Why Am I Having A Hard Time Getting Things Done?

“I’m having a hard time getting things done.” In recent months, many people have shared this feeling. It’s as if, suddenly, courage, initiative, and even motivation had drained into the sewer of constant apathy. It’s a sticky feeling that makes it impossible to perform well at work, enjoy our relationships, and even project long-term goals.

This kind of reality is not trivial. This lack of desire and even the daily lack of hope is like the rust that permeates our mental muscle, gradually weakening it. Realizing a low self-efficacy, realizing that everything costs us a lot and that we need two hours for something that we could solve in half an hour undermines our spirit and, above all, stresses us out.

It is important to monitor these types of situations. We cannot allow this debilitating experience to accompany us for more than two or three days. If this shadow haunts us for weeks or months, it could be a sign of a psychological problem, such as depression.

Let’s take a closer look at this issue.

Why am I having a hard time getting things done? Causes to consider

There are days we can handle anything and days we can’t do anything. However, this is perfectly normal. It is impossible to always maintain the same unshakable attitude towards life, the same spirit and the same desire. We are people, not robots. Having ups and downs, going through certain moments when we see everything obscurely and desire and motivations are scarce is permissible as well as common.

Even so, it’s true that that feeling of laziness and unwillingness is scary. We cannot rule out a health problem such as a deficiency in a nutrient such as iron, magnesium  or the B-complex vitamins. Thyroid disorders, like any hormonal changes, also often lead to this discouragement or lack of physical energy. .

If we’re going through those days when we’re having a hard time getting things done and we’re sure it’s not due to health problems, it ‘s time to look at other things. These would be some dimensions to reflect on.

Excessive worries and uncertainties

John Milton said that the mind can make our lives either heaven or hell. So when we go through those times when worries are many and calm days are few,  the brain may resort to classic stress blocks. It’s like an interruption in cognitive activity. Suddenly, it slows down, it is difficult to think, respond, react, respond…

All of this is due to this excess of worry accompanied, in turn, by an emotional state marked by anguish and anxiety. Likewise,  our own uncertainty about the future also leaves us “trapped”  and suspended in that state of mental numbness that it is so difficult to get out of.

You are procrastinating, but for what reason?

“I’m having a hard time getting things done. I know that the sooner I start, the sooner I finish, but I don’t find encouragement or motivation and I end up giving up. The worst thing is that acting like this makes me feel bad and the discomfort increases”.

Procrastination is a bad companion in life, because in addition to procrastination in fulfilling our tasks, we also increase negative emotions. Our image of ourselves gets distorted, our sense of self-efficacy is lost, and, almost without realizing it, we end up digging the perfect tunnel into depression.

Studies such as those conducted at Pamukkale University (Turkey) indicate that irrational thoughts are often behind procrastination. Thinking that everything is going to go wrong, that we are not competent, that they will judge or criticize us for this or that ends up getting in our way. However, the following factors are also common:

• Aversion to these tasks.
• Fear of failing and making mistakes.
• Be very perfectionist.
• Feeling of not having control over our surroundings.
• An underlying depression or high anxiety.

The fears that paralyze and demotivate

You’ve been wondering  why you’re having a hard time getting things done for some time now . Several days have passed and you realize that your will doesn’t come back, that everything becomes a mountain for you and that mountain is about to collapse. If you see yourself that way, ask yourself what you’re afraid of.

The great communicator and popularizer Eduard Punset said that happiness is the absence of fear. This is very true. However, most of the time, we are not even aware that this emotion permeates our entire being and all divisions of the mind.

We fear the future. We are afraid of not knowing, we are distressed because things do not go as we expected. These feelings, orchestrated by that silent but pervasive and persistent fear, end up diminishing our motivation. They also cloud hope and weaken motivation.

The difficulty of getting things done is not laziness, it’s unhappiness

Sometimes it’s hard to get things done not out of laziness but out of a bad mood. We get angry without knowing why, and this irritability keeps us from acting. Now, a bad mood is often just the cap of a bottle, of a bottle that, when opened, gives off other realities, other sensations.

One of them is unhappiness. In this sense, the ideal is to be aware that the life we ​​lead is not to our liking, that there is something inside us that is out of tune and that we don’t know how to resolve. When the lifestyle we lead is out of step with our needs, desires and values, everything is infinitely more difficult and we drown in these black holes. It’s not good to be stuck in that kind of reality.

Whatever situation is causing this lack of motivation, changes need to be made. Let’s act, because the best engine for happiness, change and well-being is the daring to make new decisions. Improvement will not be long in coming.