Motivation at the Wrong Time

I was browsing through the Motivation section of Reddit, when I came across a question and response that someone had posted that made me stop in my tracks.

We all have those days, some more often than others. Whenever we have to work, we do something unproductive like play games. Whenever we must sleep, our mind races and you're dying to start a new project or complete one you've started but never got around to.

This is a response to the question of why some people find motivation at the most inconvenient/inappropriate times...

Credit: 0fuqs4u

You're living in the past or the future, not the present. Your mind believes that the grass is greener somewhere else, ALL THE TIME. You play games instead of working because working is what you're supposed to be doing in the present. You think about work projects when you lie down to go to sleep because sleeping is what you're supposed to be doing in the present.

You have an unconscious belief that there must be something better than what you have at the moment, and an opposing unconscious belief that you'll never actually get it. These thoughts are all fantasies and they help you deny your unhappiness.

 "I should be writing that report [but my boss will just correct half of it because he's a control freak]."

"I should start that project to enhance the system [but I'd do a bunch of work and only the company will really benefit]."

You have to figure out why you're unhappy and avoiding the now. Typically it's fear based on past experience and/or anxiety about not being able to survive in the future. When you find yourself doing this stop and ask yourself what's going on. Keep asking yourself "Why?"

Why don't I want to write the report? Because it's boring. Why is it boring? Because my boss will hate it. Why will he hate it? He's hated all the reports I've written.
You'll get to a point where you'll discover what is truly killing your motivation.

Original post here.