Resolutions, intentions or just honest list making. This time of year we are much more conscious of goals, plans and ambitions for the coming year. Here’s 21 top tips to help you kickstart your motivation and get to your destination, wherever that may be!
Start with the easiest task on your list – make this thing so small that you cannot fail – then keep going with the second easiest task. When you have completed three tasks, review the important but bigger things that you need to do and keep going.
Walk outside for 10 minutes. Breathe in time with your walking. As you slow your breathing, notice what thoughts are coming up for you. If anything is still there when you return indoors, write it down and either deal with it straight away or make a promise to yourself to think about it later. Then move on.
Find someone to be accountable to (it could be yourself). Tell them your intention and when you are going to achieve it and let them know when it’s done.
Look at the 5 things on your list (or in your head) that have been there the longest. Decide if they still need to be done. If not, get rid of them. If they are staying, choose the easiest one of them and just start!
Connect with a lost friend or colleague, share your news and ask about theirs. Feeling lonely is a real energy sapper.
Look at your workspace (it could be your kitchen!) and make 1 change to make it better.
Be honest about multitasking – is it really helping? If not, cut out at least one distraction (e.g. using phone and laptop at the same time).
Drink more water.
Think intentionally about what you would like your first hour each day to be like. How would you like to feel? Calm, energised, cared for? Put a plan in place to make it happen.
What is the one significant thing that could improve your sleep? Less caffeine, earlier bed time, reading, black out blinds? Try it out and measure your improvement.
Review your day for a week – write down or record the best three things that have happened, then at the end of the week notice what makes you feel good and use that for the following week.
Be brave! Do one thing that scares you and then celebrate.
Find a friend to share a hobby or exercise with and then plan a get together – even if you have to be virtual.
Look at why you are procrastinating. Work out what you are resisting and why. Think of an alternative world where the resisting is the opposite and ask yourself what you would be able to do then. Then do the task!
Keep a ‘trigger’ journal for procrastination or distraction. Notice the patterns that emerge.
Think ‘what can I learn from this situation’ rather than ‘what if I fail’
Who do you want to be on your team? Find people that energise and support you or that you admire and get them in your corner.
Ask for what you need – more time/help with chores/family responsibilities/etc – you will be amazed at how many people are happy to help if you ask them!
Listen to your gut – acknowledge your intuition as a key thing in your life and act on it.
Think about what success means to you based on what’s important to you, not to other people (e.g good mental health/pay rise) and set yourself new success criteria.
Try everything on this list at least once and keep the ways that work to serve you.
Wishing you mental energy and motivation for 2021 and beyond!
Julia
