Why does Dopamine WIN every time I try to be Disciplined? Discussion
I’ll sit down ready to start something important, already knowing what I should be doing… and then somehow I’m unlocking my phone without even deciding to. One quick check turns into scrolling then another thing and suddenly I’m mentally somewhere else before I even begin.
And the frustrating part is I’m aware of it while it’s happening. It’s not like I don’t realize I’m avoiding the task. My brain just keeps going for whatever feels easier in the moment.
People say just be disciplined, but in real life it feels like pushing uphill while everything else pulls you the other way. The phone, notifications, endless content it’s all right there, easy and instantly interesting. Of course my attention goes there.
Then later I feel like I failed some basic test of willpower, which honestly just makes me want to escape more. Kind of a dumb loop when I step back and look at it.
I’ve tried the usual stuff. Strict routines, making rules for myself. Sometimes it works for a bit then I either get around it or just get tired of fighting myself all day.
Lately I’ve been wondering if discipline isn’t the real problem. Maybe I just keep expecting myself to ignore distractions that are constantly right in front of me. That’s a harder battle than I like to admit.
Right now I’m trying smaller adjustments instead of big dramatic fixes. Making distractions slightly harder to reach, not doing the quick check before starting, stuff like that. Still messy though.
Does anyone else feel like dopamine always wins in the moment even when you genuinely want to do better?
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[Story] Turning 30 feeling Like I’ve done nothing so just booked a calendar event to fly to Japan in 2026. We’ll See if future me actually does it.
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@r_getmotivated
Stop eating the frog. Seriously. Start eating the ice cream instead Discussion
I finally realized why I've been staring at the same IMPORTANT task for three days while my brain literally feels like it’s shutting down. We have all heard the classic productivity advice: "Eat the frog" do the hardest, ugliest thing first thing in the morning and the rest of your day will be a breeze.
SPOILER ALTERT If I try to eat the frog first, I just spend six hours staring at the frog, feeling like a total failure, and then I end up on a Wikipedia deep dive about the history of the Apollo 11 moon landing (did you know they landed four miles off course? lol anyway, back to the point)
The problem isn't that we are lazy or unmotivated. It is that our brains don't actually care about (importance or consequences ;-;) in the same way neurotypical brains do. For us, trying harder isn't a solution. It is just more effective at making us feel like we are drowning (yep...)
The Motivation Flaw: Most productivity systems (like GTD or Inbox Zero) were built for neurotypical brains. They rely on a "trust" in your own brain that we just don't have yet. My brain doesn't care if a task is "important." It cares if it provides dopamine.
When we hit a point of overwhelm, our brains don't just "power through." They shut down. It feels like someone handed you a baby while you were already underwater. You can't breathe, and someone is tossing you more responsibilities.
The 4 C’s of ADHD Motivation: Instead of forcing the "Frog," I’ve started looking for the Four C’s. This is how we actually get the engine moving:
Captivate: Is there a part of this project that is actually fascinating?
Create: Can I turn this boring task into a creative problem to solve?
Compete: Can I gamify this? (can I finish these five emails before the coffee finish brewing) got it??
Complete: Can I set a hard, urgent deadline that actually feels real!!
Strategies That Actually Work (For Now)
The biggest thing I've learned is to Embrace the Pivot. I used to feel so much shame when a new system or app stopped working after two weeks. Now, I just realize my brain is bored and needs novelty. That is okay. It didn't "fail," it just finished its usefulness for that cycle.
A few things I’m trying this week: Eat the Ice Cream First: I do a task that I actually enjoy or find creative first. This builds the momentum. Once the "train" is moving, it is way easier to tackle the boring stuff.
Micro-Commitments: I’m not "cleaning the kitchen." I am putting exactly three dishes away. Usually, I do more, but if I only do three, I still "won" that goal.
Side Quests: If I'm stuck on a main project, I let myself take a "side quest" on a related, more interesting angle for 15 minutes. It sparks the brain back to life (mostly i like to keep a white sheet in the desk and write any sudden apperaance of those 1M dollars ideas lmaoo)
Stop blaming yourself for not being able to follow systems that weren't built for you. You aren't a broken neurotypical person, you just have an interest-based nervous system.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go finish those three dishes before I forget why I walked into the kitchen in the first place (';
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STORY I Am Motivating Anybody to NOT Hit Rockbottom to Make a Change
Friendly reminder - Hitting rock bottom is completely avoidable. People want help and sympathy when they reach rock bottom when a change could have been made before.
