We’ve all been there – you know you have something that you need to start working on, whether it’s starting a new project at work, writing a paper for school, applying for jobs, or even just starting your day – and you just. can’t. get. moving.

It happens. Even to the most productive, successful people in the world! Everyone falls susceptible to lack of motivation from time to time. But the important thing isn’t ELIMINATING this feeling from occurring in your life; it’s having a dedicated strategy to overcome it when it does.

Here are three strategies to help you get motivated when you don’t feel like working (or maybe, doing anything at all!)

Do something you enjoy

It’s hard to get motivated for a task that you’re dreading. But it’s much easier to get motivated for a task that you enjoy. And sometimes, just switching gears to getting started is enough to kick-start your momentum for the whole day. So, when you’re feeling unmotivated to start working, make the decision to start something you enjoy first.

A great way to do this, is to consult your Happiness List (if you don’t have a Happiness List – then take 5 minutes right now to write down a list of things that make you happy! It’s that simple.) Take a look at the last Happiness List you wrote, and pick one of the things on it to do right now. Promise yourself that you’ll spend at least 30 minutes doing something you like… and then see what happens! (More often than not, you’ll be in a much better frame of mind, and you will feel energized and re-centered to start those dreaded tasks you were putting off in the first place).

Need some suggestions? Here are some items from my own Happiness List, as well as some other fun, spirit-lifting activities:

• Read a magazine
• Read a non-fiction book (this always helps me get fired up!)
• Go for a walk outside, without headphones, and take in the sights and sounds around you
• Call a family member or friend
• Pamper yourself – step out for a quick manicure or pedicure

…You get the idea! Create and take a look at your own Happiness List, and pick an activity that you can jump into to get you moving and motivated.

Know your energizers and de-motivators

One of the concepts that we talk about a lot in my coaching program, Bombshell Confidence, is being able to recognize your energizers and de-motivators.

As human beings, we are often much more easily influenced by our surroundings and our interactions with others than we realize. So the first step is to start being aware of how those interactions and activities affect us – Do they make us feel good, energized, happy? Or do they drain our energy, and leave us feeling down and unmotivated?

Once you cultivate an awareness of which activities (whether they are solo activities, or interactions) energize you, and which ones de-motivate you, you can get to work using them proactively to shape your mood, energy and output.

But it can be tough to just realize your energizers and de-motivators. In fact, the best way to recognize them is to take note of them as they occur. For the next week (or longer!), carry around a small journal with you and document things that make you feel good and energized, and the things that make your mood dampen, and make you feel less motivated. This will help you cultivate your own personal list of energizers and de-motivators, and will help you practice mindfulness in your daily life – really tuning into how you feel, and how external factors influence your internal thoughts and feelings.

To give a personal example of this, when I’m feeling unmotivated or down, I know that two of my best energizers are calling my mom and working out (even if it’s just for 30 minutes!) These are two tactics that I turn to repeatedly to get me out of a rut – it’s pretty much guaranteed that afterwards, I am in a better mood, and will feel more positive, energized and motivated. It’s what works for me. (As a rule of thumb, exercise is a great energizer – it gets the blood moving, helps stimulate your body and your mind, shakes off sluggishness, and so much more.)

On the flip side, I also know that one of my biggest de-motivators is looking at social media of any kind. Not only does it become a time suck, but it often invites in feelings of comparison that are not productive, healthy, or motivating. So, when I really need to stay on task, or if I’m already feeling a little unmotivated, I make a point to stay off social media.

Take some time right now to reflect and think about your own energizers and de-motivators. You’ll likely be able to think of a few right off the bat (maybe you experienced one of them today!) And then, invest some time in mindfully observing your interactions and reactions over the next week or so, and jotting down energizers and de-motivators as they arise.

Once you have this list, you’ll be able to quickly and easily turn to your energizers when you are feeling unmotivated.

Try the “Just Do One Thing” Method

No matter how unmotivated you are feeling, there’s always some action you can take to get started, no matter how small that action is.

I call this the “Just Do One Thing” Method.

The way the method works is this: when you’re feeling overwhelmed by a task or a goal (which is usually one of the base reasons WHY we feel unmotivated to start), think of one teeny, tiny thing that you can do advance you in the right direction.

More often than not, what you’ll find is: after you “just do one thing,” there’s always a small step you can take after that… And then another step after that… and so on and so forth.

And the funny thing about this process is: the more small steps you take, the more empowered you become to continue along. These small wins or “micro-achievements” serve as confidence builders that inspire you to keep going.

So taking that seemingly small action of just doing one small thing at a time, can end up snowballing into an achieved goal way faster than you think!

When it comes to motivation and output, the name of the game is momentum. That’s why the “just do one thing” method is so brilliant. It’s hard to NOT want to keep going after you “just do one thing.”

So, when I’m feeling super overwhelmed, or unmotivated, I ask myself, “What can I ‘at least’ do?” What’s one small thing (and it can be incredibly, incredibly small!) that I can tackle just to do something.

Sometimes that small thing is just talking about your goals. The most successful people in the world think and talk about their goals ALL of the time, because they have realized that goals are energizing sources of positivity in our lives. By thinking and talking about your goals, you’ll be able to maintain positivity and momentum on the path towards achieving them. So sometimes, just talking about them is enough to motivate you to do something.

Remember: “Success is a series of small wins.”

So what can you “at least” do to help get you moving, and break out of your motivation rut? Start small, and go from there.

Is your lack of motivation something bigger?

Sometimes, a lack of motivation to start working is an indication of a bigger problem. Especially if it’s happening a lot – are you feeling more unmotivated than motivated? Are you struggling to get moving on anything (maybe even things you used to enjoy?) Are you unhappy?

If any of these question ring true with you, than you may be experiencing burnout. This happens when we work too much and too hard without taking time for self-care. We work ourselves into a hole that can be hard to dig out of. If you think you may be burnt-out, try one of these remedial actions today. Or, schedule a vacation for yourself – you deserve it!