Are You Motivated But Stuck?

Imagine this:

That assignment you have been waiting for has finally been handed over to you. Yet, for some reason, you find yourself literally struggling to accomplish the task. You just can’t seem to be able to get the work done. You keep spinning your wheels and making no progress. You are stuck. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking and the deadline is fast approaching. The more you try to focus on the task at hand, the more anxious and stressed out you get.

It’s not that you don’t feel motivated, you do and it’s not that the work isn’t exciting or is something that you don’t want…it is! You are aware of how important the task is and that it needs to get done as soon as possible. However, every time you try to work on it, you become confused, your eyes glaze over and your mind goes blank. You start second guessing yourself and questioning your competence. You even begin to wish for external reassurance that you are doing the right thing! Suddenly, this exciting opportunity seems like a bad idea and you feel like kicking yourself in the foot for accepting the assignment.

There is a lot riding on your commitment to complete the task and your “inner critic” swings into action reminding you of all the negative consequences awaiting you should you fail to accomplish the task. You realize that this unproductive state of affairs needs to end. Therefore, in an attempt to motivate yourself more and prevent procrastination from escalating, you silently scream to yourself…“I can do this! I can do this! I can get this done!”

Hey, wait a minute! Why are you so stressed out over something you really wanted?

What could possibly be going on?

• Fear of entering into new and uncharted territories. This is the first time you are doing something like this and you are nervous.

• Fear of not being competent enough to handle the task. You are not qualified to perform the task and you feel like an imposter.

• Not knowing what you need to do to accomplish the project. You have accepted the assignment without the necessary experience or knowledge about how to execute it.

• Fear of failing to meet the expectations. You are not confident that your work will meet the high standards of those who have assigned the task.

• Unclear expectations. You don’t know what exactly it is that is expected of you and what the final result of your actions should look like.

• Working with the wrong people. You don’t like or trust the person who has entrusted you with the task or feel that he/she is taking advantage of you.

• Working on the wrong goal. The project is appealing and you think you want it. However, it’s not in alignment with your core values and beliefs and your conscious just won’t let you get on with it.

What to do to resolve this situation.

• Collaborate with others. Get help from people who can help you complete the task. Delegate the work you can’t do on your own.

• Ask for clarification on the matters that remain unclear. How can you possibly move forward with confidence if you don’t know where you are headed?

• Ask for a deadline extension so you can get yourself together, resolve issues, get to know who it is you are working with and seek clarity or revisions on the contract if any.

• Break down the project into bite-sized pieces and schedule specific days to work on specific parts. This will prevent the overwhelm factor and make the project manageable.

• Conquer any internal fears you may have and just do it. Deal with the fear and see what happens. Learn from the experience and grow from it.

• Gather information and read books that focus on the area of your assignment. Find out how others are resolving the issues you are facing and apply those principles to your work.

• Tell the truth. Tell the person who has assigned the task that it appears that you miscalculated the magnitude of the project and that you may not be able to handle it all on your own. They may offer a solution or ask you to work on a specific area you can handle.

• Dump the project altogether if it’s causing you excessive stress and if you truly believe you can’t do it.