in a rut, yet it happens to all of us. Even the people you admire online, the ones who seem unstoppable, have their off days.

So, yes—lack of motivation is normal. But does that mean we just sit and wait for it to magically go away?

You could, sure. But that’s not always enough to get you moving again.

Take me, for example. Just an hour before I started writing this, I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling. The thought of picking up my laptop felt like too much work.

And yet, here I am, showing up anyway—partly because this blog keeps the lights on at my place.

There was no magic spell. No sudden burst of inspiration. I just used a couple of reliable tricks that work for me most of the time. And thankfully, they worked today.

In this post, I’ll share 8 of my best strategies for tackling a lack of motivation without making it feel like a chore.

Whether you need to drag yourself to the gym, knock out your to-do list, or finally finish that report sitting on your desk, these tips can help you get back on track.

Let’s get to it. We’ve got work waiting.

8 Ways To Overcome Lack Of Motivation

1. I Start Small — Really Small

When I can’t start something big, I start with something tiny.
I’m talking “put on socks” tiny.
One tiny action almost always makes the next one easier.
If I need to clean the kitchen, I just wash one cup.
If I need to write, I type one sentence.
That’s it.

The trick is that small steps feel less scary than the whole task.
And once you start, you’re more likely to keep going.
Even if I stop after the first step, I’ve still done more than I had five minutes ago.

2. I Use the “Five-Minute” Trick

This one is almost too simple, but it works.
I tell myself I only have to work for five minutes.
Just five minutes, then I can quit.

Most of the time, once those five minutes are up, I keep going.
The hardest part is starting, and this trick removes that mental weight.
But even if I stop after five minutes, I’ve still made progress.

3. I Change My Environment

Sometimes it’s not me—it’s the space I’m in.
If my desk is messy or the room feels stuffy, my motivation drops fast.
When that happens, I switch things up.

I work from a coffee shop.
I move to the kitchen table.
I even just stand by the window for a bit.
A small change in surroundings can make a big difference in how I feel.

4. I Remind Myself Why It Matters

When I lose steam, I forget why I’m doing something in the first place.
That’s when I stop and ask myself: Why is this important to me?

Sometimes it’s about a bigger goal.
Sometimes it’s just because I promised someone I’d get it done.
When I remember the “why,” the “how” becomes easier.
It doesn’t always make me excited, but it gives me a reason to keep going.

5. I Make It Fun (Or at Least Less Boring)

If something feels like torture, I find a way to make it less awful.
I put on music.
I listen to a podcast.
I turn a chore into a race against the clock.

Even small tweaks can make a boring task feel lighter.
It’s not about pretending it’s amazing—it’s about making it tolerable enough to start.

6. I Stop Waiting to “Feel Ready”

This one took me a while to learn.
If I wait until I feel ready, I might be waiting forever.
The truth is, motivation often shows up after I start, not before.

So now, I start before I feel ready.
Even if it’s messy.
Even if I’m not in the mood.
I’ve learned that action creates momentum, and momentum makes things easier.

7. I Break It Into Pieces

Big projects feel overwhelming.
When I look at the whole thing, I just want to hide under a blanket.

So I break it down into smaller pieces.
Not just “Step 1, Step 2” but “Step 1a, Step 1b.”
I focus on one piece at a time, and I don’t think about the rest until I get there.

This way, I’m not carrying the whole project in my head at once.
I’m just dealing with the part in front of me.

8. I Give Myself Permission to Rest

Sometimes my lack of motivation is my body telling me I need a break.
If I’ve been pushing too hard, no amount of tricks will help until I recharge.

So I let myself rest without guilt.
I take a nap.
I go for a walk.
I do something unrelated to work.
When I come back, I usually have more energy to start again.

My Final Thought

A lack of motivation happens to everyone.
It doesn’t mean you’re lazy or broken—it just means you’re human.
You don’t have to wait for the perfect mood to start.
You just need one small action to shift the momentum.

Some days, my “start” is five minutes of work.
Other days, it’s a walk to clear my head.
What matters is finding the thing that gets you moving today, not waiting for tomorrow.

If you try one or two of these ideas, you might surprise yourself.
The hardest part is starting—but once you do, you’re already winning.