I am here and I had so many chances to avoid getting this low.
28 years old and just lost my 165k job due to my (sniffling addiction). I never thought I would find myself in this position and I had SO many chances before I got here. As I look back I am ashamed at how I didn’t just land here, I had every opportunity.
For anyone who deep down knows they are headed here, you do not have to get here to finally start changing.
Fuck man, I noticed the whole way down.
https://redd.it/1r5ezv9
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Story I stopped waiting for motivation and started treating my goals like a factory
I used to wait for that spark of energy to start working, but I realized that motivation is a liar. I’d have these huge bursts of inspiration, followed by two weeks of doing absolutely nothing. My progress was non existent because I was relying on a feeling that isn't permanent. I was scrolling 8+ hours a day, watching everyone else progress while I stayed stuck.
I finally figured out a method that works:
Reload App: For a structured 6 -day transformation program that blocks distractions.
Atomic Habits (Method): Focusing on 1% wins rather than perfect days.
Forest: To gamify my deep work blocks and keep me off TikTok.
Willow Voice: I use this for my internal review at the end of the day. I narrate what went well and what I struggled with. Hearing my own growth documented in my own voice is way more motivating than any inspirational quote.
This really helped me build actual systems instead of just resolutions that die by February. I had external systems forcing me to follow through instead of just internal motivation.
In my opinion You don't find motivation; you build an environment where discipline is the only option.
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[Image] love is a journey
https://imgur.com/a/7jgnXxF
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Discussion I don't feel like I'm serious enough
I'm 26 years old. I feel like I'm really careless or undisciplined when it comes to living a meaningful life. I don't take opportunities and chanes given to me and instead avoid anything or anyone that has a slight expectation of me to do something.
I finished my degree, been working, have some savings. But I genuinely don't care about any of it. It doesn't make me feel like I have achieved something.
I still live with my parents, I pay the entire rent and they pay the bills (otherwise they can't survive, because my dad doesn’t work anymore). So my idea was to buy a home for them so they can pay a bit less in mortgage than rent etc. But now I'm thinking to quit my job because I am getting burnt out from my current job, which will also make it less likely for me to get accepted for the house loan.
When it comes to weekends, i just want to sleep in, scroll reels. I don't have the mental discipline to get up and take care of myself and others. My friends/family bought homes, got married/have kids, and I cannot fathom even have the energy to cook a meal for myself. I know I'm definitely a lazy, but I feel like there is something else missing in me to actually do stuff. Nothing interests me, every decision I have done for the past 5 years was to help support my family.
https://redd.it/1r4pm86
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[Discussion] Why can't I tidy this..
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Discussion How do you motivate yourself? For years I struggled with procrastination. My life changed when I discovered how motivation actually works (it’s surprisingly simple). Now it’s easy to stop overthinking and stay motivated.
(Note: I love being authentic, so I don’t use AI to write/format. I want to help you live a happy life and feel supported.)
You might think, “A post on procrastination? I’ll read it later.” So hello to future you who’s reading this lol.
“All or Nothing” mentality typically leads to nothing. Instead focus on, “Small and Satisfying” (SAS). People with a nice SAS are more productive. Remind yourself, “I have a nice SAS. So how can we make this more fun?”
People procrastinate because expectations are too high. Small and satisfying prioritizes simple and fun. Ex: If you start working out 2 hours a day on machines you don't like, of course you’d procrastinate. But if you just work out 1 minute, do 3 crunches or pick an activity you enjoy, you’d feel more motivated.
>“The hardest part is starting.”
Ironically, people generally don't have an issue with starting, the issue is stopping. Ex: If you believe you need to work out 2 hours, starting’s hard. But giving yourself permission to stop after 2 minutes, starting’s easier.
>“How to start when I don’t know the first step?”
When you're not sure what to do, it’s because you’re not decisive on how you want to feel (and that’s understandable). So if you don’t know what you want or what path to take specifically, you always know what you want in general. What emotions do you want to feel?
“I want to feel comfortable. I want to feel accepted and appreciated. I want to feel connected, valued and validated. I want to feel interested, eager and excited. I want to feel productive. I want to feel ease and flow. I like feeling creative and inspired. I want to feel satisfied and fulfilled. And I want to have fun.”
