Zero Motivation... how do you get through it?

[Joods]

When you can't sleep and your mind is plagued with a ton of things, all of which you know you have to get done, but you have no motivation, how do you work through that? I have a list of things a mile long that are keeping my mind from shutting down so I can sleep. It's now nearly 4:30am and while I should be sleeping, I can't. Monday I didn't get anything done. Like, nothing. So now, the things I was supposed to do yesterday, are now piled on top of the things I have to do today and I'm getting overwhelmed.

Ugh. I think this is week is already going to shit and it's only Tuesday.

[brewer]

What I do, may not work for you.

Prioritize the list.
Break list up so the is does not look insurmountable. Put some easy tasks in with the hard tasks.
Try to do at lest one thing one the list per day/week/month. Depends on the task. Notice I said try, not complete. Don't set yourself up for failure.
If the task attempted proves to be to daunting at the time, stop and pick another.
Enlist help if possible.

Good luck. Now, get your ass in gear!

[vorlon13]

GET TO WORK !!!!

[vorlon13]

                                                               

[Mermaid]

This is pretty much why I take zoloft.

[Chad32]

I have trouble with this too. That's why my house is a mess, and I don't go to the gym consistently throughout the month. I don't have advice for this, but I can relate to the problem.

[robvalue]

I know the feeling

I often get swamped by things, and it affects my sleep.

I deal with it by writing it all down, every last thing I have to do, so that its "out of my head". Then the next day, I sort them into priority lists, and roughly plan what day I will do each priority task. The less urgent things get done only when I'm able.

Break it down, and don't look at it all as one huge collection of "stuff to do". I know that's much easier said than done when it's right on top of you.

How about some meditation or relaxing music?

[Joods]

I do make lists and sometimes they help. Sometimes they overwhelm me. I will try breaking them down into more doable lists.

My other issue seems to be when I'm working on something and then I hit a snag. I have to set that item aside and try to go onto the next thing. This would be okay if it wasn't for the fact that it happens more than once and I end up feeling like I didn't get anywhere with my day. Partial progress bothers me, especially since I have ADHD and have trouble with tasks in general.

[robvalue]

Oh dear, yes that sounds frustrating.

I'm trying to think of little ideas for you, they may be silly but here goes:

1) When you hit a snag, you could write out a plan for the rest of the task, the steps that need taking to finish it once you can get going again on it, so that you leave it on a positive note.

2) You could use a little visual aid, I was thinking of a sort of bar chart. You could have your tasks along the bottom, with a percentage completion going up the side. So then, when you come unstuck, you can weigh up how close you are. Then you can draw in the bar, so that you see it as visual positive progress rather than just "not complete".

Sorry if they are no use! They jumped into my head so I thought I'd share just in case.

You can always send me a PM anytime, even if it's just to vent

[paulpablo]

I don't think it's possible to get through zero motivation, but I don't think you have zero motivation.

You've already acknowledged what you have to do and so I'm assuming there must be some acknowledgement as to what the motives are to do these things otherwise you wouldn't say you have to do them. 

To get myself moving I listen to music. Think about the end result of doing the things I should do.  Think about other people who just do the things they do even if they're grindingly difficult or hard.