How to Motivate Yourself To Do A Thing You Don’t Want to Do By Ashley Janssen | Sep 17, 2025 | 8 min read --- Overview Motivation can be tough, especially for tasks you dread or procrastinate on. Ashley Janssen shares personal insights and practical strategies to overcome lack of motivation and take action even when you don't feel like it. --- Key Points & Strategies Understanding Why You Feel Unmotivated Many factors affect motivation including: Physical state (sleep, nutrition, pain) Mental state (stress, overwhelm) External environment Timing, hormone cycles, age, recent conflicts Identify what’s within your control and make changes: Environment: Create a convenient, comfortable workspace. Mood: Use mood boosters like music, walks, or small treats. Body care: Stretching, naps, fresh air, or comfort meals. Fear motivators: Beware fear, guilt, or obligation as short-lived motivation. --- Identify What Does Motivate You Combine disliked tasks with something enjoyable: Listen to music or podcasts while cleaning or exercising. Add external accountability: Partner with friends, hire a coach or trainer to stay on track. Gamify tasks: Create goals, streaks, or rewards (e.g., Ashley’s 2817-day fitness streak). Celebrate milestones with rewards or rest days. Read more: What Motivates You? Learn the Types of Motivation and How to Use Them --- Break It Into Smaller Chunks Overwhelm kills motivation; start small: Work for 5 minutes. Tackle one small area at a time. Outline a piece of writing instead of completing whole draft. Schedule specific times in your calendar. Change tasks to refresh your focus. Starting small often propels you to continue. --- Prioritize Consistency Over Motivation Motivation ebbs and flows but routines build habits. Establish regular patterns for recurring tasks: Time-block your schedule intentionally. Set daily reminders. Book sessions on your calendar. Consistent effort beats waiting for motivation. Read more: Time Blocking and Imagining Your Ideal Week --- Put It on the Back Burner When Needed Sometimes it’s okay to pause a low-priority task. Ask yourself if the task is a glass ball (must do) or plastic ball (can be delayed). Make an intentional choice to delay rather than avoid and feel guilty. Read more: How to Juggle Priorities: Which Balls Are Glass and Which Are Plastic? --- Final Thoughts Feeling unmotivated is normal and influenced by many changing factors. The key is to: Understand your current state. Control what you can. Take small steps forward. Be kind to yourself. If you need help, you can book a free consultation with Ashley Janssen to get personalized support. Book a free consultation --- About Ashley Janssen Productivity consultant, writer, speaker, and entrepreneur passionate about helping people live with intention and build focused, effective habits. Follow Ashley on Twitter or LinkedIn. Explore consulting and speaking opportunities on her website. --- Related Resources Types of Motivation and How to Use Them Fear-Based Decision Making Strategies [Time Blocking and Ideal Week