How I Maintain Motivation Throughout the Day
As we all can attest, some days are harder than others to maintain motivation to do anything. In today’s blog, I’m going to describe how I keep motivated throughout any given day. I have a pretty busy schedule, so these tips might not work for everyone. Remember, we are all in different stages of life, and that’s ok! Use the information how you will. The biggest thing is to stick with a routine and just try plugging away at your tasks, and you will start to see your motivation increase, and your productivity will soar!
ENERGY
Sleep: In order to feel motivated to do anything, you need enough sleep for your mind to keep focused and stay sharp and for your body to have the physical strength and energy to do work. Remember, our bodies do their best healing when we’re asleep. Getting enough zzz’s also boosts our immune system, so we are less likely to get sick. (No one has motivation when we’re sick).
I used to average four to five hours of sleep per night. This happened when I went to school, because I worked full time during post secondary. I also suffered from insomnia. I was so stressed out and anxious all the time, that I would toss and turn until 3am, only to wake up at 5am.
Once my children were born, I couldn’t sleep then, either. Now that my children are older, and actually sleeping through the night, I’ve finally been able to catch more than five hours a night! The last two weeks alone, I think I averaged 7 hours! In fact, if I go to bed late, my body makes me get the sleep I need. I usually have my alarm set for 5am every day, and I literally cannot pull myself out of bed. If I go to bed late, I sometimes sleep in until 7 or 8am! I prefer to take things into my own hands, so if I go to bed at 10pm and wake up at 5am, it’s usually enough to make me feel pretty good.
Food: I can’t say I eat the healthiest, but I only eat when I’m hungry. I eat “brunch” - I can’t stand food first thing in the morning; give me my morning coffee and I’m happy until at least 11am. I’m not really a snacker and I don’t want to force myself to eat when I’m “supposed to” - I’d rather listen to my body. I think everyone is different, and I think we should listen more closely. I don’t tend to have a lot of down time in any day, so I don’t have the problem of “idle hands”. If you do get hungry in between larger meals, reach for healthy snacks - think walnuts, almonds, fresh fruit, veggies or yogurt.
I know when I hear those growly sounds of my stomach, that’s all I can concentrate on. So usually, no matter what I’m working on, I drop it and I go eat something. As soon as I’m done, I get straight back into work mode.
Also, snacking right before bed can be detrimental. Your body doesn’t need the extra energy right before you go to sleep.
Caffeine: I use coffee as a tool, and right before I know I’m going to get tired, I drink a cold shaken espresso. It keeps me going through the evening so I can get all the things done, and have energy to get the kids to bed by 9pm.
PLANS AND ROUTINES
My Planner: I always, always, always make my plans the night before. This way I have no way to procrastinate the next morning. I get straight to work. I have a solid plan and know exactly what I need to do and in what order. (i.e. my kids will be sleeping first thing in the morning and I need to take advantage of that time - think filming, voice overs, etc…)
Routines: Habits and routines save me every single time. When you’ve done something long enough that you no longer even need to think about it, it saves your brain time to think of things that are more important. I have a morning journaling routine (this process helps me to plan my day and to process my thoughts. Sometimes I’ll even have a great brainstorming session and think of new ideas while I’m writing).
AVOID DISTRACTIONS
Social Media: I avoid scrolling at all costs. If I start, I sometimes fall down the rabbit hole. (Blame the short form videos that just jump right into the next cute little bird and kitty videos). I also make purposeful time to browse social media (i.e. think lunch break, or once all my work is complete). The trick here is not to take it away permanently, because we’re not punishing ourselves here. We’re just trying to get our work done.
Phone calls and texts: I find these very hard because it’s usually my family checking in. If I’m really focused, I will just tell the person that I’m busy and I have to go. If it’s a professional phone call, I try to make it as short as I can. I don’t turn on focus mode or silent mode in case there is an emergency, but I try to limit the talking as much as I can.
Kids/Visiting Family Members: It is a challenge to work from home while my kids are here. I also have visiting family sometimes in the afternoon. This is why I choose to wake up early and I do my most important focus work at this time.
BE PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO
It’s easy to lose focus if you’re working on something that you’re not really interested in. Ask yourself why you’re doing that project. If it’s for work, and it’s something that you have no choice but to do, then just try to plug away at it the best you can.
Choose goals that are almost out of reach - ones that challenge you. These are generally things you are excited about accomplishing; things that you are passionate about and can’t wait to start.
If there is something that you are dreading (people call this “Eat the frog”), my advice to you is to just start. This happened to me when I started organizing my filing cabinet at the beginning of January. The project was a little daunting to me, because I imagined it would take a long time and it would be tedious. So, I wrote in my planner, “Top drawer”. I broke the goal up until it became easier to complete. I started the top drawer, and at the end, I was in a work mood so I continued the process until I had completed the entire job! I had to give myself a pat on the back for that!
Thanks so much for reading today. I hope some of these things make sense and will work for your day-to-day motivation as well. See you next week!
Sandra
