Lack of motivation in life

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Yeah, that all sounds 100% like me, except I do try to do exactly what I'm supposed to for me job (except when I can't because it freaks me out), but I rarely ever think of things for it beyond what I've been told to do.

I can't take stress, I don't really know how to get to where I want to be, and also I'm quite happy most of the time just doing the things I do. I don't have grand ambitions like a lot of people seem to.

I suppose if that diet really worked I'd like to give it a try, but I don't have a clue how to go about it, what to avoid, how to get enough fiber and nutrition while doing it, etc.

It retrospect, it probably appeared that I was unmotivated; they say it's my executive dysfunction/not caring that's the cause (i.e., the inability to start/initiate and care for "normal" stuff).

Wolfpup - you put it exactly how I was feeling. I don't have the grand ambitions that some others have.

It reminds me of that question you always get in interviews "where do you see yourself in five years?" I certainly know what they'd like to hear but I have NO clue where I'll be in five years. I don't have some master plan to be running a company or improving my position or anything.

I'm fine just coasting along with what I'm already doing. I've actually been broken up with because of my lack of a life plan... maybe that was his excuse but I think that was a big part of it. I never understood what the big deal was.

Assorted ideas - a few of which may work a little/none of which may work at all

Words

Ambition
Drive
Motivation
Motivation over long periods of time like decades (persistence)
Carrots and sticks
Self-Actualization
Doing one's best

http://www.daytimer.com/birk/

Goal Setting and Goal Reaching
Quota Setting and Quota Meeting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Sher
http://www.dreambigcollection.com/
http://www.leadershipnow.com/initiativequotes.html
http://www.grove.com

Small improvements here and there
(Ideally) Better and better

http://www.chickensoup.com/

Values

God, family, and the Green Bay Packers.

- Vince Lombardi

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Food, shelter, clothing - Basics

Other

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http://www.motivation-tools.com/

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Some lifelong neurological challenges like the many epilepsies, the four ADHDs, autism, Asperger, and so on can throw a monkey wrench into the concept of normal human motivation (my view).

Some of the internal machinery (aka automatic pilot mechanism/whatever) may not work like it does for most persons and that is beyond a person's ability to control (along the lines of a small computer chip on a motherboard having a glitch in it and not working optimally)(my view).

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Religious science fiction (movie)

Saying goodbye to the wife and four children and taking a long walk aka completely irresponsible husband in an adventure story told as a dream (literary technique):

http://www.pilgrimsprogressthemovie.com/ (religious science fiction - movie)

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http://www.sacred-texts.com/

Other

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http://www.bthompson.net/quotationlinks/it_works.pdf
http://www.memogendas.com/
http://www.daytimer.com/

Words

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_functions

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planning

Beholding the future
Planning the future
Thinking about the future

Executive Function Fact Sheet

http://www.ldonline.org/article/24880

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Many neurological challenges (such as Asperger, autism, ADHD, some of the epilepsies, and so on) are known to throw a (minor or greater) monkey wrench into executive functioning/aspects of executive functioning. That's my understanding. That's also my experience too.

http://www.sportsconcussions.org/

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/apraxia/apraxia.htm

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http://www.mead.com/

Last edited by pgd on 19 Aug 2010, 10:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

Same problem. I used to have no motivation at all, being severely depressed (now I'm just depressed) but now I have these small moments of motivation. It's important for me to take care of whatever I am motivated to do, as I'll go back to being unmotivated and depressed again. My best advice is find something that you truly enjoy (don't jump into higher education just because you want a degree or feel obliged to), use routines to your advantage by adding chores/tasks to your schedule that you'd benefit from, set small goals that you think/want to achieve, surround yourself with people that you enjoy being with who share your interests (easily done at university, if you're into that stuff). Find a way to deal with depression - meds./therapy/improving your life quality.