January is finally over, we are well into February and I am slowing seeing a dip in my new year motivation. Does anyone else feel this way or is it just me? My new year motivation was epic this year and I was ready to take on 2018, but now that I’m back into my day to day routine I’m feeling a little less motivated. A lot has been going on (more about that another time), but I want to try and keep my motivation levels high! So, I sat down this week and tried to think about what I am going to do, to help me stay motivated and productive.
Anyone who knows me, knows I am obsessed with a to do list and this year will be no different. I am going to plan out what needs doing and how I am going to fit it all in. Once everything is planned out, I find it much easier to tackle my to do list and I don’t feel as overwhelmed. As well as planning everything that needs doing, I’m going to plan out things I want to do; including all the fun stuff. Then when I’m super busy, I have something exciting and fun to always look forward to.
Once I have an idea in my head of what I want to achieve and by when, I always seem so much more motivated. This year I have set some big goals and so that I can achieve everything I have tried to break them down into smaller goals to achieve along the way. The most important thing to remember is that they need to be realistic goals, otherwise things get too stressful and overwhelming way too quickly.
I am not going to be living off Kale for the rest of 2018, but eating healthy and giving my body all the nutrients it needs definitely helps with an extra energy boost, which is always appreciated. I am also not really talking about detoxing from junk food, but more of a digital detox. Taking time away from laptops, iPads, phones and social media gives me that extra bit of time to get everything done on my to do list. I think if I counted the hours I lose scrolling on social media some days, I would cry thinking about all the things I could have got done.
Don’t get me wrong being productive is great and ticking off all those things on the to do list is an amazing feeling, however struggling to get out of bed, getting run down and feeling rubbish is not the one. Taking time out for myself is really important if I want to stay on track. Finding a balance between the to do list and time for myself is something that I am really trying to focus on this year and I have a post all about it here. This year, I won’t feel guilty for taking time out to do things I love and enjoy, whether that’s going shopping, going out to eat or just sitting on the sofa and binge watching my favourite program on Netflix.
I find that most people tell you to get up early if you want to be productive, but not everyone is a morning person. So working out when I am most productive is going to be essential, if I want to get anything done this year. It also doesn’t matter whether it’s bright and early or if it’s in the evening after dinner. As long as I know what works best for me, I can plan my day around it.
These are the five things I am going to be doing this year to help keep my motivation levels high and to help me be productive.
What do you do to stay motivated and productive? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please leave me a comment below!