No matter what position you hold or what industry you work in, lagging motivation can put a serious dent in your overall productivity and negatively affect your career. Unmotivated professionals may find it difficult to focus on the task at hand, see assignments through to completion or even attend to their daily responsibilities.

From a fear of failing to a lack of clear expectations, there are many possible causes behind a decrease in motivation. Whatever the reason, getting back on track before the problem spirals out of control is essential.

Below, 16 members of Forbes Coaches Council share their best advice on how to identify the root causes when motivation starts to lag, resolve them and avoid such pitfalls in the future.

1. Clarify Your Vision And Take Action

First, start by clarifying your vision and goals. Most people lack motivation because they aren’t clear on where they are headed. Then, move to take immediate action of nearly any form. You may think you have to be motivated to act, but motivation actually comes after action. Think about the last time you did something tough or scary. Immediately afterward, you likely felt motivated to do more. - Zander Fryer, High Impact Coaching

2. Reflect On Career Accomplishments Daily

Lack of confidence is one of the biggest barriers impacting motivation. Increasing your self-confidence can greatly improve your motivation. Consider implementing a daily practice of reflecting on and writing down your career accomplishments. This single habit can dramatically bolster your career confidence and help you regain your motivation. - Kyle Elliott, MPA, CHES, CaffeinatedKyle.com

3. Remain Optimistic And Focus On Success

Motivation and success are often directly related. I find my clients’ motivation is higher as they become more successful (as defined by them and their goals). However, before you reach your goals, if you remain optimistic and focused, things will usually get better. - Donald Hatter, Donald Hatter Inc.

4. Manage Time Better And Find Ways To Add Joy

Motivation slumps are related to time management and joy. First, spending too much time is draining. Whether it’s the same project that never ends or something that takes up all of your waking hours, the result is the same. Second, if the work isn’t connected to your personal energizers, then it’s like a slow leak. Interestingly, the solution is not about subtracting scope, it’s about adding back what you love. - Marita Decker, FutureCourse Education

5. Find Meaningful, Purposeful Work

The contributing factor I notice most with clients who are struggling with motivation is a lack of passion for the work they are doing. This often is a result of a job mismatch or unclear expectations from their boss. You can typically fix this problem by finding a role that allows you to perform meaningful and purposeful work and ultimately helps you become the best version of yourself. - Kaleth Wright, Air Force Aid Society

6. Get Into The Career Role You Desire

In his best-selling success book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill suggests that desire is the starting point for success. I would ask my client if they like their current job or position in their company. My priority for clients who are unhappy or lack motivation in their current position is to get them into the desired career role. - Mika Hunter, Female Defender

7. Consider What Is Blocking You And Go Around It

Lack of motivation to achieve something is often accompanied by distraction and an unwillingness to be present. Two actions are helpful to address this. First, face the here and now and consider what is blocking you. Second, choose to move around it. While that may sound easier said than done, take one step forward. Then another, and repeat. Seventy percent ready is good enough to go. - David Yudis, Potential Selves

8. Unblock The Subconscious By Asking Why

Lack of motivation is usually caused by a subconscious block, fear or a negative belief system. Getting to the root of the issue that is creating the block will reveal how to move forward. Asking why and really leaning in to reflect can create positive insight and renewed motivation. - Melanie Towey, Melanie Anne, LLC

9. Reframe Goals And Reassess Priorities

Burnout can be a contributing factor to a lack of motivation, causing dysfunctional habits and even a work-life imbalance. It may help to reframe the goal or take a step back in order to reassess the priorities at hand and ensure that you are still the right person for the task at hand. Management or peer support can offer a safe psychological space to rethink the next steps. - Claudine Reid, PJ’s Community Service

10. Make Sure Your Values Align With The Work

A common cause for lack of motivation is a misalignment between your work and your values. I see this often with midlife clients. It seems that as we get to a certain age, it becomes increasingly important that our work either positively impacts the world or, at the very least, does no harm. When you find yourself out of alignment in this area it can be difficult to muster up the motivation to move forward. - Cheryl Czach, Cheryl Czach Coaching and Consulting, LLC

11. Connect To A Deeper Sense Of Purpose

You have lost the connection to the deeper purpose that is driving you. When you are connected to your deeper “why,” every moment at work feels meaningful. However, sometimes you get so overwhelmed with the demands of the business, so wrapped up in fears and worries about the future, that everything becomes doom and gloom. This is when you need to reconnect with the purpose that drives you. - Rajeev Shroff, Cupela Consulting

12. Address Strained Co-Worker And Client Relationships

Sometimes, coaching clients lack motivation due to their co-workers or the client from hell. To get your mojo back, have a team meeting and have an honest conversation about what it would take to make this a dream team. Agree on the execution and check-ins to monitor progress. To solve the client-from-hell problem, it’s best to have a discussion with the leadership team so that they can talk to the client about needed changes. - Kevin Kan, Break Out Consulting Asia

