Motivation is the key to reaching your goals.
I find that this time of year is one of the worst when it comes to motivation and focus. It’s cold, raining, all we do is wait for spring to arrive and try to keep it together with work and our personal new year goals. Sounds like a struggle, right?
However, these past few weeks I’ve come up with a few ways of keeping your motivation levels up. I’ve decided it was time to stop whining, and actually work by butt off to make the positive changes I was just miraculously waiting for until then. Here are a few things worth considering if you want to stay motivated and get back on track!
SET UP A DAILY TIMETABLE AND STICK TO IT
Nothing can be achieved without a little organisation. Planning isn’t just a stereotypical blogger thing – it’s actually a great way to keep focused and know where you’re at, and what you have to do. I make to-do lists every week, and recently I have started to do daily timetables. I plan them the day before, writing down every moment of my day from the time I wake up to the time I can finally chill in bed at the end of the day. I use slots of time to cut my day into the different tasks I have to do. In between tasks like ‘writing a blog post’ or ‘cleaning my room’, I always add in a break or two that I call ‘reading breaks’, in which I just sit in bed and read my current book for fifteen to thirty minutes. Because yes, you have to stay focused, but it’s hard keeping up the rhythm without doing something relaxing from time to time!
IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT CHORES
There are always things that we wish we didn’t have to do, but simply have to. Grocery shopping, going to work, answering to emails… All these tasks can be a little off-putting and lead to a loss of motivation. This is where balance comes in handy: in-between the annoying things which use up all your energy, you should always add a couple fun tasks that you’ll enjoy accomplishing. It’s perfectly fine, after you’ve spent the day at work, to come back and take an hour to watch an episode of your favourite TV series, or catch up on your favourite YouTube channels. It is not time lost, it is time you make for yourself and that allows you to feel content and ready to get on with your goals!
KEEP YOUR EXPECTATIONS HIGH AND REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN DO GREAT THINGS
Don’t be afraid to have great goals. We are only in February, you have ten more months to make 2017 the year where you achieve all that you’ve set your mind on. Writing a novel? Learning a new language to a decent level? Become vegan or adopt a strictly healthy diet and lifestyle? You can do anything you want if you believe in yourself. As cheesy as this may sound, it is true. Don’t go for the small, ‘second best’ goals. If you don’t push yourself, you will never realise how far you can go!
Think about how proud you’ll be when you achieve what you’ve set your mind on. How strong and confident you will feel. Simply by starting to think that you can do it.
DO NOT GIVE UP – ROME WASN’T BUILT IN A DAY
Consistency is key. Finding a rhythm you can stick to is already a big step in managing your time and motivation. If you burden yourself with pressure, you’ll get scared and give up (which is a perfectly normal reaction to pressure and stress). Take it in steps, breathe, have some breaks along the way, and do not expect immediate results. It takes a while to go from one stage to another, so take it as a journey. There’s no need to rush and overdo things, progress takes time and actually, if you take your time and listen to yourself, you will get to know yourself better. Know what you are capable of, hold on these powers and keep improving, being a better you. It’s all about progress, not drastic change. Celebrate the little achievements, they will take you to your goal!
What are the ideas that keep you motivated? Where do you find the strength to reach your goals?
Lots of love,
Julia x
