When you’re exhausted, overwhelmed or faced with indifference it can be difficult to get up and get motivated. As tempting as it is to hit snooze, procrastinate or abandon your responsibilities altogether, there are better solutions to help you get motivated and work smarter, rather than harder. Try these 5 simple tips from experts on how to get the most out of your brain power and time management when it comes to getting motivated.
Plan ahead
Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. Look over everything on your to-do list and decide what the most important, pressing tasks are. Elizabeth R. Lombardo, Ph.D., M.S., P.T and author of Better than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love, suggests scheduling your most important projects in an agenda or on a calendar.
Minimize distractions
Life coach Christine Hessler suggests removing all distractions from your workspace. Hessler recommends turning off all social media, email and other notifications so that you can focus on the project in front of you. She says, “My mind is way clearer and I am faster at any task when I am not distracted or attempting to multi-task”.
Let others inspire you
Sometimes you start out with a bang. You’re off and running, conquering the day and then your energy suddenly dips. Instead of stepping away from your work entirely, Samantha Ettus, a work-life balance expert, suggests reading inspirational quotes or stories of people who inspire you. Ettus explains, “I will spend 15 minutes reading quotes from strong women or reading or watching an interview with a woman I admire (a gold medalist or a CEO). This gets me back in the right mindset to tackle any challenge”.
Reward yourself
When you give yourself something to look forward to like a massage, a special dinner, a trip to the museum, or a weekend snapping photos around town, you’re encouraging yourself to complete a project.
Visualize success
Visualization is a powerful tool when you need a little inspiration to get started. Close your eyes and think of how accomplished you’ll feel once you’ve completed your task. Imagine everything going smoothly and successfully. This method tricks the brain into thinking that your imagined achievement is a reality, making it easier to proceed with the work ahead of you.
