How do you stay motivated?

For me, the absolute most worst feeling in the world is not feeling motivated.  I love when I get an idea in my head, am all fired up to make it happen, and actually do just that.  It's so satisfying, even if it's something as simple as changing a lightbulb.  So, what is a person to do when they are lacking in motivation?

I know we've all been there.  Work is slow, you're dead tired, your routine is dreadfully dull and predictable.  All of these things can completely zap one's motivation to accomplish even the most simple of tasks.  When you're in a rut, no matter what kind of rut it may be, it can be really hard to pull yourself out.  You sit there thinking of ways to spring yourself into action but nothing seems to do the trick. 

When I'm having a slow day at work and I feel like I will literally die of boredom sitting at my desk, I use my lunch break as a chance to escape and do a quick workout.  Exercise is a God send, because once I get in the weight room I instantly feel energized, motivated, and just ready to do things.  Some of my best ideas come when I'm working out, which is another reason why it puts me in such a good mood.  My only dilemma is trying to figure out how to make that feeling last after I leave the gym. 

We all get bored or frustrated with our lives sometimes.  It's just a fact of life.  No matter how happy you are, no matter how content, there will come a point or a period where you just want things to be completely different.  For me, these feeling usually pass, or at least the intensity does, but at at times I find that I yearn to change little aspects of my life, or at least switch up my routine.  Most of the time I am one of those people who thrives on routine.  I like knowing that first thing in the morning I will feed my puppies, pour a cup of coffee, and sit on my couch reading before I go to work.  I think for most people who are like this, there's a sense of comfort in knowing you can rely on certain, unchangeable elements almost every day.  We can't control everyting in our lives, but I know I can depend on that cup of coffee in the morning, and that does wonders for me.

But I digress.  What I'm realy trying to drive at is how important motivation is in our lives, or at least in mine.  When I'm not feeling motivated, I'm not feeling like myself, which consequently makes me unhappy.  This all comes back to the idea of growing bored with your routine and trying to add new elements.  For instance, I decided that I was going to make a point to spend at least an hour a day down in my office working on my writing in some way shape or form.  During the month of November I stuck to this goal and before I let myself drift off to sleep in front of the TV, I went down the stairs, turned on my computer, and typed away on my various projects.  I discovered one night that I was really enjoying this routine, and that in fact once I actually sat down at my computer to write I instantly felt more energized, and my mind would literally spin with ideas.

But, then Thanksgiving rolled around, I went home for a few days, and the routine was broken.  And with the broken routine came my broken motivation.  It's amazing how quickly it disappears, and how it doesn't take much to deter it.  I plan on picking up the routine again, maybe it will be one of my New Year's resolutions.  So here's the question:  does the motivation come first, or do you force yourself to do something the first time and are then motivated to keep doing it?  Personally, I think it's a little bit of both depending on the situation.  For me I usually have to force myself to do something, and then I keep doing it to keep up the motivation.

Motivation to act is such a fleeting thing.  When you have it, things are great, but when you don't have it, so many negative feelings take its place that it's downright depressing.  I'm going to continue to challenge myself in the area of motivation; to try new things and adopt new habits and actually stick to them.  Here's hoping the motivation follows my actions.