Leading up to the new year my motivation was at an ALL TIME LOW. I am & always have been a get shit done kinda person. I never wasted time & procrastinating was not a word in my vocabulary. Then, all of the sudden, I would find myself Googling conspiracy theories when I had a to-do list longer than a CVS receipt.
This was NOT me, but I couldn’t snap out of it. I was in a reallll funk & could not figure out what the eff was happening- but I needed to get back into the swing of things STAT. I am happy to say, I am back in the groove of things, but it took some trial & error to see what would actually work to help boost motivation & get me back on my A game.
I am not a big fan of self help podcasts or books. Personally, I prefer entertainment when I read or listen to things & to me self help is a real snooze. Also, we have Google which is basically cliff notes. SO- I did my research & have narrowed it down to the 7 HACKS that I found most helpful when it came to getting my motivation levels BACK UP.
MY 7 HACKS TO BOOST MOTIVATION
1. WRITE SHIT DOWN
If you are feeling incredibly overwhelmed… I SWEAR the key to clearing up your stress is to write shit down. Write down the projects you are working on, write down timelines, write down ideas, brainstorm on PAPER. I know everything is digital these days & no one used pen to paper anymore but I promise you, this is the number one thing that helps me when I am so stressed that I can’t get motivated. THE REAL KEY THOUGH- is have something you want to write in!!
I just got this Gucci notebook that I am obsessed with & always use a cute pen (just ordered these) you like to write with… cause having a cute ass notebook/pen situation just make the whole process much more fun.
2. MAKE DAILY TO-DO LISTS
this one is different from the above & I actually do NOT make my daily to-do lists on paper. Since these are the things I need to do in one day, I write them down on the notes program on my computer. It is usually no more than 5 things & I write them down in order of importance for that day. There is always TEDIOUS shit you have to do in a day (i.e. taxes) that you won’t want to do & then you just procrastinate on them. I always put that stuff first on my daily list so I get that out of the way first and then move on to the more fun stuff.
3. CALENDAR EVERYTHING
OKAY- so first of all, you need the Google Calendar app– it’s just the best. Secondly, calendar every single move in your day. Every night before bed I look at my calendar & then add in my day. If I have an appointment I work around it & I when I am feeling stagnant I literally calendar EVERYTHING. Like literally I block off time for breakfast, emails, blog post writing, lunch, workout, etc. etc. etc. I also color code it so pink is more personal stuff & purple is all work. This just helps keep my workflow moving throughout the day.
4. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE
KNOW THE GOAL & write this down in your journal. If you don’t have one set goal in mind you’re going to be all over the place. Also- make sure the goal feels right, if the goals isn’t RIGHT you will just keep hitting road blocks. FOR EXAMPLE- if you’re goal for the day is to get your taxes done but you have another goal in mind that you’re more passionate about you are NOT gonna get your taxes done. You will keep procrastinating, so in this case- let your goal be the thing you feel more passionate about for the time being (unless your late for taxes then you just have to suck it up).
5. LOOK FOR INSPO
whenever I am feeling STUCK, I spend an hour on Pinterest/WeHeartIt/Tumblr. This may not sound productive but it gets the wheels turning EVERY SINGLE TIME. Just the act of seeing other peoples motivation/productive levels in action with epic content will inspire you to get moving.
6. TAKE A BREAK
If I find myself going in circles & not snapping out of it, I stop everything & take a break. Go to a workout class, take a walk around the block, go grab a smoothie, etc. etc. Just the act of stepping away & taking a breather helps hit the reset button. Fresh air is always a good idea when you really can’t get your shit together.
7. STOP MULTI TASKING
From the queen of multi tasking, trust me, do NOT do it. Multi tasking is the biggest waste of time & it is known that women LOVE to multi task. It just is not the move. Multi tasking is giving 10 things 1/10th of your attention when you need to give one thing ALL of your attention. When you are going between two or more projects it takes your brain time to refocus on each project so it really is a total waste of precious time.
IF YOU’VE GOT ANY TIPS/TRICKS/GOOD BOOKS ON HOW TO UP MOTIVATION, COMMENT BELOW!!