We all have those days when we just aren’t feeling it and it’s hard to get going. I’m pretty good at finding ways to keep myself motivated. When I worked in retail management, it was always something mentioned on my evaluations. In general, I don’t need other people to motivate me, I’m a “self-starter.”

Here are a few of the ways that get myself going even when it’s hard.

1. Have a Morning Routine

I didn’t know it until recently but apparently, there is some backlash against the morning routine. Some experts say it’s a waste of your most productive hours of the day and instead of doing things like journaling and exercising you should jump right into work. 

I’d like to meet these people whose most productive hours are the first hours after they wake up! Because that is not me. At all! 

My brain doesn’t really get going for a couple of hours after waking up. So a morning routine that consists of chores, reading my Bible, prayer, journaling, and exercise gets me going for the day. A cup of coffee also helps!

Having this routine is really helpful on those days I wake up just not “feeling” it. It gets me up out of the bed and moving around. And once I’ve completed my routine it’s easier to keep going and jump into my work for the day. 

2. Don’t Eat the Frog

Have you heard of Eat the Frog? It’s the productivity tip to do your most dreaded and longest task for the day first.

Well, I don’t do that. 

Instead, I build momentum for the day by completing my smallest tasks first. 

To work an hour or more on a task, still have an hour left on that task and 4 to 5 more tasks to do after, well that is discouraging and often a motivational killer. At least for me.

I’d much rather look at the clock and know I’ve knocked three or four tasks out in an hour and only have one or two more to go. That is super encouraging and motivating!

3. Work with Your Energy Levels 

If I find myself looking at my next task and realizing that I do not have the mental or creative energy to tackle it, I ask myself what do I have the energy to tackle? Then I’ll look at the next couple of days and see if there is a task that feels more doable and switch them out. 

Of course, I have to consider deadlines and things when I do this, but for the most part, this really works well. I’m not falling behind on tasks and I’m working on what I can mentally handle so I know I’m giving my best to the task at hand. And the task I moved to another time, will also be getting my best effort. 

4. Think About Your Future Self

When I think about putting off a task, I think about how much easier tomorrow will be if I go ahead and do it. I’m not about making my life harder. And every time I put off a task I need to do, it does just that – makes life harder. Remembering that helps motivate me to get it done. 

5. Turn off Notifications on Your Phone

My phone was a huge distraction! The constant notifications from social media, email, Voxer, Slack, Trello, Asana, etc. were too much. I felt constantly pulled from my task at hand to check notifications. This is not great for productivity obviously. And it was terrible for my motivation because I would become too overwhelmed and unfocused to complete tasks.

So, I turned the notifications on my phone off! I now only get email notifications for the apps mentioned above. And I only get in app notifications for social media. It means I have to intentionally open those apps to engage instead of being at the mercy of notifications.

And I removed Slack and project management apps from my phone completely. The only way I can access them is on my computer which means I have to be actually in work mode to access these apps. I still receive email notifications which works as a perfect reminder to check on those apps during work hours.

6. Take a Break

Are you a workaholic like me? I can really dig into work and before I know it hours have passed and I haven’t had a break. This is a sure motivation killer. In fact, when I feel like my motivation is about to give out, I’ll do a quick check in with myself to see if I have had a break. And most times, that is the issue. I just need a break.

My favorite ways to take a break from work and get re-motivated to continue on are simple:

• I eat. And one thing I’m doing more often is eating at the kitchen table instead of at my laptop. Then eating really feels like a break. I’m also trying to eat more nutritious foods instead of quick snacks.
• I take the dogs outside. (Weather permitting!) But this enables me to stretch my body and get out in the fresh air. Plus the dogs love it!
• Shower. I rarely shower when I first get up instead I do this around mid-day and it gives me a reason to step away from work for a bit.

7. Plan Vacations in Advance

Again I’m looking out for future me! Not taking time off is a quick way to burn out. And when you’re burnt out, it’s hard to motivate yourself. So I always plan my vacations in January. Then I put them right on my calendar, because if I don’t – they don’t happen. 

Motivation rarely show up on its own. Most of the time we have to give it a little nudge! The main thing is to really know yourself and what works for you. Hopefully the things I mentioned in this post will give you some ideas of where to start if you need a little motivation boost!

I’d love to hear how you stay motivated. Tell me in the comments!

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