Who struggles with feeling motivated/positive desire for the future? I have wanted to be a lawyer since I was a young teenager, but my mental health took so many dips in the last years of school I didn't achieve grades that reflected my true potential. I've been floating about directionless, fighting in my mind constantly with my thoughts for about 4 years. I decided I'd enrol in an online home school programme to get the qualifications I need to go pursue my goals. But I'm struggling to find that fire inside me to achieve anything, I feel first of all that there is no way in hell I will be able to achieve this goal. It's so upsetting, I have the academic ability and if I work on it I know I can, but my focus is always wavering and combined with a lack of self esteem, it's a struggle. I am falling behind with my courses I've enrolled in and I want nothing more than to achieve the dreams I had for myself. To make myself and my parents proud of me.

As we have different goals, I feel this way in my life as well. Following if anyone has any advice.

There's this idea called emotional leverage. If you tend to focus a lot on the risks and fear and bad things about moving forwards, it's like putting on the brakes. So it can help to not only remind yourself frequently of the positives from moving forwards, but also of the negatives of staying the way things are/not taking those risks. You can leverage yourself from both directions. You can also identify all the things which are positive about staying stuck where you are rather than fulfilling your ambition. Like feeling safe, less responsibility, less expectations to keep achieving, people will know that you need support rather than assuming you're doing fine, not having to take risks/leave family and home/be independent, more free time, etc. Those things can be there but be kind of unconscious. Once you acknowledge they're there, you can actually start to negotiate with them. Seriously. Not just argue them down, but take them as legitimate concerns. You might be able to come to compromises, like that you will continue to get mental health help and find ways to make sure those around you know you still need support, setting boundaries on the amount of time in your work week you're willing to give to your job Vs time for yourself, that you'll see family X often, that you promise to address each possibility in your career of risk as they come up and won't do things that put you directly in harm's way (baby steps, you only have to take one small risk at a time to grow) etc. You basically treat the part of you that wants to keep you where you are and safe as your inner bodyguard. That bodyguard doesn't get to run your life but they're also not your enemy. You can take the things they say seriously and compromise so that they'll let you make progress and take small risks. I'm sure your bodyguard has concerns to raise, it's important to listen and care. Because your bodyguard is a very scared part of you who is quite pummeled by life, and usually turns out to be a child in a lot of ways. Give them some hugs.

I feel like this also. Its like I know what I need to do to make improvements to my life but I have no motivation to do it. its very frustrating. xx

Yes. I understand that feeling but putting pressure on myself more than necessary has made my recovery slower. Can you give yourself a space? Even if it's a little bit? Your desire and passion will come back. It did for me.