Personal problem...motivation

I’m going back to school for web design. Pursuing a degree that I started years ago but never achieved. I work for a local web design company but can’t for the life of me jump on the computer at home and work on my own stuff and play around. I haven’t kept up with anything new even though I want to learn it all and want to buy tons of books on all of it.

What is honestly the best way to light the fire under me to get on the ball and make it happen for my own personal projects and freelance career on the side?

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I’ve been there, too. Many times, in fact. :slight_smile:

What I’d ask you are two things:

  1. Do you feel passionate about these topics and are you sure you love doing this and want to commit to it, perhaps for a decade or more?
  2. Do generally have a motivation problem, ergo could it be a mental/psychological/concentration issue?

I think it’s important to ask yourself these questions (and possibly many more) and go from there. Nobody can motivate you other than yourself. All these self-motivational help guides are bogus in my opinion. Usually, there’s a reason why you have a mental/creative block, therefore it’s crucial that you find what is hindering you from actually doing the things you want to do.

I’m very passionate about it. I’ve been into it/doing it for over a decade and even started my own little freelance business q few years ago that flopped. It just seems like these past few years I just can’t get that motivation and don’t know why.

I have a couple ideas why, but they are financial reasons and I think if I was more well equipped with the resources than I’d have the motivation.

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Its so hard to get motivated and keep it up. Its something you have to keep working on too, otherwise it goes away. For myself, I stay motivated by thinking about the future. I imagine a bright and happy future when I achieve all of my goals and become successful. If I didn’t keep thinking about those things, then work would seem too boring.

Hello, I know this is very difficult for a person to get motivated once his morale is down. But the the fact is no one can motivate you the way you yourself can do that and that is also just by changing your view towards the things and always take it in a positive way. That is the only key to success. Do what you want to do and not easy give up because of others.

Hi mate - You are not alone! Books will really help you come out of this de-motivated depressed state - Have you read the book “who moved my cheese” by Spencer Johnson? Welcome changes in a positive attitude - Enjoy your new course - Try to be friends with highly active persons and not the one who sail in the same boat as of you! Good luck mate -

Could it be that you’re trying to juggle too much and doing so is leaving you with no down time and the lack of downtime is leading to procrastination?

Maybe you need to lighten up on yourself a little, schedule in some rest time for yourself, and try to keep a realistic routine that allows you to enjoy yourself and see to all the interests you’re trying to cover.

One of the most productive changes I’ve ever made in my own Life, was to restrict myself to 9 to 5 working hours and remove weekends from my regular work routine. I’m not saying do that, but I found that to be very helpful in improving my enjoyment, therefore my motivation, and maybe something similar can be a help to you?

What do you think?

I think it is that I am getting overwhelmed with everything I want and need to do. I used to be somewhat good at this web design stuff a long time ago but it seems like i know nothing now and completely suck at photoshop. There is so much i have to learn because i lost touch and dont know where to start.

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You don’t need to master Photoshop for web design. I’d start with the basics. CSS and HTML and all the new things that have come with it. I’d take it one at a time and, like, Shaun said, restrict yourself to just a few topics at a a time.

I agree with Maleika (kohoutek). Take it easy. Draft a plan and stick to it, starting from the beginning. Dedicate one at a time or, if you can’t, divide the concepts/topics in small bites.

Even if you dedicate just 30 min to CSS and another 30 min to HTML and other 30 min to Photoshop, if you do it regularly then you’ll get back on where you were in a breeze. You already know most of the stuff. You need to refresh your memory.

So let’s say that you dedicate Mondays to learn/remember a concept and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to practice this concept and Friday’s to draft your schedule for next week. Satudays and Sundays to rest a bit, of course :smiley: We all need some fun! :smiley:

I agree. It just sucks because I used to be semi good but not the greatest and always wanted to freelance on the side but i know I am not up to par. I feel so far behind and i think one of my biggest problems I have is I like instant gratification which makes it hard.

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Then I understand why it is even tougher… and that’s why is so important that you go for one big goal but split it into smaller, more manageable tasks/goals that will give you that feeling of instant gratification that you’re so used to :wink:

Personally I always find a shrinking bank account to be very motivational.

Most people don’t enjoy their job nor are they enlightened by it. People get up in the morning and go to work because they need to pay the bills. If your not enjoying your work fine, but get out their and do it until you can transitition if you finding something you enjoy more and also pays the bills.

Myself, it is the other way around… after all this work, I have only THIS money? :lol:

It’s been a long time since my bank account has been growing at an amazing speed. But you have reminded me of those days and yes that is very motivational as well!

Ive been trying to take baby steps to get back on track. Im gonna stick with what i know for now. Im gonna advertise my skills like html and css since i dont know javascript or jquery. I know its hard to believe that i have been doing this for so long but still dont know that stuff but it is gonna be on the list of need to know and learn stuff and i am fine with that. I can still cater to businesses that just want a basic site but still make it look aesthetically pleasing.

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I’m currently building a website for the first time in 5 years, my skills in HTML & CSS are very rusty and I am also using PHP, MYSQL & Javascript/JQuery for the first time. I have no idea what I am doing but figuring it out is what motivates me. Make what is slowing you down your motivation.

Do ever go on a website and think I wonder how they did that? How did they make that slideshow gallery? I want to be able to do that. Never think you can’t do that - because you can. Every resource you need to be able to do that is available for free, right here on the internet, one google search away.

What you can’t do shouldn’t demotivate you, it should motivate you to learn.

I try and follow tutorials on some sites like designing a site/page in photoshop and my ps skills are so bad nowadays and don’t know my way around cs5 that i get frustrated and give up…besides the tuts ive looked at are not all that informative.

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Remember that while Photoshop is useful, it’s not necessary. If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, then don’t do it! (Especially if it’s your hobby - not if it’s your job :smiley: ) Remember your original motivation - to get back in for fun. So keep it that way! Why do you want to do something that brings you no joy? Try to just be happy and enjoy what you are trying to do.

I find motivation when I’m working on a project. Find a site that you want to make (you don’t even have to be asked to do it) and make it! But remember - enjoy what you do…or just don’t do it!

~TehYoyo

I do enjoy it and when i think of what i can do and what can be i do get excited and want to work. Thinkjng of sweet designs in ps and sitting behind sublime or notepad++ excites me than i get to a point of frustration and give up.

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