Overthinking is underfeeling. You're not caring enough about how you feel. Your brain is rewarded to overthink when you believe something needs to change for you to feel better. When you love and appreciate negative emotions, you feel better and then your brain doesn't have a reason to overthink. And that allows clarity/inspired action to create the life you want.
>“You need discipline, not motivation. If I waited for motivation nothing would get done.”
Emotional discipline naturally creates physical discipline. Discipline yourself to feel better before, during and after an activity (e.g. “Why do I want to do it? What do I want to feel?” Reduce time/intensity and add more fun). You're so disciplined you refuse to judge yourself. And you’re not waiting. Proactive motivation is getting your mind and emotions on board with your desired behavior (it can take 2 - 5 minutes).
Motivation comes from momentum.
Momentum comes from less resistance (e.g. snowball rolling downhill gets bigger/faster).
Resistance comes from thoughts focused on and judging what you don't want.
Feeling stuck is a symptom of a bigger issue: You judge yourself. Hypothetically, if you never judged yourself (which isn’t realistic) you’d stay motivated. Isn’t that interesting?
It’s like holding a cork under water. Asking, “How do I get motivated?” is asking, “How do I make the cork float?” When you stop holding it down, it automatically floats. So you don't have to appreciate yourself if it’s hard. If all you did was judge yourself less (even just 1% less) then motivation would naturally begin to float. (Meditation also helps.)
Self-reflection questions (share your insights in the comments): “What are the advantages of judging myself? I believe judging myself is a good thing because …” “What am I afraid would happen if I accepted and appreciated myself just the way I am?”
To create motivation, modify expectation. Don’t judge yourself; adjust yourself.
Reduce time and intensity until it supports your emotional needs for the day. Scale down until it’s sexy. “Gym for an hour? I’m tired and that brings up anxiety. Okay, what about 10 minutes? Still some fear, but better. 1
Story I didn’t expect fasting to reduce my addictions, but it did
TL;DR-I was struggling with p*rn addiction, lack of focus, and overthinking. Yoga and meditation helped, but urges remained. After I started fasting twice a month on Ekadashi, I noticed better discipline, reduced cravings, improved concentration, and gradually more control over my urges.
So it all goes back to last year when I was dealing with a lot of problems. I had this problem of m*sturbation. I was addicted to p*rn and m*sturbation, and I wasn’t really able to focus on my studies. I kept overthinking and procrastinating.
At one point, I decided to start yoga and meditation. That was really a wonderful decision. However, I still felt the urge to watch porn or masturbate, which was sometimes very difficult to control.
While going through this phase, I watched a video of Sadhguru where he talked about the benefits of fasting. He mentioned that there are five types of fires in the body. I don’t remember all the details, but one thing I clearly remember is that one of the agnis is the digestive fire, known as Jataragni. He said this digestive fire is responsible for many of our desires.
He explained that the nature of fire is to consume. It always wants more. That is why even people who earn immense wealth are still not satisfied. He also said that if a person does not eat for three days, they won’t have sexual desires or other cravings left. All they would want is food. That point really clicked for me.
The idea isn’t to go on a three day fast. I am not suggesting that. But I decided to fast once every 15 days. In Hindu and yogic traditions, there is a day called Ekadashi, which is considered suitable for fasting. It is said that on this day the body naturally does not crave much food.
I had never noticed that earlier because my habit was just to consume. In fact, I had a strong sweet tooth. I was very fond of sweets. But after I started fasting on Ekadashi, it really helped me gain discipline and, in a way, made me stronger.
There were many benefits. My stomach felt completely clear after fasting for a day. I also noticed that I could concentrate better when I was on a lighter stomach. Over a few weeks of fasting, I was able to get over these urges.
Moreover, I naturally stopped craving sweets. They began to feel unnecessary. Whenever I ate them, I noticed they made me feel dull. So gradually, I stopped craving them.
Now I feel more conscious about what I should eat and what I should not. All of this has really helped me control my urges and become more disciplined.
That’s all I wanted to share. Thank you for reading.
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feel optimistic that I can carve out a better work life for myself. I just really need the boost to actually sit and do my resume and not get overwhelmed every time I open it. Even if that means a harsh reality check or something, I would really like some motivation, please.
https://redd.it/1r0eg5o
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When You Hit Rock Bottom, The Only Way Is Up Article
Most of us will fail. Most will hit rock bottom, but most people will not find the way out. Falling down is an accident; staying down is a choice.
