The stress and the responsibilities of both school and work can take a toll on everyone. When I feel overwhelmed, I often shut down and get lost down the rabbit hole of “Criminal Minds”, “Twilight”, or “The Golden Girls.” This leads to a to-do list a mile long on the weekends where I practically have no time for myself. However, as I got older and grew to understand the importance of time management, I developed creative and simple methods to motivate myself during the week. Motivation is now more important than ever as both schools and jobs are mostly remote. These are just some helpful suggestions to help you find that much-needed motivation, but it is important to remember that motivation is personal. What may work for some may not be the same for others. Many of these strategies are all about trial and error and being open to find what works best for you!
1. Create small goals and track your progress
If I have a big assignment or project looming ahead in my calendar, I find it hard to muster up the motivation and courage to actually start. In order to overcome this obstacle, I write out each step and goal that I need to complete. This helps make the task seem less daunting and thus easier to start. Looking at one goal at a time can allow you to track your progress until its due date while also giving you the satisfaction of crossing one more thing off your list. Each time you cross something off, seeing the work and effort you put in can motivate you to continue pushing through! Another helpful hint is to make your list aesthetically pleasing. I often use a variety of rainbow colors and add little doodles when making my list to boost my mood and make the actual work more inviting to start.
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2. Reward yourself
Out of all my tips, this is the one that helps motivate me the most. After creating and outlining my goals, I set completion rewards for myself. I found that if I rewarded myself after a certain amount of time, it allowed me to procrastinate and stary off task. Instead, with completion rewards, it incentivized me to really stay focused and look forward to crossing the next thing off my list. The type of rewards you use can vary as well, whether it is splurging on ice cream, watching some TV, or even taking a nap. After completing a major project or task, you might even treat yourself to a nice meal out or the new top that has been in your online shopping cart for weeks. It is so important to treat yourself and acknowledge the hard work you put into a task. This can help you sustain progress and be ready for the next challenge.
3. Limit distractions
With this next tip, it can be really hard to control your environment, especially in our virtual times as chaotic zoom meetings create a variety of distractions. However, it is important to recognize the distractions you can control: your social media use. We lose ourselves surfing TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest. Literal hours go by in a blink of an eye as video after video pops up. I have found that if I really cannot put my phone down, app limits are the way to go. Many phones allow you to set time limits for your app usage, especially with social media apps. By limiting your usage to an hour or two a day, you can save hours and free up time in your schedule to be more productive.
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4. Spend time with Mother Nature
Being cooped up inside all day, staring at a computer, can cause a lot of strain on both your physical and mental well being. As the beauty of fall approaches and the crisp air descends and the leaves fall, a nice calming morning walk or evening stroll can really boost your mindset. Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury explains how a study by Hartig in 1991 found that there are strong connections between the environment and improved performance and concentration. Giving yourself a break to calm your mood and mindset can allow you to regroup and re-energize. This is so important in maximizing your time and getting one step closer to completing your goals.
5. Remember your successes
If you start to doubt yourself or are starting to feel overwhelmed, remember your past successes and moments of accomplishment. From my experience, if I take a step back and reflect on moments where I completed a really challenging task or achieved what I thought was an impossible goal, this can help motivate me in my current circumstances. Acknowledging your successes and achievements can help boost your self-efficacy and help develop the mindset needed to tackle the next project head-on. Writing down moments of pride on a sticky note can remind you that you can do this and to just stick with it (pun intended!)
These are just a few helpful motivators to test out when you find yourself in a rut, whether it is in school, work, or any other activity. Testing each one out is so important to find what works best for you and at the end of the day, remember you got this!