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The original was posted on /r/getmotivated by /u/DwaywelayTOP on 2023-12-13 14:04:15+00:00.
I wouldn't call myself lazy, but I had lost all my motivation in life. Even when doing the simplest things. It took so much ENERGY to reach out to friends or even respond to their texts. I wouldn't talk with my family unless I needed something, and it put me in a cycle of depression. It was wrong, but it is how I felt.
I knew something needed to change, so I started watching and listening to different influencers. They all talked about the same things: going to the gym, eating healthy, waking up early… all "good advice," but I couldn't find where to get the motivation to do these things. I could brute force myself to do them for a week, but it wouldn't last.
So instead, I put one simple task for each week. A small, achievable goal that didn't overwhelm me. The first week, it was as simple as making my bed. The second week, I decided to add a run. Each week, I added a small task, gradually building up.
Surprisingly the hardest part was ditching my phone… at first, I thought not using my phone was a small enough task but it was hard AF. I tried deleting TikTok/Instagram but I would just end up scrolling on Snapchat and YouTube which was honestly more embarrassing. So I turned my phone black and white…asked my roommate to take it every night at 6… and almost ended up trading it in for an Apple watch. It took several months but eventually, I stopped craving it.
This was the so called last piece to the puzzle. These small accomplishments added up and gave me a sense of control. It took 2 years but I feel like myself again!
I reach out and talk with my friends and family every day, not only that but I am the one making plans.
2 years might seem like a long time but I know that if I tried to do it all on at once I would still be in the situation I was in.
I hope this can help some of you that feel stuck.