When you're at rock bottom, everything feels heavy. Every step is a struggle. Every effort seems futile, but there is no easy way out of that hell. You need the superhuman strength hidden within you—it is what will light your path out of the darkness. It will forge you into a hero, because heroes aren't born in comfort, but in adversity.
I. Rock Bottom Is Not Your End\- It can be the start of a journey to a new life.
II. Rock Bottom Can Make You Fearless\- You become fearless when you have nothing to lose.
III. It’s OK To Fail\- But you must learn from your failures and improve.
IV. Don’t Panic\- It’ll not help you at all.
V. Don’t Complain\- You're just losing your energy doing a trivial thing.
VI. Unconditionally Love And Respect Yourself\- Be your biggest support.
VII. Take Full Responsibility For Your Life\- It’s time to take control of your life.
VIII. Take Bold Action\- Only action can get you out of your difficult situation.
IX. Don’t Wait For Someone To Save You\- Save yourself.
X. Be Antifragile\- Be stronger after experiencing any adversity or challenge.
XI. Believe\-Everything is possible if you believe.
XII.Don't Give Up\- This is the essence.
What was the turning point that made you realize you were stronger than your rock bottom?
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Why is buying fitness gear easier than using it? Discussion
I bought a few pieces of fitness gear from an online store thinking it would push me to work out more. I got resistance bands, a jump rope, and a small barbell set, and when the box arrived I felt proud and ready to start. But once the gear was in the corner of my room it became easier to grab the phone or watch TV instead. I’d tell myself I’d use it later, and later never came.
I think buying feels like progress because it’s quick and satisfying, but actually using the equipment takes time, effort, and consistency. Does anyone else struggle to turn new gear into real workouts, and how do you finally make yourself use it?
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[Story] I knew every habit and system in the book, but I still couldn't start. Then I realised: I didn't have a strategy problem, I had a State problem.
I’m a Psychiatry Resident with a PhD in Neuroscience. For years, especially since COVID, I was the ultimate "self-improvement" junkie. I read all the books, listened to the podcasts, took the supplements, and tracked the habits, hoping that eventually, an ideal life would just emerge.
Deep down, I knew the truth: I just needed to stop preparing and actually start the business I wanted to build. But I was stuck in the middle of a miserable English winter, burnt out from parenting, constantly getting ill, and jumping through meaningless clinical portfolio hoops.
The breaking point was when my wife looked at me (after reading *7 Habits of Highly Effective People*) and said, "You just need to be proactive!"
I snapped. I shouted back: "I KNOW! I know all the books! I know all the techniques! I JUST DON’T FEEL LIKE IT!"
That was the lightbulb moment. My strategy was fine, but my physiological State was in the basement. As Tony Robbins says: State, then Story, then Strategy. You can’t "logic" your way out of a nervous system that is stuck in a functional freeze or low-arousal state.
I started wondering: How can I brainwash myself into the state I felt back when I was truly motivated? I tried music, which worked for a few minutes, then wore off. Then I thought—what if I combined *everything*?
I used my background to bridge the gaps between clinical neuroscience and woo techniques. I stacked:
* The Breath: Bellows breath for a sympathetic spike, followed by resonance breathing for HRV coherence.
* The Sound: beautiful emotionally resonant music and immersive nature soundscapes.
* The Psychology: Hypnotic suggestion, symbolic story, affirmations, and directed future-Self visualisation.
I built an immersive Induction protocol. I started listening to it every single morning to manually hijack my own biology. It worked. It gave me the activation energy to finally stop reading and start building.
Today, I’m at 98 subscribers for the thing I finally had the guts to launch. It’s a small milestone, but considering where I was when I snapped, it feels like a mountain.
The Lesson: If you’ve read all the books and you’re still not moving, stop looking for a better strategy. Work on your State first. Change the biology, and the "proactive" part usually takes care of itself.
I’m curious—has anyone else reached that point where "knowing" became a burden because the "feeling" wasn't there to back it up?
https://redd.it/1qzizve
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Newton's first law of motion also applies to discipline - use it to your advantage Text
This has probably been said a dozen times here, but I only just now realised that and it feels like a game changer.
Basically, your actions will also either remain at rest or stay in motion unless acted upon by a stronger force. I've been finishing up my master's thesis while working full-time, so I tried using my weekends to really lock in, which didn't work at all. I just couldn't get off my butt in the mornings.
