One of the requests I get a lot from Life Coaching clients is to help them rekindle their enthusiasm and motivation for something that was at some point in their lives important to them.

Sometimes it will be a job that maybe they once loved and now they, if not loathe it, then they are certainly way passed the kissing and cuddling phase.

But it’s by no means always related to work.

Sometimes it can be a hobby that at one time had them fired up and now seems like a chore.

And often it will be a huge big dream that used to have them bouncing out of bed every morning like their ass was on fire, but now has them feeling demotivated and disinterested.

When people lose their motivation and enthusiasm in one area of their life they have a tendency to think there’s a problem – that it shouldn’t be like that.

They think that if they were a voracious writer in their twenties who dreamed of having a novel published, that they should have similar ambitions in their forties.

That if they loved the cut and thrust of sales when they were a 30something, there must be something wrong if that love has diminished to the point of hating it in their fifties.

And that if they wanted to badly start their own business when they were younger, that they must now lack ambition and drive if they’re happy working for somebody else in mid-life.

Cars, Cricket And Sales

When I was a teenager I was obsessed with cars. I used to go to the huge Motor Show event that was held every year, and sadly, I even used to collect car brochures (don’t tell anybody).

In my twenties I used to watch a lot of cricket in the summer and I was also a keen photographer often mixing the two.

And in my thirties I lived for sales. I loved the technical aspect, the challenge, the camaraderie, the financial rewards and the recognition from nailing targets and quotas.

None of the above interest me anymore.

These days I drive a Toyota Rav4 and have done for 8 years. Trust me, nobody who is obsessed with cars drives a Rav4.

I’d probably rather spend a day talking fashion styles with Eckhart Tolle than have to spend more than about 12 minutes watching cricket.

And whereas I enjoy taking photos of the hounds I’m really not that bothered about becoming a great photographer. Certainly not enough to put the necessary work in anyway.

As for sales, well that just burned me out.

I still enjoy talking about sales and helping Life Coaches who struggle with the process of selling themselves, you couldn’t pay me enough money for me to leave coaching and go back into the corporate world.

We All Change – And So Often Do Our Dreams

The me of my twenties was not the same me as in my thirties.

And the me in my thirties was motivated by different things than the me of a decade later.

And the me of today has different ambitions, likes, goals and aspirations than the me from 10 years ago.

There maybe a very good reason you are no longer motivated by the goals and dreams that you were a decade or two.

It may have nothing to do with lacking motivation, drive, desire, get up and go or whatever else you want to call it.

It may just be that you’re not the same person.

The self development industry has a bad habit of forgetting that we all change.

It has a tendency to believe that we all have great big hairy audacious goals that we carry around with us all our lives.

And that if we walk away from it and/or them then we’re lazy or lack commitment and we’re doomed to a life of regret.

It’s total bollocks.

When Is It Ok To Quit On Your Dreams?

Of course some people do quit on their dreams because the going gets too tough, and in cases where pushing through is called for then a Life Coach can definitely help.

However, if you had a goal or dream  that once upon a time that truly excited you and now fills you with dread, then it’s probably a good thing to let it go and focus on what gets you fired up now.

This post isn’t designed to give you a cop out because you’ve hit a stumbling block.

Far from it

Do not quit if the prize still really excites you but the uphill struggle seems like a pain.

On the other hand, if you have genuinely fallen out of love with something that once seemed part of your DNA, then that’s ok.

You have plenty more DNA and there are plenty more goals out there for you to achieve.

By the way, if you want help setting goals sign up for my newsletter in the sidebar because one of 4 ebooks you will get takes an in-depth look at goal setting.