Published In

Psychology
Swarnakshi Sharma August 16th, 2022 · 9min read

“Why Do I Lose Interest In Everything So Quickly?” (And What To Do)

We all start our year making goals and listing things we want to achieve – maybe you’ll take up learning the guitar or maybe it’s time you take up crocheting as your new hobby. However, a few short weeks in and you’ve already lost interest. Why?

Have you ever questioned yourself, “Why do I lose interest in everything so quickly?” If you have, then you’re at the right place.

A loss of interest in everything can make it harder to finish your goals of the day. This experience can leave you feeling unmotivated and listless. Also known as anhedonia, the loss of interest you experience makes you lose interest in everything you’ve ever enjoyed doing.

Did you know that nearly 60% of people lose interest in pursuing their goals within the first month of setting them? In another study, it was found that nearly 75% of people believe that they lose interest too quickly or give up too easily.

What are the reasons? What could make you (and everybody else) lose interest in everything you do?

Let’s take a look at them below!

“Why Do I Lose Interest In Everything?”: The Reasons

1. Your Goal Is Too Big

One reason why you lose interest is that your goal is too big. Even small goals can make you feel overwhelmed. Sure, others can accomplish such big goals but they’ve been working on them for years. While achieving what you dream of can be amazing, having a goal too big for reality can make you lose interest quickly.

2. You Can’t See The Big Picture

Why did you begin whatever you were doing? Another reason you lose interest in everything quickly is that you can’t see the big picture anymore. You got so caught up in the process that you forgot what your end goal was. Staying motivated can be challenging when you can’t see the big picture or forget to work on your goals every day.

3. Your Unhealthy Habits Are Holding You Back

Wanting to start something new requires you to give up your unhealthy habits and adopt new ones that keep you focused. It’s hard to change your habits but know that one reason you keep losing interest can be your unhealthy habits. You may lose interest in everything you do because you realize that you’d need to give up a lot. I mean, to accomplish the goal of running a marathon means that you need to get up every day at 5 AM, can you do that?

4. You Have A Poor Time Management

So much to do but so little time! Not all of us know how to manage time effectively. Sometimes, because of your poor time management skills, you may quickly lose interest in everything you do. I’m not saying that you don’t have enough time to commit to your tasks but that you might spend your time working on other things that might not align with your goals and eventually, you lose interest in pursuing them.

5. Your Goals Are Harder Than They Look

Did you imagine that learning crocheting would take a week? Well, nothing is easy and this includes your goals and hobbies. Knitting a blanket might seem like an easy goal but it is harder than you think. When you realize this, you may lose interest in learning knitting and give up. Some hobbies sound and look easy but when you begin, they require patience which you might not have for a hobby.

6. You Are Striving For Perfection

So now you have decided to work on a new goal but for whatever reason, you’re not satisfied. This can also be another reason you lose interest in everything quickly. When you fail on the first few tries, you begin to feel disappointed and give up. You don’t want anything less than perfection but remember, nothing is perfect, especially on the first few tries. Focus on the journey, not the destination.

7. You Are Not Wholly Committed

You might believe that you’ve dedicated your time to a new hobby or a specific goal but you may not be wholly committed to it. This could be a reason you’ve lost interest in it. Some hobbies and goals need time and hard work to reach their destination and sometimes, you may not be committed to them for the long haul.

8. You Are Mentally And Emotionally Struggling

When you have a lot on your mind, you might have little to no energy to give to your goals and tasks, making you give up easily. You’re already struggling with a lot of things and you barely have time for other things so you lose interest in them quickly. You want to accomplish your goals but you just lack the mental and emotional energy to do so. It’s OK. A professional intervention can help here.

9. Your Fears Are The Reason

Having fear is common but sometimes those fears can be the reason you quickly lose interest. When your fear is holding you back, you may unintentionally self-sabotage your efforts to curb your success. For example, you want to travel abroad and for years, you’ve been saving up and planning your travels but then you avoid booking your tickets and actually going on the trip because you’re scared.

10. You Are Over-Prepared

You’ve planned and thought about your goals. You’ve prepared everything, you’ve read every book, and you’ve watched every video but now you’re over-prepared and have too much information about what you want to achieve that you can’t decide where to begin.

You’re stuck on the first stage. When you’re over-prepared for something, it can also make you lose interest because you know everything there is to know. You’re stuck in the overthinking phase and can’t decide where to begin so giving up seems a good choice.

11. You Are Doing Too Much

Another reason you quickly lose interest is that there are so many things you want to do at the same time. You keep trying to do it all at once instead of taking one thing at a time. You want to run a marathon, you want to start a new hobby, and you want to start saving money for travel too.

There’s nothing wrong with it but when you’re doing too many things at the same time, it can make you lose interest in everything at the same time too.

What To Do When You Lose Interest?

Here are a few ways you can stay motivated and stop losing interest so quickly in everything:

1. Break Down Your Goals

Big goals can be too much as in too overwhelming so try to break them down into smaller goals. For example, you want to travel abroad but are afraid to travel on your own that far. Instead of an abroad trip, you can plan a domestic trip and involve a travel agent, get an estimate for the trip, and book your vacation time ahead. Start small and even if your goal is big, break it down and work on it every day.

2. Make A Plan

Even though it can be hard to stay on track, having a plan can help. When you have a plan, you have control over your future. Tell yourself that there are so many things to look forward to. Having a plan and staying excited can help you overcome your lack of interest.

3. Seek Support

Having support can also work in helping you overcome the lack of interest. Whatever your goals are, find a group, a friend, or a mentor who can help you stay focused and accountable for your work. A support person can also remind you of the big picture when you begin to lose interest in your goals.

4. Find Inspiration

Inspiration can be found anywhere, all you need to do is look for it. Find your sources of inspiration and refer to them when you begin to lose interest or think about giving up on your goals. Your inspiration can be anything or anyone – a motivational speech you listened to in your teens, a person you’ve always looked up to, etc. Look for it and keep working towards your goal.

5. Keep Track Of Your Progress

When you lose track of your progress, you lose interest in your goals too. So make sure that you regularly track your progress and monitor your improvement. This can also make you realize how far you’ve come. Once you realize your progress, it can be easy to stay interested and focused.

Everyone loses interest in one thing or the other and sometimes this lack of interest can stem from a lack of inspiration or mental health struggles. Sometimes you just need to look at the bigger picture and sometimes you need to talk about your struggles with a mental health professional. Either way, it’s OK.

If you’ve been asking yourself, “Why do I lose interest in everything so quickly?” take a look at the above-listed reasons and find out what’s holding you back. I hope this article helps you!

For more, you can write to us at info@calmsage.com or DM us on social media. You can also share your thoughts with us and your favorite tips in the comments section below.

Take Care!

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