← The Goal Digger Podcast | Top Business and Marketing Podcast for Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Women in Business
The Goal Digger Podcast | Top Business and Marketing Podcast for Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Women in Business
870: How to Get Motivated When You’re Tired and Uninspired
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- [00:01]
Jenna Kutcher
What if the content that you're already creating could keep working for you for months, not just for hours? That is the power of Pinterest. It's not just another social platform, it's a visual search engine where your content doesn't disappear, it compounds. And for the first time ever, I am teaching a live five day experience called the Pinterest Power Bootcamp that will help you kickstart your results with Pinterest. This isn't the whole system, but it's your roadmap to start Strong for just 27. You'll get me live every day for five days starting starting on April 27th. Together, we'll optimize your Pinterest profile, discover exactly what your audience is searching for, and create a plan to turn your existing content into traffic driving pins. You don't need more content, you need a smarter strategy that will work while you rest. If you're a creator, service provider or small business owner, then this is for you. Head to pinbootcamp.com to grab your spot again. That's pinbootcamp.com, it's just $27 to get started and I'll see you live on April 27th.
- [01:02]
Unknown
Foreign.
- [01:07]
Jenna Kutcher
This episode is brought to you by Shippo, your one stop solution for shipping labels, helping small businesses like yours save up to 90 off retail rates for a limited time. Shippo is offering listeners 25 in Shippo credit. When you spend your first 25. That means shipping your first few packages is basically free. I'll never forget those early days after launching my online shop. Our living room was filled with products and I was taping up boxes late at night, printing, printing, shipping labels manually, and paying full price from the big carriers. It was really exciting, but shipping was hands down the most stressful part. That's why I wish I had Shippo sooner. With Shippo you can manage all your orders from one dashboard, get the best discounted rates from top carriers, connect your stores and print labels in batches. It is a total sanity saver. So head over to shippo.com gold digger and claim your spend 25 get 25 offer today. That's s h I p o dot com godigger.
- [02:09]
Unknown
Leave behind the people, the places, the accounts that drain you or make you feel bad about yourself. Like I love to find accounts that aren't in the same niche or category of myself but that are creative and maybe on this parallel pursuit so that I don't fall into the comparison game.
- [02:27]
Jenna Kutcher
I'm Jenna Kutcher, your host of the Goal Digger podcast I escaped the corporate world at the age of 23 with nothing more than than a $300 camera from Craigslist and a dream. Now I'm running a seven figure online business that feels even better than it looks. All from my house in small town Minnesota. With my family here, we value time as our currency. We mix the woo and the work and we are in the pursuit of building businesses that give us the freedom to live lives that we love. I've always loved turning big goals into reality and I'm here to help you do the same. This isn't just a peek behind the curtain. Come along with me and my guests as we tear the whole curtain down. Every week we tackle practical no fluff marketing strategies and host honest discussions on what works and what doesn't. Join me and my expert guests for actionable insights to help you grow your dream business with confidence. Pull up a seat and get ready to be challenged, inspired and empowered. This is the Goal Digger podcast. Do you ever have one of those mornings or weeks or maybe even months where your motivation feels MIA like the to do list is waiting and your calendar is full and the last thing you want to do is any of it? Yeah, I've been there. Whether it's a weird funk you can't shake off or just one of those off seasons where inspiration feels so far away, I want you to know you are not broken, you are absolutely not lazy, and you're definitely not alone. We all hit those low energy, slow motivation stretches and it always seems that they show up at the most unexpected and the worst times. So in today's episode, I am sharing five things that I continue to come back to when I feel totally stuck. These aren't hacks or hustly tips. Think gentle nudges, mindset resets, and simple practices to help you find your footing again. I actually recorded this one during a time when I really needed these reminders myself, and honestly, I still revisit them when I'm feeling off or overwhelmed. So whether your spark just feels a little dim or you you're deep in the blah zone, press play. We will walk through this together.
