I’ll get to the point: it’s time to motivate well-intentioned moments.
Time-wasting habits are all too easy, and frequently seep into our schedule without our awareness. And when under a time crunch, these can eat away at our free time and cause stress or procrastination. So much satisfaction stems from checking off boxes on our to-do lists, but looking forward to this moment doesn’t always keep us from dreading the process of getting there. Long term dread can override instant gratification, harming your future goals. Part of moving past this is embracing it – sitting in the discomfort will further remind you of the consequences, refocus for what’s to come and motivate you to get started. In acknowledging your capabilities, you’ll refuel your productivity.
Sometimes success comes from failure. This is what I call failing creatively. An openness to failing will enable you to take risks and get creative in your approach. And if your tried and true methods are over and done with, doing something badly will reload your intuition (or your Google search bar) for what will work better. This part doesn’t require much thinking – in fact, the best way to learn is to dive right in. Even if you don’t feel inspired when you get started, simply accepting the potential of tomorrow is a catalyst for change.
Motivation “experts” will tell you to save time by limiting your daydreaming – I disagree. While, yes, being present means being at peace, creativity can come to us when we’re deep in our imagination. Keeping everything in moderation as a general rule of thumb, daydreaming can redirect our path for the day to what feels right rather than what we have to do. And this layer of peace in your lifestyle is a result of living mindfully and not forcing anything. You want to be motivated, not feel you have to be.
If you’re one of the roughly 9 million people working from home, it’s easy to feel the boundaries between work and free time blur. It can take a planned-ahead, intentional hiatus to completely disengage before you burn out. To counteract these effects, commit to only working during work hours. Hacks to help: turn off notifications or turn on Do Not Disturb, get dressed and undressed in work attire for office hours, use timers for tasks, and pick up the phone if an email chain exceeds eight exchanges.
Don’t be afraid to delegate. It’s so easy to accept help but so many of us resist it. We want to tackle it all, out of simplicity or our own ego. Remembering that it’s okay to collaborate on projects when you’re overwhelmed will help to reach deadlines and return you to a normal heart rate. If you’re into making lists, reorder them by priority by time of day. Other options are to change up your environment, focus on your breathing, stretch, and emotionally reset (think meditation or stepping outside for fresh air).
Motivation can feel like a warm fire, and it’ll make you glow, too. It can go dormant or be hiding where you’re not looking, so it can take a daily effort to discover inspiration for motivation anywhere – reading, music, memories, friends and more. In reaching for goals, big or small, inspire yourself with how rewarding it feels to not only get a task finished but to stay curious in your pursuit.
