Motivation is not a sticky beast! It is an oft-discussed topic but it doesn’t last long. Some believe that motivation is like a virus that can be caught but it is never long-lived. The only long-term quick fix is to find motivation killers.

Motivational tool-kit has many things – stories from peers, emotional videos, tweets, books, and snapshots of great accomplishments. Every time we buy motivational books or listen to podcasts sharing the secret to motivation, we get inspired!

How long this motivation lasts? Does it last forever? The answer is simple – It doesn’t last forever. If you say that it stays put then, you’re lucky.

But what if I tell you that you must arrest motivation killer to survive and prevent it from affecting you? Wouldn’t you want to fix it?

Here are 7 Motivational Killer of which you must be aware of:

1. Lack of clear goals

There is no greater motivation killer than a vague or unrealistic goal. Who likes to board a train without knowing the destination and route it takes? (Except if you are adventurous). The same rule applies to our goals and objectives. When you sit in a train you know it’s destination and the route it takes. Even if you don’t know the route you know the ultimate destination. You need to have moderate and attainable goals so that you can make an entire flowchart to achieve it.

Quick fix: Make Unambiguous, measurable and clear goals accompanied by a deadline for completion boosts motivation and productivity.

“All successful people have a goal. No one can get anywhere unless he knows where he wants to go and what he wants to be or do.”- Norman Vincent Peale

2. Negative and toxic people

Negative people have only one goal in mind- to bring you down. They will tell you 99 reasons why you can’t achieve your goals or drag you down to their level. Sometimes it is easier to find faults in others than fixing the faults in their own life. They have a problem with every solution.

Quick fix: Stay away from toxic people. Express gratitude as it helps us to see what is there instead of what isn’t.

“The worst person to be around is someone who complains about everything and appreciates nothing.”

3. Fear of Failure

When we are moving towards our dreams, fear of failure is inevitable and logical. We have two choices: we can let it prevent us from fulfilling our goal or we can use it to boost our motivation. Fear of failure has a twin sister – procrastination. This not only kills valuable time but also affects our approach towards fear.

Quick fix: You don’t have to immediately defeat your failure. Use it in your brainstorming session and find a solution to your fear. Face your fear!

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill.

4. Setbacks

Past failures, experiences, and setbacks are the biggest motivation killer. You cannot move forward if you are still thinking about your pasts.  Learn from your mistakes but don’t let it stop you in making decisions.

Quick Fix: Drop your baggage of shame, regret, unhappiness, mistakes, grudges, etc. This is the only way you can move forward. Practice self-compassion.

“Renew, release, let go. Yesterday’s gone. There’s nothing you can do to bring it back. You can’t “should’ve” done something. You can only DO something. Renew yourself. Release that attachment. Today is a new day!” – Steve Maraboli

5. Comparison

What better way to kill your motivation is to compare yourself with others? The comparison is futile, it doesn’t solve your purpose. Comparing your skills to the skill set of an older, more experienced person or comparing your brand to a more established brand. Almost all of us fall into the trap of comparison and it makes us feel overwhelmed, insecure and lost in the noise.

Quick fix: Attain more skill sets and practice gratitude.  It will boost your confidence and motivate you to work harder.

“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.”― Steven Furtick

What do you think about these Motivation Killers? What else do you think should be there on this list? Wish to read some awesome quotes on fear of failure, then check it out here.

Lots of love,

xoxo