How do you motivate yourself?

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I have a problem where there are things that I really want to do, but sometimes I just can't conjure up the energy or the will to do it. I can talk and think about it forever, but when it comes to takeing action, something keeps me from moving forward. A few years ago it wasn't as big of a problem, but it's becoming more difficult. For example, I've wanted to find a new job for a long time now, but I can't bring myself to dedicate an extended amount of time to updating my resume and send them out. I've been looking at what's available and email them to myself, but then they just sit in my inbox. I'm totally miserable at my job, which seems like it would be motivation enough, but when I get home from work or errands or whatever else, even when I have a whole day off, I just get distracted with other things even when I know I should be more productive.

This even happens when it involves a special interest. I think about doing them a lot and even when I start learning about them, at some point I just stop and can't bring myself to continue, even though my interest and curiosity in the subject hasn't faded. Could this be due to lack of executive functioning?

You'd think that despising your job would be enough for you to quit. Hopefully your detestation of your job doesn't show at work and you get fired. Then, of course, you'd have no choice but to get a new job. Finding and starting a new job is not as simple as, say, choosing a new painting for the living room or writing a poem. Too much is riding on your decision. You could probably get the new job, ease yourself into it, then give your old job their two weeks. Or you could just walk in one day, give your two weeks, and hope something new comes along. Unfortnately, the economy is so weak right now that that kind of experimenting is stress-inducing. If you're flexible then getting any ol' job to tide you over till something better comes along can benefit you.

Because for a lot of people motivation follows action, I force myself to get up and get started on what I need to do, and usually after I start seeing results I get motivated to do more.

That's exactly what I'm doing right now with the housework.

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I'm giving it another shot. We will see.
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I think I understand what you mean quite well. Do you think it might be because of so-called "over-analysis paralysis", meaning that you look at something you feel that you should do, but run through a bunch of what-if scenarios and find all the possible outcomes undesirable, and so you don't know how to proceed and get stuck? Could that be it?

We live in really uncertain economic times now, as someone else just mentioned. Finding work is really, really tough and competitive work today - more so than it's ever been probably in our lifetimes. Have been there myself.

Of course there's always the possibility that some external environmental factor has a lot of people on edge but we don't know what it is. Without proof that's just speculation, but humans are forever finding out that the way they thought about things wasn't correct after all. Who knows?

I also have trouble being motivated. people my age are getting married, having families. what do i do? I whore fire agate all day long.
its my superpower, I've been stuck here for awile but it doesnt bother me, will I ever get out? who knows,