When my alarm goes off at 9 a.m., getting out of bed seems like a major life challenge.
Seriously, the motivation to attend my three classes, do my homework, tackle my laundry pile that’s now becoming its own ecosystem or go to the gym is nowhere to be found.
So, what do I do? I fire up TikTok and start recording. First, I film my cozy, unmade bed. Then I toss my phone aside and get to work making my twin XL look presentable. Once I’m done, I grab my phone again to film the “after” shot.
To get my act together this semester and become more motivated, I’ve turned into a day-in-my-life TikTok maker. I’ll film myself working out, working on homework and doing my laundry — all things that I found difficult to get motivation for in the past.
And it’s working. Each day, I wake up motivated and productive — all because of some silly, one-minute-long videos.
I don’t want my entire video to be myself lounging around in bed. So even if the last thing I want to do is be sweaty and out of breath on the stairmaster, I do it anyway just to capture that moment for the video.
Making DIML’s has made me better at multitasking, too. When I used to do laundry, I’d just sit in bed until the load was done. But because I want a clip in between me starting my laundry and taking it out, I’ll sit at my desk and do some homework while I wait. It’s a small change, but it’s making me more productive. Simply filming a one-second clip makes me motivated to complete the entire task, even if the actual task takes longer than a second.
To have more content for my videos, I’ve started assignments days before they’re due — something that definitely didn’t happen before I started making these videos. Now, instead of scrambling with schoolwork on the weekends, my assignments are done early, giving me time to relax and hang out with my friends.
Not only have these videos made me more productive, it’s also allowed me to appreciate small moments that I didn’t recognize before: sunny days on the quad, walking to events with my friends, a delicious sushi roll from the MU Student Center and so many more.
I’m able to remember my days better, too. On fun days, I can rewatch the videos and be flooded with memories of doing my makeup and laughing with my best friends. And on tough days, watching them reminds me that I made it through — even if it was hard.
It’s hard to believe that TikTok can be used for something good besides doom scrolling for hours, but it can. I’ve created several new habits this semester simply by filming what I do every day: doing 30 minutes of the stairmaster each day, doing laundry two to three times a week, starting my homework earlier and eating healthier. Eventually, I want these habits to stick without having to make videos. But for now, they’re an easy way to keep myself accountable and stay motivated.