Promoting Motivation & Shaking up Your Routine

Tomorrow I’ll get up early, do a little writing, exercise, and make myself a smoothie. I will then proceed to fix the leaky sink in my bathroom, do a load of laundry, and teach myself how to play the mandolin and how to speak Mandarin Chinese. All of these things…tomorrow.

Planning is easy, turning those plans into concrete action is difficult. Life gets in the way. You find that you become buried under a crushing avalanche of tasks and chores and no progress seems to get made and gradually your motivation and drive to dig yourself out fades away. You start to feel overwhelmed and stressed out and this can have detrimental effects on your physical and mental wellbeing.

So, what can you do? First, you must stop saying “tomorrow” and start saying “today” or better yet, “right now.” Here are a few tips to help you get your motivation back and start living your life better.

Hold Yourself Accountable

One of the reasons why procrastination and laziness can be a problem for many people is that the effects are often not immediate. The one responsible for changing bad habits is you. Don’t let things slide and reward bad behavior, hold yourself accountable. Keep a record of your work progress and of the time spent procrastinating so you can identify where you need to improve. Also, consider asking a friend to check in on you to make sure that you are making progress. It’s not shaming, it’s accountability.

Seek Inspiration

What better way to motivate yourself than by looking at others? When you hear about the achievements of others, you get proof that incredible things can be achieved. If you want to make good art, look at the work of famous artists for inspiration. If you want to design a building, look at some world-famous structures.

Set Realistic Goals

Sometimes you need to slow down. We all want to be able to fit as many accomplishments into a short period of time as we can, but if you overload yourself, you will not be able to complete anything. Set realistic goals for yourself, include benchmarks and tentative dates. Don’t expect things to be easy, nothing worthwhile can be achieved with minimal effort.

Reward Yourself for Hard Work

If you feel overwhelmed, like you don’t have enough time in the day to achieve everything that you want to, you may need to take some time to relax and get organized. Come up with a schedule for the day and stick to it as best as you can. Even allow some down time into your schedule. Breaks can actually help with overall productivity.  For many of us, it is difficult to focus on a single task for a long period of time and a quick walk or a taking time for a massage can be just the thing to get us back into the mindset for work.

Don’t Be Afraid to Change It Up

Find what works and stick with it as long as you can. When you find the right rhythm, the right process, things move along efficiently.  Once you start slowing down, don’t be afraid to change up your routine and experiment until you find a new rhythm that works for you. Sometimes even just a little change can make all difference. Purchasing a new yoga mat, personal massager, or a TENs unit could be just the right extra push to go out and exercise.

Combine a positive attitude with healthy practices and not only will you feel better, but you will be more productive. Have any additional tips about promoting motivation? Leave us a comment below or on social media. We would love to hear from you.

Marc | Copywriter