How do you deal with being unmotivated?

[Midoriya]

Just asking because I have less than three hours to turn in a paper for The Roman Empire now as a History major, and I'm not sure if the professor will even look at it seeing as it's a week late, and everyone has really mostly gone home. I'm probably going to end up getting at least one, if not two Fs this semester, getting probation/kicked out of this university. Then I really will have no future. The military would dub me mentally insane if I tried to join them, I don't plan on going to technical school, and I will probably not have a summer job either. I'm broke, and would be better off dead.

I'm also extremely paranoid every day, to the point where I made so many mistakes in the games I played this semester (Closers Dimension Conflict, SoulWorker, and Elsword), where I don't trust anyone now, not even the people outside my door here at university. I wish I would have done everything differently this semester, and I underestimated my classes' work load, but now I don't have a choice, obviously. Do I at least have the right-to-no-life-for-myself choice?

My parents, especially my dad, said they would help me, but I really do not see how. My 21st birthday is tomorrow, but I do not want to turn 21. I'll just be some old fart that never had a girlfriend, never even had girls as friends, didn't graduate university. I'm left-handed and I was born with Aspergers. I'm just some uneducated peasant that only does well in writing because I use a lot of colloquialism and "burning" of people. Heck, what am I supposed to make of this?

On to the main point of this thread, I took a test a year ago where I was 2/10 at self confidence, but 10/10 motivating others to succeed. Now it is probably like 2/10 for both. I don't get why people who just ask how I am consider themselves a friend to me. No, that's not what friends do, that's what acquaintances do. If the people here at university actually cared about me, they would try to help me.

But I digress, what do you do when you are unmotivated? I'm asking because I don't feel like writing and turning in this paper at all (which would automatically fail the class for me if I don't).

 

[MapleSilver]

Idk I sometimes feel incredibly unmotivated to the point where the simplest tasks become incredibly difficult. It usually only lasts a couple days at most so I can afford to do basically nothing.

Hopefully you manage to figure out something that works for you.

 

[King Dorado]

--to borrow a baseball analogy--sometimes when you arent getting pitches you like and not making much progress, you just have to put worries about quality aside, swing the bat, and do anything you can to get around the bases.... just get around the bases, worry about how pretty it turns out another time.





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[Midoriya]

--to borrow a baseball analogy--sometimes when you arent getting pitches you like and not making much progress, you just have to put worries about quality aside, swing the bat, and do anything you can to get around the bases.... just get around the bases, worry about how pretty it turns out another time.





--

I would rather get a "free pass" to first base.

 

[xXSavagekid666Xx]

~Hello! I'm sorry that you feel down like this. I have felt extremely unmotivated to do works, so I can relate in a way. If you ever need a person to talk to (or just need someone to listen. I'm good at that too ) Then feel free to message me~

Anyhoo, about motivation. What I find helpful for me, in a case like this, is to take tiny steps. It might seem like it won't get you very far, but look at it this way:
Write the title, your name, date, etc. Then step away for a few minutes and think about what to do next. Maybe first scentence? First paragraph?
Set a small goal, such as taking a short break after 30 words are written. After that break, Maybe another 30 words?

I'm 17 and have failed Algebra 1 twice. This method was something that really helped me passing the 3rd time. It may work for you too. These are just examples, and I don't know the requirements of your paper. Make the goals as big or small as you need, but make it something.

I apologize for it being really long, but I hope it helps in any way.

 

[Nuclear Bingo]

Life can be mundane and life is often tedious. School is exactly those things, so it makes it all so much worse. Just remember why you are doing these things and what things you can accomplish by taking the necessary steps, such as doing reports and homework. The journey of a thousand steps begins with one, right?

I used to hate college. I mean it. Despise it. But now I am almost 23, I've been a graduate for a while now. I have a decent job and I'm living my dream. (living in Japan). Times where I would be up at 2 am doing a stupid report, I would think ahead to the future (which is now) living in Japan and having a "real" job. well, I did it. You can accomplish what you want, too. Just don't forget why you're doing the small boring things.

