Today’s the day. I’m finally going to tackle that to-do list and stop procrastinating once and for all. Ok, all done!
Man, don’t you wish it was that easy? I wanted to tackle the day, but for one reason or another I’m either too tired or too distracted or, if we’re being honest, I just don’t want to. I don’t have motivation! What do I do?
Motivation is kind of like finding a good person to date. It takes a few attempts to find, and some people never find it at all and instead give up altogether. Then, you have the opposite side of the spectrum with your TEDTalk motivational speakers and entrepreneurs who seem to have it absolutely all together; yet I can’t even muster up the energy to fold the clean laundry that’s been sitting in the dryer. Help me out here!
Well, that’s what this post is here to do. Here are five ways you can start increasing your motivation as soon as today to finally get to the other side.
1. Try the five-second rule.
No, I’m not talking about picking up food after you’ve dropped it on the floor – although that is another solid five-second rule that exists. The 5-second rule I’m talking about comes from a book by Mel Robbins dedicated to helping people do what they need to do, whether they’re motivated or not. It’s a pretty simple concept and I can summarize the whole book in a couple of sentences. When you have to do something that you just don’t feel like doing for whatever reason, either in your mind or out loud you must count down from five and do it. It sounds almost silly to say, but the book dives into the psychology and reasoning behind why this strategy is effective. Most of us start to do what we need to do, but then allow our thoughts AKA excuses to get in the way so we change our minds. This happens in just a few seconds and it’s enough for your brain to convince you not to do the thing you should. Think about your alarm. You hear it and you start to get up, but about a second in you start thinking about how tired you are or how much you’d enjoy ten more minutes. So you hit snooze and have your first fail of the day.
If you instead switch your brain to a countdown mode, you’re not allowing yourself time to fall into the trap of tiredness or laziness. It’s almost like putting yourself on auto-pilot mode. That alarm rings, and you start the countdown in your head. No other thoughts allowed. 5-4-3-2-1, alarm off, light on, feet on the ground. You start moving and there’s no time for excuses to creep in. Once you start your activity, you’re more likely to finish it, too. 5-4-3-2-1, go.
Check out: How to achieve goals
2. Start with a mini-list.
Another reason a lot of us tend to put off our to-do list is because they’re so daunting, and the more we put them off the longer they get and the more it makes us want to put them off. Attack the monster before it gets too big by making a mini-list. Write out four or five things you need to do today. Two can be easy. Another one or two should require average effort, and the last one should be relatively big or simply annoying. Maybe that one thing that isn’t hard but that you hate doing and have been avoiding for weeks. Now, quickly finish and cross off the two smallest items. One could be something both easy and kind, like sharing this post or subscribing to this channel to show your support! In any case, these smaller tasks shouldn’t take too much time.
Then, work on the hardest item. You may wonder, “Why the hardest? Why not go in order of smallest to largest?” Well, your energy is precious. That large item probably isn’t as large as it seems, and getting it done first means the rest of your day is all downhill from there. This creates momentum.
If you just complete those three things – hey – that’s a start. The next day shoot for four. Keep working until you can successfully cross off five items a day for a whole week, then amp the list up to six items. This will create the longevity and sustainability to keep you motivated and accomplishing tasks.
3. Try mini-rewards throughout your day.
Crossing things off a to-do list feels good, and it’s been shown in study after study to release happy chemicals in your brain that help you to keep going. The same is said for rewarding yourself for your accomplishments – yes, even the small ones! Take those good feelings a bit further by programming rewards in your day. Maybe it’s a piece of your favorite chocolate or fifteen minutes on social media – only use that one if you have self-control, though. By the way, check out another video we made recently around why “Social Media Is Killing Relationships.”
Now, program these rewards after you cross something off so you get an extra pep in your step to keep going on that list. Didn’t cross off at least three items? Maybe take away your TV time. If it works for a five-year-old it should also work for you.
4. Find some accountability.
Sometimes, it takes a little pressure to keep us on track. Since you’re trying not to procrastinate you may find that you’re not as motivated to get things done quickly. In these cases, accountability takes center stage. Share your to-do list with someone you trust and ask them to keep you accountable. This means they should be checking in with you to make sure you’re doing what you said you’d be doing. Knowing that someone else is counting on you can be a powerful motivator to help you stay focused. Not only that, but they should celebrate you when you succeed, which makes that success ten times better in good company!
Check out: How to set life goals
5. Give yourself grace.
We’re all human and we’re bound to have off days now and again. Cut yourself some slack. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get everything done one day. Recognize that we all have moments of struggle, but also remember that tomorrow is a new day with fresh opportunities. Treat yourself with kindness. After all, you’re doing the best you can, and that’s something to be proud of.
If you’ve made it this far, you already have more motivation than you give yourself credit for. Now get out there and start crossing off that list! I believe in you!