Instead, when I got home from work, I immediately sat down at my laptop, sometimes just to stare at my document and write a single paragraph, sometimes being really productive. What mattered was doing this every single day, because once I got that momentum going, the next day it felt just a bit easier to sit down and do some work. And every time I took a day completely off in-between, it felt impossibly hard to start again. Consistency is so much more effective than going all out on a few days, because once you're in motion, you're already past that first hurdle vs when you have to start from zero every weekend, inertia will work against you.
I finished up my thesis today at lunch, and because I've gotten so used to being productive, actually giving myself a break for the rest of the day seemed...wrong. So I did some chores and exercised, and I'm definitely planning on continuing tomorrow with some other project to use that momentum. Just maybe a little less...intense so I don't get burnt out.
Good luck in your next endeavours! Do just a little bit every day and feel for yourself that it will slowly become second nature and an integral part of your day.
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Article The Only Impossible Journey Is The One You Never Begin
The only impossible endeavor is the one you never start. Most people have ideas, dreams, desires, and goals, but they don’t realize them because they are afraid to start.
Start is the first step and maybe the most important. If you don't start, you can't finish anything.
Fear of failure lurks at the beginning of any endeavor, and it can frighten even the bravest ones. But, if you are willing to face it, you'll realize that it's ok to fail, but it's not ok to not try.
Just Start\- The rest will be revealed in time.
Ups And Downs Are Parts Of The Journey\- Sometimes you win, but sometimes you learn the lesson.
Never Say You Can’t Do It\- Say I haven’t done it yet.
Something Is Impossible\- Only if you don’t start it.
Approach Anything With A Student’s Mind\- Observe without biases and interpretations.
Examine Life\- An unexamined life is not worth living.
Leave Your Comfort Zone\- Life becomes fun when you get out of your comfort zone.
Be Open And Curious\- These are your best companions in any endeavor. Eliminate Self-Doubt\- It makes you incapable of doing things you can do. Believe\- Everything is possible if you believe.
The Only Impossible Journey Is The One You Never Begin\- Start the journey you're postponing or hesitating right now.
What is the one "impossible" journey you've been putting off, and what's stopping you from taking the first step today?
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Discussion How do you stop being a loser?
How do I stop being a loser as a guy in my late 20's?
I (28m) still live with my parents, I'm unemployed and have no formal education since leaving school at 16. I fall asleep at around 4am and don't wake up until 4 or 5pm.
I've never bothered learning how to drive. Every time I open job websites, I scroll though maybe one or two pages, don't apply for any and don't open them again for another few weeks.
I used to be incredibly social, but haven't seen my friends in person in a very long time. Ironically, I saw my friends more while working full time.
I vented my frustration to ChatGPT, and no matter what I type, the result is that it thinks I'm depressed.
I've spoken to a therapist in the past aswell as a doctor, and they both believed that giving me anxiety and depression medication was best. However, I haven't spoken to either in a few years and of course have stopped taking the medication.
I've had no hope for the future since my late teens, it just simply never existed.
These days, all I do is sleep until whenever and play video games, only taking a break to eat and shower.
On paper, getting my life back on track on seems simple, but what's the point when you don't even want to continue living your life? Not in a suicidal way, more like a "I can't be arsed" way.
Overall, I'm incredibly lazy and it's quite clear that I'm also very stubborn to change.
https://redd.it/1r5vf86
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Great achievements represent pushing yourself mentally [image]
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Article The Challenges You Face Will Introduce You To Your Strengths
We don’t like to be challenged. We want to avoid them. We want challenges never to happen to us. However, challenges are not negative; they provide us with an opportunity for growth and reveal our strengths.
I used to be terrified of challenges. I wanted to avoid them at all costs, but that's exactly where the potential lay hidden. It was an opportunity for growth that I kept missing. The moment I first dared to face a challenge, I realized that within all of us lies a potential crying out for realization—and that can only happen when we confront the challenge head-on.
What should we understand about challenges and how to approach them?
Accept Challenges\- Do it proactively.
Avoiding Challenges\- By doing it, you avoid your potential becoming a reality.
Don’t Be Scared Of Challenges\- You can gain a lot if you approach it wisely.
Be Challenge To Your Challenge\- Take a courageous attitude.
Challenges Are Tests\- You will now know your abilities and qualities.
Challenges Will Reward You\- The bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward.
Challenges Help Your Personal Growth\- Only when you face them and do your best.
Life Without Challenges Is Unlived\- Challenges discover your hidden strengths and your abilities that you can't discover without them.