When i was 21 I was on academic probation too. I dwelled on it as long as I needed to, and put my ass to work. It worked out okay. I know plenty of people, PLENTY who are 25 or 26 or 27 or so on, still earning their Bachelor's. You shouldn't feel bad about ypur age imo. I've failed classes too. I've turned in late assignments. I've even forgotten to show up for important things or couldn't. but the professors, if they see you care, they will care about you. Trust me, it's not the end. Life is full of challenges, and the best part, THE BEST, is overcoming them.

Even if people don't believe in you or you don't feel worth it, just tell yourself you are. Because, why not?

 

[AppleBitterCrumble]

It's hard for me to become unmotivated because for the past year my brain has been running like a steam train, just trying to make the most of my junior year before I become a senior.

I usually try and busy myself with homework/studying with music/work-out/hang with friends/clean to keep myself busy during the day that way I'm doing something productive. Because I figure that if I stop doing stuff for even a day I'll fall off track and I really can't have that happen to me because I'm such a motivated person that it just wouldn't feel normal to me.

I limit myself to computer/netflix time for the first couple hours when I wake up and before I go to bed I'll watch a couple shows but in between those times I'm usually pushing myself to study and work harder in school.

It's all up to the mindset you have and since I have a really positive mindset it's not super hard for me to stay motivated, it comes down to what you believe you can accomplish and if you keep on telling yourself that you can't down x, y, and z then you truly will never be able to accomplish those things. So I say shoot for the stars and dream big, because that's how I'm gliding through my junior year.

You got this!

 

[Weiland]

sleep lmaooo

 

[Antonio]

Stuff some stuffing down a turkeys throat. That usually solves everything.

 

[Kalle]

Establish a routine and allow yourself time to settle into it.

 

[vel]

i'm generally an unmotivated person, so i understand how you feel. one thing that helped is making a mundane task smaller, like instead of thinking "write an essay since it's due tomorrow," think "i'll do one paragraph, and take a 30 minute break." i end up skipping the break, and just finishing it instead so my break will be even longer.

Spoiler: more advice

something i noticed in this paragraph is the high expectations you have for others, but not yourself. this entire post is self deprecation- which already turns people off in the first place. if you really want help, you have to ask someone. they will not know for you, so blaming others for not helping you when you yourself didn't say anything about seeking help, that's a problem. additionally, having no expectations, or continuing to think badly of yourself and how you have no future, that doesn't help at all. i relate, i get anxiety attacks at unknown times because i'm afraid for my own future. and it doesn't help.

so my last piece of advice, to improve your quality of life: fake it till you make it. putting yourself down constantly, doesn't help yourself or others. i was the most depressing piece of crap for a long time, until i realized your quality of life improves just by faking it until you make it. if you have no motivation, make yourself motivated. i'm serious when i say this: no one is going to help you if you don't help yourself first. if you don't go and actively search for help, a therapist, your father, who you mentioned COULD HELP YOU, or even someone that you know, help will not arrive. with your attitude, you are closing off all your options to succeed, or make a path toward success. at this point, you don't want to help yourself, you're looking for someone to save you, and that isn't going to happen, not in this world at least.

the only person you truly have in this world is yourself, don't forget that.

 

[Midoriya]

i'm generally an unmotivated person, so i understand how you feel. one thing that helped is making a mundane task smaller, like instead of thinking "write an essay since it's due tomorrow," think "i'll do one paragraph, and take a 30 minute break." i end up skipping the break, and just finishing it instead so my break will be even longer.