- [04:37]
Unknown
The first thing to do is to get quiet with yourself. Like when my general mood responds with like a big fat note for the majority of my responsibilities. I know that it's usually this sign that something deeper is happening, that there's something more going on. Like we don't just randomly land at a state of burnout or being uninspired. It's generally this path that usually involves taking on too much much or having too much pressure on ourselves, or being out of alignment or feeling tied to too many things. So if you're sitting here today and you're feeling like your workload or your to do list or your tasks, responsibilities or even just life are all too much that you'd rather ignore or procrastinate on one or all of those things than to take them on, I want for you to listen to what's happening externally and then try going quiet to check in with yourself internally. Like actually close your eyes and check in with yourself. Get curious about why you feel unmotivated or stressed or anxious. The biggest thing that I can recommend is don't keep ignoring or numbing the problem and assume that it's going to resolve without getting to the root of it. There's likely a reason for why you're feeling this way. It reminds me of when our springtime comes and we get tons of dandelions in our yard and if you just pull off the stems, the root stems still there, it's going to keep growing back and so we've got to stop just ripping off the tops and not examining what's below the surface. This article from Business Insider shares research behind what actually impacts our motivation, and it says you cannot be pressured into taking initiative. Performance is highest when people take it themselves, so take a quick stock of the stressors and the pressures in your life. Do you have a zillion deadlines that you simply can't keep up with? Do you feel like people are counting on you to do too much? Did you agree to do something that you simply wish you wouldn't have? What do you actually need to be managing and controlling that's currently on your plate? Is there anything that you can hand off or get rid of or communicate? The other thing that can be powerful in taking back our own initiative and drive is boundaries. Like, I am a major fan of boundaries, so maybe it's time that you review what kinds of boundaries that you have in place and if there's anywhere that they're lacking that's adding to your feelings of being drained. Do people expect to hear back from you at all hours of the day or do they come to you left and right for last minute supporter projects? All of this affects our autonomy, which in turn affects our motivation. Because when it suddenly feels like our lives are being run by everyone else except us, it's so easy to become exhausted and to lose steam. So first things first, get quiet with yourself, take inventory, and do your best to remove the unnecessary from your plate if you can seek out ways to protect your time and to create margin within your days. I know it's easier said than done. But take the lead in setting standards and boundaries that don't allow others to pressure you to take initiative, but that allow you to get to the heart of your why, which will generally motivate you far more than any other human being could. Number two is this don't be afraid to play. This past year and a half, I've spent more time playing than I think I ever have before in my adult life. And it's probably this combination of things. One Coco being a toddler, loving being on the go and exploring two quarantine almost forcing us to get creative and playful in our own environment and backyard and three going through a season of pregnancy encouraging me to soak up this time as a family of three before we add our sweet little fourth. I have been laughing at the ways we've been playing because it's so simple. Like we make these little obstacle courses on Coco's playground or she loves playing with couscous. Like the actual like noodle like substance that comes in our hellofresh that I can't eat because I'm gluten free. We keep the dried couscous and she buries things in it and she has bowls of couscous and the other day she said, couscous, I missed you. Playing doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. And the funniest thing has happened as we've spent so much time these past months biking and hiking and hunting for bugs and going on family walks and putting together puzzles and scribbling and coloring books. What's happened is, is that my work life and my creativity and my motivation in general have seemed to soar during this time. Of course, like Anyone else, I 100% have my off moments, my funky days. But overall, I've noticed that my approach to even my more serious responsibilities has this lighter, more easygoing, it almost feels more natural and relaxed. And I absolutely credit a lot of that to this time that we've spent just simply playing for the sake of playing. It's kind of like I've found this new identity of myself, one that appreciates playing. Not in terms of creation, not in terms of monetization, not in terms of business, but just playing for the sake of playing. That article from Business Insider that I referenced earlier actually says that the biggest roadblocks that we collectively face in achieving our goals and desires are two things. Leisure and sleep. And I know we're talking about play here, but I feel like both of these activities can easily fall into this category, right? I mean, rest and sleep are truly forms of play for adults. Let's be real and leisure to me absolutely incorporates play and it also includes relaxing, exploring, taking time off, spending days unplugged from responsibilities, and just allowing myself to be. By definition, leisure literally means free time. And yet so many of us burn the candle at both ends and feel guilty for even taking a half day off of work, not to mention a full week or two away. And we wonder like, why can we not get motivated to write that newsletter or post that new blog post or send off that client survey? Trust me, you deserve to be able to let go, to be carefree, to find what your passions even are if you've forgotten into play Brene Brown says the opposite of play is not work. The opposite of play is depression. She's found in her research that play is actually vital for human development. And so incorporating ways to play is not only a benefit to our motivation, it's imperative for living a full and healthy life. So if you have kids, get on the floor with them, watch them play, get inspired with how they create their own fun. And if you don't have kids, think about yourself as a child. What would your child age self be disappointed to know that you no longer do? Like what would they be sad to find out that you've let go of as you've become an adult? Maybe that is where you should start.