13. ‘Gamify’ Challenging Tasks To Make Them More Fun

Lack of motivation usually comes about when there is boredom. To avoid boredom, you need to be clear about what it is that you need to be doing. Make the task fun; “gamify” it. It needs to be challenging enough to excite but not so challenging as to force one to give up. Ensuring variety is key. - Rakish Rana, The Clear Coach

14. Take Action To Make Progress And Enhance Your Mood

Negative emotions about the task contribute to a lack of motivation. When you have negative feelings that you want to avoid, you may procrastinate to eliminate the feelings in the short term. That’s why it’s useful to uncover what you feel about those tasks when you say, “I don’t feel like it,” and then take action to make progress on the task and enhance your mood. - Sheila Goldgrab, Goldgrab Leadership Coaching

15. Assess Underlying Internal Conflict And Apply Self-Care

When a client struggles, there is usually underlying internal conflict. The person may be working on something that doesn’t align with who they really are or what they believe in, or there may be exhaustion and burnout that reflect an imbalance in the person’s life and lifestyle. In either circumstance, resolution comes from evaluation, assessment and the application of self-care to take new action. - Lisa Marie Platske, Upside Thinking, Inc.

16. View Mistakes As Critical Learning Experiences

Fear paralyzes. Low motivation often comes from a fear of failing. To combat this roadblock, you can learn to reframe your view of mistakes. Instead of viewing them as bad, view them as critical experiences for learning and growth. I encourage clients to get in the mindset of experimentation, not perfection. “Experimenting” brings about a playful freedom to fail and iterate as you go. - Glenn Taylor, Skybound Coaching & Training

The other day, right before the Fourth of July weekend, the ice maker in our refrigerator died. The weather was hot, and the gin and tonics were ill-suited to warmth.

Later that evening, I quipped on Twitter, asking if anyone had seen that kid Red Grange delivering ice lately. Of course, football fans will know that this was how the great running back of the University of Illinois (and later the Chicago Bears) kept himself in shape nearly a century ago, delivering great blocks of ice to houses in his hometown.

Days later I called a repair service, noting lightheartedly that not having an icemaker was hardly a big deal. The service rep lowered her voice, saying that I would be surprised at how many people regard having a broken icemaker as a catastrophe. "If not having an icemaker is the worst thing to happen to me this year,” I quipped, “then it will be a good year.” The service rep laughed in agreement.

Too often, we get distracted, annoyed even when things, little things, don't go our way. It's easy to become frustrated, and in doing so, we forget just how fortunate we are. A flight delay. A missed dinner. A dying appliance. These annoy us, but in the grand scheme of life, they are trivial. In years to come, such inconveniences are not likely to be remembered.

Gain perspective

We must put life into perspective. Easy to say. Our irritation blinds us to reality.

We have endured a year and a half of disappointment and delusion—as well as exclusion and isolation. And we're still here. The pandemic persists, but we are coming back slowly to a different form of life. Not the same, but different. In some ways, it is richer because of what we have experienced.

We have been tested, and we have survived. Not everyone did. More than 600,000 Americans died. Millions lost their jobs. Three million women exited the workforce. Those are tragedies. They are benchmarks of actual loss. Annoyances come and go. Losses live as scars in our memories.

A novel lesson

The novelist J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in The Hobbit, "So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings." For him, this statement was true. Tolkien was a young officer in what his generation of Britons called The Great War. He fought at the Battle of the Somme. After the war, Tolkien returned taught medieval literature at Oxford. He also raised a family and told his sons stories that would become great novels of fantasy in time. Fires and dragons do die out, leaving in their wake the possibility of renewal.

So, take a deep breath.

Exhale slowly.

Remind yourself of your blessings

Take another deep breath.

Exhale slowly.

Smile in gratitude.

Post-script

The repair person finally arrived. With a quick look inside the fridge, he shook his head knowingly. The icemaker was genuinely dead. Good news, a replacement would cost only $75, plus another service fee, of course. So, again, if this is the worst thing to happen to me this year, sign me up now.

While there aren’t any major holiday sales happening at the moment, this weekend is still a great time to shop discounts all across the internet—you just have to know where to look. To simplify your shopping experience, we’ve sifted through the hundreds of available markdowns from fashion, tech, beauty, home and other retailers to narrow down the best deals to shop now through July 25.

Whether you’ve been on the hunt for a wet/dry vacuum with great reviews or you’ve been looking for some noise-cancelling headphones to help you focus while working from home, you’re almost guaranteed to find what you want at a discount this weekend. Below, find eight of the best deals online at the moment. And if you want to shop and save some more, head over to our list of the best online sales happening now.

Made from the same buttery soft material as Lululemon’s best-selling Align leggings, these bike shorts are so comfortable, you’ll forget you’re even wearing them. At six-inches-long, they’re the perfect length to prevent chafing, too.

Basically a vacuum and a mop in one, this Tineco machine will have your floors looking cleaner than ever before. The FloorOne S3 has built-in sensors that detect dirt and debris and automatically adjust its suction and water flow based on the area you’re cleaning. Plus, this wet/dry vacuum cordless, so you can maneuver it around the house with ease.

