Motivation: a motivating force, stimulus, or influence (as a drive or incentive)

Is lack of motivation a symptom or a cause?

Are other problems caused by lack of motivation and can be solved by getting motivation back or is it a symptom of a deeper, more troublesome, problem whereby fixing one symtom does not fix the whole predicament?

I have been pondering this for quite some time now and it is just in the last few days that I have been able to articulate my thoughts coherently enough to warrant a new post. Its difficult to answer isnt it? How can you determine if it is one or the other? Some may say by solving the problem of lack of motivation and observing the outcome will lead to the answer, however if lack of motivation is caused by a bigger problem, fixing that itself will not lead to the said problem(s) being solved.

How do you fix lack of motivation? Can it be fixed by forcing yourself to do the task you arent motivated to do in the hope that by doing it you succumb to its charms and once again love it? Life isn't always as easy as that and it's hard to just do it, as Nike would have you to believe.

I am at a loss, as you can probably tell, as to how to solve my dilemma. I am not motivated to do anything that I need to or even want to do. Thinking about this makes me feel like I have been on the waltzer too long but I have to think about this becasue if I don't, then I will be no further forward.

If my lack of interest in anything and everything I once cared about is due soley to lack of motivation then why can't I get motivated? Why do I feel that everything I do, or want to do, is worse than killing a small, cute animal? I feel there must be other factors involved but I just don't know what they are; my lack of motivation is clearly a symptom of a larger problem that I have yet to uncover.

Tackling this issue as a whole doesnt seem the right way to do it as it might be too much too soon. That, and the fact that looking deeper into yourself to uncover flaws is a pretty scary and daunting task.

I fear some sleepless nights are on the cards this coming week. Well it would be on the cards if I had cards and if I was a tarot card reader... I guess I'll just make some hot chocolate in a hugely oversized mug and read a book in the meantime.