In my clinical practice, a lot of the people I talk to identify motivation as a problem. Or rather, a lack thereof. It’s really common amongst students, but I also see it across the board. I often hear people reflect about their goals and desires for achievement, but when push comes to shove they end up procrastinating and putting off the work. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people call themselves lazy. It upsets me to hear, because I find this word really critical.
While laziness might be what presents on the surface, I like to encourage my clients to think about an iceberg. If you picture an iceberg, it is only the tip you see above the surface of the water, and really the majority of the iceberg is below the water, not visible to us. Perhaps laziness is what procrastination appears to look like, but underneath the surface there are many many different factors that could be contributing to a lack of motivation. Uncovering this can be the key to enhancing motivation.
Look at this image below for example. On the surface, we might see procrastination behaviours. Underneath, however, there could be a whole range of reasons why someone may be avoiding the task. This could be a fear of failure, not understanding the task, perfectionism, or not feeling connected to the purpose of the task, just to name a few. In order to enhance motivation, these things need to be addressed.
I also find that often in the face of challenges we can lose sight of our values. For example, a student might be connected to the value of education and learning, or values around what a particular course might provide for them in the future. This can be helpful to connect to in the moment. In the face of the challenges beneath the surface, connecting to our values can help us through. Sometimes it’s not about waiting for motivation to come knocking on our doors, but to initiate tasks anyway because of the long-term goal.
If any of this is resonating, it might be worthwhile to speak to somebody about this further. If you would like to explore this further with one of our psychologists, please don’t hesitate to give our team a call on (03) 9882 8874 or email admin@melbournewellbeinggroup.com.au
This blog was written and prepared by Hannah Gersh – Psychologist at Melbourne Wellbeing Group.