- [11:34]
Jenna Kutcher
Okay, real talk. You know when you get served an ad that makes zero sense for you? Like for weeks I kept getting ads for these high tech gaming chairs. Hi. I don't even game. I'm a mom. I'm not a twitch streamer. That's what makes LinkedIn ads stand out. They actually get your message to the right people. That's why I love what they can do for business owners. LinkedIn ads gives you access to over 1 billion professionals. That's billion with a B. And you can target your ideal buyer by title, industry skills and even revenue. It takes the guesswork out of who's seeing this and helps you get in front of decision makers who actually are ready to take action. So instead of casting a super wide net, you can be laser focused and let your budget work smarter. LinkedIn will give you a hundred dollar credit on your next campaign just so you can try it for yourself. Go to LinkedIn.com goal that's LinkedIn.com G O A L Terms and conditions apply only on LinkedIn ads. So the other day I went down this rabbit hole of finding really cute matching summer outfits for my girls. I had my cart full, my dog was asleep in my lap, and of course I didn't have my wallet on me. And so I was just about to abandon it, telling myself I would circle back later. And then that purple Shop pay button popped up. One tap, it's done. It's kind of dangerous how easy it is, but it's also totally magical. Well, that little purple button, that's Shop Pay and it's powered by Shopify. It remembers your info so that checkout can be instant. And for business owners, Shopify makes it just as easy to run your store as it is to shop. One Shopify powers 10% of all E commerce in the US from brands like Gymshark and Mattel to businesses just getting started. It is everything you need to launch gorgeous templates built in tools for payments, inventory and marketing. It's all in one place. No code, no hassle. And that purple shop pay button, well, it's not just cute, it is why Shopify has the best converting checkout on the planet. If you want to see less carts being abandoned, it is time for you to head over to Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com gold digger go to shopify.com gold digger shopify.com gold digger.
- [13:56]
Unknown
Number three is do some light research. Okay, so don't hate me for jumping from playing to research. And if it helps, we can call it seeking inspiration rather than research. But sometimes when I'm feeling utterly unmotivated, it's really a problem with feeling creatively fatigued or drained or uninspired. Now, this might sound counterintuitive to focus on someone else's work, but it actually helps to see how others are showing up and pursuing their dreams and goals as a way to give ourselves a boost. Like, I'll sometimes jump on Instagram or Pinterest to scan accounts that I admire and to save posts that I love. Or I'll turn on an audiobook or an uplifting podcast that helps reshape my perspective and feel more in tune with my vision and my desires and my priorities. Like, sometimes it just takes someone else's spark to light our own fires again. So here's what I don't want you to do. Don't mistake market research for comparison, because that's super easy to do. And we can quickly fall down that rabbit hole of looking at all these other people and their amazing work and wishing that we could operate or perform or achieve at the same level. I want you only to seek out people and accounts that leave you feeling energized and inspired and creative and just playing good after viewing them. And leave behind the people, the places, the accounts that drain you or make you feel bad about yourself. Like I love to find accounts that aren't in the same niche or category of myself but that are creative and maybe on this parallel pursuit so that I don't fall into the comparison game like finding talented graphic designers or architects or even fashion designers to inspire me in different ways without me dwelling on the fact that they're doing things and that I'm just feeling stuck. So do some intentional inspiration scrolling, but keep in mind this practice only works if you consume the contents that lift you up, that inspire you to take action towards showing up as the best version of you, not a secondhand version of someone else. Use this quote research as inspiration, not for imitation, but when you see what others might be looking for or find content that inspires you, it might spur you back into creation mode and motivation Number four is to change up your routine. So I recently was talking to my neighbors and I said, you know, sometimes routines can turn into ruts, and I meant it. Sometimes we get on this hamster wheel of showing up or creating that it feels impossible to get off of it. But something that once gave us clarity and structure may have become something that now makes us feel stuck or trapped. Sometimes a simple shakeup in your norm is all that it takes for a refreshed outlook and recalibrated approach to what needs to get done. Routines can help us to know what to expect and how the day is going to play out, but sometimes they can get us in a rut if things become too predictable or practiced. I've truthfully never been a big morning routine gal for this reason, and I think it's because what works for me one month is often different the next month. And that's honestly okay, in my opinion. Like if you notice that a certain regular activity in your day is draining you, or a sequence of events is no longer serving you, evaluate what you do, have control over what you can do to change a course, and try to find a new rhythm that ignites and encourages your energy. Whether it's shifting your priorities to match your energy, changing your environment, or switching up your creative process, take a look at which routines fuel you and which ones drain you. If you're able to introduce something new to your routine, like a midday walk change where you're working