Find Your Motivation

Listen, we all have that friend that seems to have more time in their day than everyone else.  You know them – they work like crazy people, sometimes more than 90 hours a week, then show up at your House on Sunday looking perfect and having baked a cake and made you something out of yarn.  They also have time for fun and can party with the best of ’em.  I have two friends like this and I’m still trying to find their Time-Turners (Harry Potter reference).

Unfortunately, if you’re like me, you blink and the day is over.  More often than not, I look down and think, “Oh my god, am I still in my pajamas at [insert insanely late time of the day here]?!”  Part of my problem is that naturally, I am not a Morning person.  I thrive at night.  However, I love mornings.  But my habit of hitting the snooze button and not motivating myself to get out of bed and get started lessens my love of those mornings.

And I hit that snooze button until there’s a struggle and instead of waking up and conquering the day, I wake up feeling behind.  So if you’re like me and you need an extra kick in the ass to get going in the morning, here are a few ideas to help motivate you and be your own best ally in the fight to conquer mornings!

1.   Morning Yoga or Exercise

Here’s the thing: I am not a morning exercise person.  I know, I know, it’s supposed to be easier and make the day better and yada, yada, yada.  It just doesn’t work for me.  What does work, however, is some morning yoga.  I do about four sun salutations before I have my coffee, and just that little bit to get my blood flowing is essential in kicking off my day.  If you can do it, research shows that exercising in the morning is very beneficial and sets the tone for your entire day.

2. Morning Routine

By far, one of the most important steps for motivating yourself is having a morning routine.  That way, if you feel like you need to be on autopilot for a minute, you have ingrained a series of steps in your day that feel like they take no effort.  A good morning routine not only helps you wake up and shake off the sleep, but it also sets you up for success in your day and motivates you. For example: After waking up, meditate for 5 minutes, write down (at least) three things you’re grateful for in a journal, exercise, brew coffee, shower.  Establishing positive, continuous morning habits is a huge step towards motivating yourself to conquer your day!

3. To-Do Lists

Soooo, I’m one of those people that will write something that I’ve already done on a to-do list just to cross it off. It makes me feel so good.  If I keep a list in my mind, everything seems scattered and really overwhelming. But if I have everything I need to do written out in front of me, I am much more motivated to get it done because it feels achievable.  I make lists in my day planner, but a piece of paper works just as well.  Wherever works for you, be it on paper or an e-list, I would recommend listing as a way to keep your motivation flowing!

4. Declutter and Clean Your Workspace

There is nothing that is more motivating for me than having a clear and clean workspace.  I set aside time every weekend to declutter the crap on my desk to make my life feel more organized.  Even if everything else is in chaos, a clean desk makes me feel like I have a handle on everything. If I can extend this order to my entire house, all the better.  Because here’s the thing: if my house is clean, I can work without thinking that what I really should be doing is cleaning my house. And believe me, I never feel more motivated than when I invest a little bit of money and have the house cleaners come.  Talk about productivity!

5. Invest in Yourself

And by this, I mean save your money.  I have a hard time with this one too; I’m a spender! But I wasn’t always this way.  As a kid I saved and saved, and I loved the feeling of watching my savings grow.  Now, if I have even a little bit of money saved, it actually motivates me to put more away.  Which is good since I’m getting older and retirement is becoming a real thing in my future.  Welcome to your 30s!

6. Find a Guru

Or it doesn’t have to be a guru.  I listen to a couple of podcasts by women who I really respect and admire, and I always turn to them when I need a motivational boost.  And, hello, I also read blogs! There are tons of wonderful and amazing women out there just killing it in the blogging world, so if I need a boost, I’ll find a topic and fall down that rabbit hole for a while.  Or I’ll scroll through Instagram for an hour or five for ideas.  Anything that helps you will do!

7. Make a Vision Board

Oh my god, can I tell you I didn’t know what a Vision board was until like a year ago?  Now, I did spend my childhood making collages, so I suppose that kind of counts.  But really, vision boarding with a purpose is so beautiful! It really helps me hone my vision of what I want my life to look like, and they’re pretty to look at, too. Doesn’t have to be fancy; even taping some pages ripped from a magazine can help, but vision boards can be a serious motivator to work towards your goals and see what you want to achieve.

I hope some of these strategies will help you motivate yourself to get to your goals in 2018! Make 2018 your year! I’m going to make it mine

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