You Can’t Introduce Your Strengths In Your Comfort Zone\- Challenges will introduce you to your strengths.
What challenges have uncovered your hidden potential?
https://redd.it/1r5dmnm
@r_getmotivated
Story Boredom is a cheatcode to being productive.
Literally just stare at a wall for 30 mins.
Don't look at your phone or do anything and just resist the urge no matter what.
You'll feel your brain resetting.
Let your brain get so bored that it wants to do the work.
If you couple that with the concept of gamfication, (there's lots of apps and stuff that does this for you, I use this personally you'll become a literal productivity machine.
Because you're removing distractions as your main dopamine source and instead making your tasks be more dopamigernic.
So you're literally re-programming your brain to crave productivity.
Went from not being able to study for more than 1hr/day to now being able to do 10+ hours just by implementing those two things.
https://redd.it/1r3vsjv
@r_getmotivated
“I’m still standing!” [text]
https://redd.it/1r3zulz
@r_getmotivated
Story I stopped trying to fix everything. That’s when things started working.
I used to treat every problem like an emergency.
Bad night of sleep?
Panic.
Low energy?
Optimize harder.
Anxious?
Research more. Fix more. Control more.
I thought discipline meant constant correction.
It didn’t.
It meant consistency without panic.
Same wake-up time.
No clock checking at 3AM.
No dramatic reactions to one bad day.
What surprised me most?
When I stopped chasing progress…
progress showed up.
Sleep improved.
Focus improved.
Even my mood stabilized.
Not because I tried harder.
But because I stopped fighting myself.
Sometimes growth isn’t adding more.
It’s removing pressure.
https://redd.it/1r4pbh7
@r_getmotivated
minute? Yeah, I can do that. It's not my best, but it's my best for today. And that's enough.”
I used to feel ashamed for not doing a fraction of a great workout I did yesterday. But now I understand showing up the best I can is essential for self-love and long-term success.
Simplicity supports consistency, which is more important than efficiency. Something’s better than nothing. And you might have to wait months/years before achieving 100% physical results, but you can get 1% emotional results in a couple minutes. That gives instant feedback of progress, which gives hope, so you keep doing it and leads to bigger changes you’re looking for.
Thanks for reading, I appreciate you. Have fun playing with your nice SAS mentality.
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@r_getmotivated
Learn to overcome your obstacles [image]
https://redd.it/1r4jxaf
@r_getmotivated
[IMAGE] Happy Valentines day ❤️
https://redd.it/1r4eai5
@r_getmotivated
Discussion I need real job hunting motivation/advice
Hello everyone, this is my first time posting here so I hope this is the right place.
I need real motivation to apply for jobs.
For some background, I'm 24, this past October I graduated with a Masters in communications. University, especially undergrad, was incredibly difficult to get through due to MDD - almost dropped out multiple times, started to hate what I was studying (BSc, completely unrelated to what I did in grad school), missed a lot of school, barely passed, mostly because of my depression and other severe mental health struggles. I felt so stuck, so I did a Masters, something I never thought I'd do since I hated school, and I discovered I have a love for videography. Would it be nice to do that as a career? Yes. Is it realistic right now? Not entirely, but that's fine.
There was an internship requirement in my Masters program, so I started working in marketing/communications at a family member's company (applied to dozens of videography jobs with no luck, so I'm grateful for their generosity to create a position for me). I am now a full-time employee, and while I am extremely grateful that my family member was so kind to do this for me, I feel so stuck in this job and have been wanting a change for months.
I've had a few motivators that I feel like should have given me the push to job search again, which I'll list below:
I don't like what I'm doing for work - I know this is privileged and I don't have to love my job, but I'm starting to really, really dread it. The way that things are structured here, things get done really slowly, my posts don't get pushed because I have to wait and wait and wait for approvals, and I'm too nervous to just post things anyway because what I create always needs edits, and because the last guy who tried to change things and do them the way they should be done got let go recently. Which brings me to my next point:
Four people got let go a couple of weeks ago - This lit a fire under my ass, I started job searching and saving jobs like crazy, but I haven't actually applied to any because
updating my resume is so daunting
It's probably one of my biggest barriers. I saved a job last week that would be doing something entirely different from what I'm currently doing (corporate events, rather than marketing), which I feel I am qualified for because of volunteer work I've done in the past. It took me hours, but I tweaked my experiences fully to match that type of career, then I left the "objective" section for last because I was running low on steam and would revisit it the next day. The next day comes, the job posting is closed.