halfway through the day or switch up how it is that you start your day. Maybe you notice you get this burst of feel good vibes from warm lemon water in the morning. Or that you're more creative when you don't just grab your phone right away when you wake up. Or maybe that you function your best when you get some movement in before sitting down to your desk. Pay attention to what's working and also pay attention if those things shift. Like I said, just because you start a new routine doesn't mean it has to be your forever normal. Give yourself the space and the time to notice your flow states. Notice what lights you up, but also pay attention to what distracts you or pulls you off course. Like I think most of us can admit that our phones and our devices might just be pulling us off course. So maybe even just starting with moving those out of our spaces could be a little boost of concentration and motivation that we need. Whatever it is, don't let your routines become ruts. Make sure that you're checking in with yourself throughout the day to notice. Just become someone who notices more. Number five Connect with Others so a few months ago I met with a bunch of entrepreneurs in Napa. It was our first meetup in well over a year thanks to the pandemic, and I honestly hadn't realized how much I needed time with people who understand me, who are on this journey, who are working hard behind the scenes. It was so refreshing and rejuvenating and I left just feeling so motivated to get back to work. This journey of entrepreneurship can be so isolating. And when you're trucking along solo day in and day out, it can be so easy to lose steam and lose sight of where you're going or the impact that you're actually making. Like, even when you have a team, whether they're remote or not, you are the only one who experiences the height of pressure and the responsibility to carry out all the things that you need to do in your business. From scaling to serving to simply showing up. It's likely your family and your friends probably don't get it. And so often we're stuck just holding in our frustrations or questions and pushing through them because there's a job to get done. Like spoiler alert. I am totally guilty of this too. But there is just something beautiful when we intentionally try to connect with others, to find others to lean on, and when we challenge ourselves to share how we're doing or where we're getting stuck. Even though it might feel like it at times, you don't have to go this journey alone. So get in touch with someone or even ask a loved one to remind you about what you're good at or what you're an expert in, or why what you're doing matters. How you make a difference. Sometimes that feedback can spur your motivation to keep going. Maybe joining a mastermind would get you into a community of like minded people to lean on or to troubleshoot or commiserate with, or even just joining free Facebook groups for business owners or people within your field. That can be hugely beneficial to just not feeling alone. And if you didn't know, we actually have a massive community of Gold Digger listeners waiting for you. So if you want to join us, just head to gold diggerpodcast.com we have a link there that will take you right to our group so that you can join. But the point is, it's up to you to seek out ways to create a sounding board in a community, even if it's small, that can help keep you grounded because that can be an enormous motivator to just simply feel understood and seen.
- [21:08]
Jenna Kutcher
I will never forget one of the first Big Girl moments I had in business. It was when I finally released the white knuckle grip I had on my business and I finally decided to hire help. I was so excited to get help, but I quickly became so overwhelmed because I didn't know the first thing about payroll or how to stay on top of taxes as a business owner. And trust me, I just wanted to do it right without spending hours buried in paperwork. Now if only I had had Gusto back then. Gusto is the all in one platform that makes payroll, benefits and HR feel doable even if you're not a numbers person. Whether you're paying W2s, 1099s or offering health insurance and 401ks, Gusto's got your back. You can run payroll in just a few clicks and Gusto will automatically file and pay your taxes at the federal, state and the local level with no spreadsheets and no guesswork. Over 400,000 small businesses across the country, including mine, Trust Gusto because it is so simple and so intuitive. If payroll's been sitting on your I'll figure it out later list, this is your sign. Right now, gusto is offering three months for free. When you run your first payroll. Head to gusto.com gold digger to get started. That's gusto.com gold digger this episode of the Gold Digger podcast is sponsored by Mercury, a business banking solution built for the way modern entrepreneurs actually work. Lately I've been exploring new tools to better support my business finances, and when I started asking around, my friend and fellow entrepreneur Hala immediately said, jenna, you've got to check out Mercury. She's been using it for her business and had glowing things to say. So of course I had to look into it. And honestly, I get the hype. With Mercury, you can track cash flow, send international payments, issue virtual cards, and even apply for capital all from one dashboard. Their credit cards come with a 1.5% cash back. And if you're working with international vendors, Mercury offers free domestic and international wires in US Dollars. So if you're in that same season of figuring out what's next for your business finances, Mercury just might be the partner you've been looking for. Mercury is a technology company, not a bank Check show notes for details. Deposit $5,000 or spend $5,000 using your Mercury credit card within the first 90 days in order to earn $250 or do both for $500 in total rewards at mercury.com goal that's mercury.com goal.
