There are times in life when we feel incredibly unmotivated. Motivation can be a difficult barrier or a starting point for someone, depending on what they are going through. When you don’t feel motivated to practice singing, for example, what do you do? Do you ignore the thought “I should go practice”? Do you act on it? Do you push it aside and keep scrolling, reading, or sitting?
Today, I feel unmotivated. For me, a lack of motivation often comes from repeated hits of discouragement. I feel discouraged when students don’t try to connect with themselves during a lesson to understand what their voice actually feels like. I feel discouraged when a client doesn’t communicate with me—maybe they’ve ghosted me, maybe they’re unsure if lessons are working for them right now, or perhaps assumptions were made about scheduling. Whatever the discouragement, it all roughly boils down to human interactions and connections.
When humans feel seen, they show up. When they feel connected, they prioritize those interactions. I recently had a student tell me they love coming to voice lessons, not just to sing, but because they feel important, seen, and connected. That was one of the biggest compliments I’ve ever received! My goal is always for someone to feel safe enough to be coached and to pivot their skills to improve. It’s harder than you think, you know? It’s pretty tough sometimes to hear feedback about your voice, even if it’s given with love and the best intentions. Students really have to come with the mindset to learn and be moldable.
So what can you do? To find your motivation again? Let’s brainstorm this…
Make a list. A list can help you refocus your efforts. Lists can get you out of your head. Lists can give you a new perspective. Lists are FUN! Crossing off stuff on your list?? What a hit of dopamine! We need it.
Create a practice schedule and STICK TO IT. Sticking to a schedule, regardless of your feelings, is a great way to maintain momentum and find motivation. Your motivation can come and go. Your feelings are always changing - stick to a schedule.
Give yourself rest if you need it. Sometimes we try to do too much for too long. If your head and body are screaming at you, listen. Take a rest. Not a phone scrolling rest, a REAL rest. If your rest needs to be longer than a day? So be it. We all need mental, emotional, and physical rest.
Get out and walk. Walking is a great way to change your scenery and breathe some fresh air. Walking gets your blood moving, and even a short walk can have tremendous benefits.
Write. Write out your thoughts. Brain dump your thoughts without editing. Pulling them out of your brain gives you new perspective to catch things you may have missed while they were stuck in your head.
We all need ideas to find our motivation. And really, this blog post was a good way for me to gain perspective on my discouragement of the day, and truly? Nothing has gone wrong! But writing has given me something else to focus on and stop worrying!
Cheers, my friends!
