I recently got back from an amazing summer break including a couple of weeks away at the beach with family and friends.
During that time I managed to do all my favourite things:
Picked
up the guitar, read a thought provoking book, relaxed, got back to
nature, made time for reflection on achievements from 2015 and goals for
the year ahead and went on lots of beautiful walks.
All of this helped me to be in a refreshed and positive mind set to start the year with gusto.
But
then the inevitable happened – I got back home and the “never ending to
do list” hit me in the face. The piles of paperwork, the uncompleted
projects from the previous year and worst of all those weekly tasks that
never go away like washing and cooking etc.
Noooooo – all that
feeling refreshed and ready to go went out the window in one foul swoop.
“How on earth am I going to motivate myself to get back into it now!”
At
Make a Change we are in the very exciting position of having a jam
packed first quarter, so there was no time to muck around or ease my way
into the year.
So here’s what I did to get back into it:
Schedule catchup time
I
scheduled a week to catch up on things at home including my desk and
cleaning out those annoying rooms that manage to always fill up with
junk. If a week isn’t an option even blocking out a weekend or a day
makes a big difference.
One task at a time
On the first day of
that week, a particularly difficult day motivating myself, I took on
one small task at a time with no expectations on what I was going to
complete that day. This took away the feeling of overwhelm and gave me a
sense of achievement each time I finished one tiny task. This can be
applied at any time when motivation is lacking.
Create a mantra
The
next week I needed to ramp things up so each morning I wrote down
“Today I’m going to smash it” and I shared this with my colleague who
took it on too. This helped me get into the mindset of going for it and
getting things done. Ok I know is sounds corny but it worked! You could
come up with your own saying that gets you into action.
Pick up the phone
When
I became stuck (and believe me it happened), instead of
procrastinating, I picked up the phone and spoke to whoever I needed to
talk to resolve what it was I was stuck on. This is essential as it is
so easy to get stuck in our own thoughts.
Make time for relaxing
I
focused during the day, and made time for relaxing and enjoyment in the
evenings. This helped me to be refreshed and ready the next day,
without feeling resentful. This is something I’ve had to train myself to do over some time.
Be determined
And
last of all I upped my level of determination. With the new partnership
with Jumpleads I am super excited about the year ahead and I am
determined to make this organisation work. Working out what you are
determined to achieve and going for it makes all the difference.
Of
course all of this can be applied at any time of the year when that
never ending to do list stares you madly in the face and the feeling of
overwhelm takes over.
Love to hear your thoughts on this and what you do to face that never ending to do list!