This limited-edition set contains $182-worth of some of La Mer’s most popular skincare products, but it’s on sale for $95 during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. In other words, now’s the perfect time to try some of the brand’s cult-favorite products without spending some serious cash. One thing to note? This deal is only available to Nordstrom cardholders until the sale opens to the general public on July 28.

If you’re partial to at-home workouts, this Echelon smart mirror is worth checking out. It allows you to stream hundreds of on-demand classes in a variety of different categories like yoga, Pilates, cardio, strength and boxing, and also lets you access live one-on-one training sessions. Right now, the device is on sale for $500 off at Best Buy.

GreenPan’s pots and pans are some of the best nonstick cookware money can buy, so we can hardly believe this set is currently on sale for more than half off (we’re not complaining, though). According to reviewers, this set is also durable, easy-to-clean and heats evenly every time.

Read a handful of the almost 6,000 five-star reviews of these headphones, and it’s clear that wearers absolutely love them. Customers say they’re comfortable to wear, have great sound quality and offer an impressively long battery life.

Nike sneakers rarely sell for under $80, so the fact that this pair is on sale for only $45 is pretty mind blowing. These sneakers are designed to be lightweight and offer stability as you move, making them great for running and working out. They do run a bit small, though, so you may want to consider sizing up.

As long as you’re ok with having the 2019 version of Casper’s Wave Mattress, you can get it for 50% off its original price. The Wave mattress features a combination of gel pods and foam to keep you feeling supported and cool all night long. The only downside to this deal? It’s final sale, so if you’re not a fan of the mattress you’ll have to resell it (or put it in the guest room).

Email marketing is still relevant in 2021, and it will likely continue to be in the years to come. Why? Because you can monetize your list of contacts.

With email marketing, in contrast to Facebook Custom Audiences or Google Ads targeting, you don’t have to build your business on rented land. Maybe Facebook will turn off the Custom Audiences feature tomorrow, or Google will restrict targeting options. If you build your business exclusively on third-party systems, you run the risk of losing revenue sources.

That’s why your email list is a treasure. The contacts are your contacts, and you can contact them whenever you want (until they unsubscribe) — for free.

Drawing on my own experience with email marketing, here's my advice on who it is for, what tools you can use and how to get started.

Who Is Email Marketing For?

Email marketing makes sense for most businesses, whether you have a Shopify store or are a local dentist. Why? Because it is an easy and cheap way to get in contact with your customers and leads.

Consider these two cases in more detail:

• A Shopify store: Let’s say you have a small range of baby products and have generated many sales in the last few years. Now you have a new collection of baby shoes in different colors and sizes. You already have a lot of customers who are happy with your products. They are exactly the right audience. Leverage your previous sales by sending out a few emails to the people who've already purchased from you. You will likely get sales without spending anything on advertising.

• A local dentist: If you collect email addresses from your customers, you can get in touch and boost your sales dramatically. Maybe you offer a new bleaching service and want to make it public. The best way to do so is to email clients who already trust you.

As you can see, email marketing can work for just about any kind of business. It can be effective for B2B marketing too.

The Connection Between Your Audience and Your Business

In my experience, no advertising method is as effective as an email in your customer's inbox. You can build trust by sharing valuable content, generate engagement by sharing insights from your company, or sell more by sending great offers.

One of the many significant benefits is that the audience already has a connection with you. Your contacts already gave you their email addresses — maybe during the purchasing process or in exchange for a white paper or another goodie.

Trust can be the key to boosting sales. If customers were happy with their previous purchases, why shouldn't they buy another product from you?

Let's jump back to the Shopify store with the baby products. Maybe a young mother purchased a bathtub for infants in January. It makes sense to show her your collection of infant rompers in February and shoes six months later.

With this logical understanding of your audience, you can turn your email list into money.

Email Marketing Software

There are a lot of email marketing tools out there. There are fantastic free tools and also complex and expensive tools.

I'll be completely honest: If you are a consulting business and have 50 clients, you likely don't need email marketing software. It may be enough to manage your contacts in Outlook or Gmail and send out messages from your personal inbox. You can use the BCC field to send emails to your crowd without letting them know who else is getting the email.

If you have a large contact list or need additional features, I recommend using tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign or HubSpot.

To choose the right email marketing software for your business, make sure you have the end in sight. What's your main goal for your list? What would you like to accomplish in two to three years? Perhaps you would like to automate your lead generation and send out many emails in a special order to your contacts or automate birthday and Christmas wishes for your clients. No matter what ideas you have to boost your business, there is a tool for you.

The Best Time to Start Email Marketing

Do you already have a thousand ideas on how you can boost your sales, push your customer engagement and leverage your business with email marketing?

The best moment to start is right now. The sooner you start, the faster you will see results.

Maybe the automation stuff above sounds overwhelming to you. Do not let that distract you. Start small. Just collect email addresses, and send out your first message after collecting 100 or 500. Get familiar with the tools and your crowd.

Email marketing is a process that never ends. And the best moment to start this process is right now.