there are a couple of ways to rekindle excitement, more or less..
1. decide exactly what u want from the journal by making a list of questions to be answered.
2. set a time limit, say 10 minutes to get all the answers. STOP after 10 minutes, no extra time. this should get ur adrenaline pumping.
3. read the journal during the commercial break while watching tv.
4. play around with ur research. indulge in what-ifs & consider the impact of extreme/crazy situations.
5. talk bout it with someone. try making ur research sound interesting.
if none of the above works, do urself a favor and get guild wars 2. :)
hope it helps.