- [23:38]
Unknown
Years.
- [23:38]
Jenna Kutcher
Ago, Drew and I took a month long sabbatical. It was our first real break in a really long time. We rented a little Airbnb on a tropical island, and during that trip, something clicked. We experienced how powerful it can be to walk into a space that's been thoughtfully prepared for you, to rest, to reflect, to make memories, and just be. And we started wondering, could we create that kind of experience for someone else? Could we be the hosts that make people feel the same sense of ease? That idea quickly took root. Eventually we found a small property, poured love into every detail, and opened the doors. Over the years, we've had the honor of welcoming hundreds of guests. And it all started because we experienced the magic of being a guest first. Of course, hosting has its own learning curves, especially when your property is far from home. If we'd have had Airbnb's co host network back then, I would have jumped at the chance. It lets you team up with a local co host who can manage bookings, message guests and handle all the on the ground details so you're not doing it all yourself. It's the kind of support that helps you start small, start smart, and still give your guests a five star experience. So if you've ever wondered if you could host, this is your sign to explore it. Find your co host and get started@airbnb.com host now.
- [24:52]
Unknown
Last but not least, find a place to start Sometimes when I know my workload isn't overly crazy, or that my boundaries aren't out of whack and I'm just feeling plain unmotivated for what seems like no reason at all. It's often just because I'm distracted. I'm pursuing the wrong things, or I'm unfocused, or I'm dreading something that literally won't take as much time as I'm thinking it will. Sometimes we set the grandest, loftiest dreams in front of us, but we refuse to make any sort of progress because we tell our ourselves it's too big, it's intimidating, I can't do it. But in those times, it helps to just simply start moving. Like, start something, anything that will help you gain momentum. Like, sometimes we just need to prove to ourselves that we are capable of making progress or moving ahead. And that can be the momentum that turns into motivation. It's kind of like working out. There are so many times where I don't necessarily feel like exercising, but I know that I'll feel better if I get some movement in, even if it just short duration. And so I start the physical action of a bike ride or putting on my running shoes or going on a walk before I'm mentally ready, tell myself if I just go for five minutes and usually five turns into 10, turns into 20 or 30, before I know it, just the act of starting physically helps my brain to catch up. And once I'm going, I get into it and I'm invested. Momentum can absolutely lead into motivation. So where can you simply start? Sometimes that's really all it takes to boot, a lack of motivation. And as hard as it feels to start, that's often the hardest part, and the rest is easier. So I hope that this lit a little fire under you today. To take the power of your own motivation back and to allow yourself to create the environment, schedule the boundaries and relationships that keep you feeling energized and motivated to keep going. If you're sitting here and you're feeling unmotivated today, know that this is normal. This is a part of the process, a part of the journey. You are not broken, but you can start to take actions to invite that momentum and motivation back into your life. It's all a part of the entrepreneurship cycle, as much as we wish it wasn't. But you don't have to stay there. In fact, you won't stay there. So figure out how you can pursue your curiosities, how you can take action, how you can do research, get inspired, how you can rest and play and have fun doing it again. I think sometimes we get too caught up in all the things, we take it too seriously and we forget that this is supposed to be fun too. Thank you so much for listening to another episode of the Gold Digger Podcast. As always, until next time, keep on digging your biggest goals.
- [27:37]
Jenna Kutcher
Thanks for pulling up a seat for another episode of the Goal Digger Podcast. I hope today's episode fueled you with interest, inspiration, gave you information that you can turn into action, and realigned you with your true north in life and business. If you've enjoyed today's episode, head on over To Gold Digger Podcast.com for today's show, Notes, discount codes for our sponsors, freebies to fuel your results, and so much more. And if you haven't yet, make sure you're subscribed so that you never miss a future show. We'll see you next time. Gold Diggers.