Spoiler: more advice

something i noticed in this paragraph is the high expectations you have for others, but not yourself. this entire post is self deprecation- which already turns people off in the first place. if you really want help, you have to ask someone. they will not know for you, so blaming others for not helping you when you yourself didn't say anything about seeking help, that's a problem. additionally, having no expectations, or continuing to think badly of yourself and how you have no future, that doesn't help at all. i relate, i get anxiety attacks at unknown times because i'm afraid for my own future. and it doesn't help.

so my last piece of advice, to improve your quality of life: fake it till you make it. putting yourself down constantly, doesn't help yourself or others. i was the most depressing piece of crap for a long time, until i realized your quality of life improves just by faking it until you make it. if you have no motivation, make yourself motivated. i'm serious when i say this: no one is going to help you if you don't help yourself first. if you don't go and actively search for help, a therapist, your father, who you mentioned COULD HELP YOU, or even someone that you know, help will not arrive. with your attitude, you are closing off all your options to succeed, or make a path toward success. at this point, you don't want to help yourself, you're looking for someone to save you, and that isn't going to happen, not in this world at least.

the only person you truly have in this world is yourself, don't forget that.

I'm not going to "fake it until I make it". I actually don't like anything fake because I'm a History major and have a Journalism concentration going for me. I would rather put an actual smile on my face like I have, and my friends and people here at university, and people online too, make me smile by making me laugh, which is a positive and healthy thing. They do it on purpose too, trying to make me laugh, and it works.

I always put my honest foot forward, and it shows. My professors have helped me out a lot this semester and because of it, my grades and GPA might actually go up, even, depending on how I finish these last couple days.

I also don't believe in setting too high of expectations for myself, because I hate being pushed to do things I KNOW I cannot do. Case in point was sparring in Karate. I quit Karate after 8 years at age 18, mainly because they wanted me to keep learning things I had already learned, and also because they wanted me to spar guys even bigger than me, and I kept getting injured and had had enough. So? I switched to Aikido, and have done that from 16-21 now, and I'm still loving it.

I believe it is fair that I have high expectations for others in life, ESPECIALLY the ones I see where they make the wrong decision, and that just leads to more bad decisions by them and not a good life for them. I'm fine putting others before myself. I don't care about myself, and I'm certainly going to be real with people, because I've found out that people actually want to talk to people that have interesting and agreeable things to say.

I'm not going to ask anyone to help me either. It's like you said, I'm capable of doing it myself. But I'm also capable of helping others, improving their confidence, and more.

I never wanted pity in life, just acceptance, and now I know that I finally have it with where I'm at, both online and IRL. I thank you for your words though.

 

[Farobi]

Maintain a schedule with ample time before the deadline. Work then reward with a short break style gratification might be a good start.

 

[Midoriya]

Maintain a schedule with ample time before the deadline. Work then reward with a short break style gratification might be a good start.

That's a good idea. I honestly need to get better at pacing myself.... I either do too much too fast, or too little in too long a time.

 

[boring]

I just,,, don't.

- - - Post Merge - - -

I'm not even kidding, I'm an incredibly unmotivated person and honestly these days I am the undisputed ruler of procrastination

 

[visibleghost]

i dont feel motivated ever. it's gotten easier to deal w since i got on my new medication because it gives me a bit more energy i think. sometimes i get really stressed and can use the stressed energy as a substitute for motivation but i wouldnt say that it's good

 

[matt]

I tell myself to get it over with

 

[Jade_Amell]

Motivation is really hard to come by. Even more so because I'm a little bit past my 3rd decade. (har) I've learned that I have to start somewhere really small and slowly work my way up. "I'll write one to two paragraphs, take a short break and then write another two." Or when I have a deadline and procrastinated a bit. "I'll write half the paper now, and then I'll take a break and play a video game for 1 hour and then come back and finish the paper." If it's a long paper, I'll break it down.

Also, look, we're all adults. I've had to email a teacher and tell them "Hey look, I'm having a really hard time motivating myself to do this paper and I really could use a mental break. Is it okay that the paper is a bit late?" Half the time they don't care or they understand.

 

[Buttonsy]

I just try to break down the process into as small of steps as possible, rather than thinking of this huge task as a huge task, just think of it as several smaller tasks. It can help a lot.

 

[Midoriya]

I just try to break down the process into as small of steps as possible, rather than thinking of this huge task as a huge task, just think of it as several smaller tasks. It can help a lot.

I've been told that before by other people, but it's probably the best advice for me right now. I have about a week to get everything that is left in, and once a week has passed, grades will not be able to be submitted any longer. Thank you.