I feel so defeated. Updating my resume for each job is such an exhausting process, and it takes me so much longer than it seems to take others for some reason. I mean, I'm writing this post instead of updating my resume... Every time I open it I feel a big heavy weight on me, and I get overwhelmed. And don't even get me started on writing a cover letter. I don't get how people can fix up one resume and send it out to many jobs - every posting is different and I've been given the advice to tailor it.
Despite working in my current job for 8 months now, I feel like I've barely achieved anything that can get me another communications/marketing job (I know I said I dislike it, but it might be because I'm barely able to achieve in this specific workplace). I haven't gained experience in content strategy, I haven't hit KPIs because there aren't any because management takes way too long to look at anything I've done, and barely seem to notice when I don't do more than the bare bare minimum. I have very little willingness to continue here, which should be my main motivation to change right?
So why can't I bring myself to make those resume tweaks? To apply for jobs even if I don't hit literally every single little checkbox? Maybe it's cause looking at any job description with "content strategy" in it has made me want to just give up?
Despite all these negative feelings, I
Learn To Let Go [Image]
https://redd.it/1r0b84f
@r_getmotivated
How do I get my brain on board? discussion
I’m one year away from 40. I feel like I’m running out of time to make healthy changes and actually enjoy the results. I WANT to be active. I WANT to feel stronger, healthier, more awake and able and present. In theory. But in practice, diverging from my normal, lazy routine of self-soothing and time-killing feels like pulling teeth, if my brain had teeth. I do have adhd which I’m medicating with a non-stimulant, and it does make a minor difference. I wonder, however, if what feels like adhd symptoms is just the effects of unhealthy forms of mental stimulation over too long a period of time (endless scrolling, getting lost in YouTube shorts for literal hours, etc). My brain feels like it’s screaming without multiple distractions going on at once. What do I do? How do I change it?
https://redd.it/1qzj88k
@r_getmotivated
Motivation changed for me once I stopped believing every thought Text
For a long time, I waited for motivation to show up before taking action. When it didn’t, I assumed something was wrong with me - not disciplined enough, not driven enough, not consistent enough.
What I didn’t realize is that most of the thoughts killing my motivation weren’t dramatic or negative. They sounded reasonable:
“Do it later.”
“Now isn’t the right time.”
“You’ll be more focused tomorrow.”
They didn’t feel like excuses. They felt like facts.
The shift for me came when I started questioning those thoughts instead of automatically obeying them. That tiny pause - between a thought and an action - made motivation feel less like a battle and more like momentum.
A book that helped me understand this clearly was 7 Lies Your Brain Tells You: And How to Outsmart Every One of Them. It’s not about hype, positive thinking, or forcing discipline. It breaks down how the brain quietly protects comfort and avoids effort and how that shows up as “logic” in your head.
Once I saw that pattern, motivation stopped being something I waited for. It became something that followed action.
If you’ve ever felt motivated in theory but stuck in practice, I genuinely recommend this book. It explains why that gap exists and how to stop letting your own thoughts quietly sabotage you.
https://redd.it/1qzfuno
@r_getmotivated
Motivation changed for me once I stopped believing every thought Text
For a long time, I waited for motivation to show up before taking action. When it didn’t, I assumed something was wrong with me - not disciplined enough, not driven enough, not consistent enough.
What I didn’t realize is that most of the thoughts killing my motivation weren’t dramatic or negative. They sounded reasonable:
“Do it later.”
“Now isn’t the right time.”
“You’ll be more focused tomorrow.”
They didn’t feel like excuses. They felt like facts.
The shift for me came when I started questioning those thoughts instead of automatically obeying them. That tiny pause - between a thought and an action - made motivation feel less like a battle and more like momentum.
A book that helped me understand this clearly was 7 Lies Your Brain Tells You: And How to Outsmart Every One of Them. It’s not about hype, positive thinking, or forcing discipline. It breaks down how the brain quietly protects comfort and avoids effort and how that shows up as “logic” in your head.
Once I saw that pattern, motivation stopped being something I waited for. It became something that followed action.
If you’ve ever felt motivated in theory but stuck in practice, I genuinely recommend this book. It explains why that gap exists and how to stop letting your own thoughts quietly sabotage you.
https://redd.it/1qze7f0
@r_getmotivated
