Changing from one season to another often disrupts the schedules and routines that enable our lives to run smoothly, and the change from summer to fall is no exception. Schedules are often shuffled to adjust for the start of school or changing daylight hours, extra time is required to prepare homes and yards for the upcoming winter, and the idea of getting out of bed and getting going is more daunting when it’s still dark out in the morning.
5 TIPS FOR MUSTERING MOTIVATION IN THE FALL
- Avoid Overscheduling : Piling too many projects on your plate or scheduling too many appointments back to back can quickly lead to overwhelm. We aren’t made to keep working without a break, and it’s nearly impossible to stay motivated if we don’t give ourselves enough downtime.
- Start Small: Sometimes all we need to get our motivation engine running is to simply get started, but large projects that take up a lot of time can be intimidating at first. Start by committing to a smaller portion of the project or commit to a short amount of time to start. Even as little as five minutes of work may be enough to get you excited about the project or in the groove.
- Diminish Distractions: It takes approximately 23 minutes to recover focus after an interruption at work. Free up time by reducing distractions and interruptions. Make certain that the remaining laundry or dishes aren’t visible from your work area. Close the door to your room if you are able. Distance yourself from distracting technology that you don’t need to complete the task at hand. This can be done by either turning it off or putting it physically out of reach. Diminishing distractions like cell phones and tablets at night has the added benefit of helping to improve your quality of sleep by reducing your exposure to blue light at night.
- Prioritize your Health: It can be especially difficult to muster motivation when you aren’t feeling healthy. Taking the time you need to eat right, exercise regularly, and get quality sleep will ensure that you can work at your top capacity. If you are unwell or have been injured, take the time you need to heal. Pushing yourself too early isn’t worth the additional setback.
- Engage with Motivated People: Introvert or extrovert, all human beings are social animals. One of the best ways to activate your motivation is to interact with other motivated individuals. Engaging with other remote workers helps to improve productivity, provide new perspectives on your worldly problems, and boost mood. Find local work or professional groups to gather with by searching resources like meetup.com, your city or state’s event website, or the small business administration. Signing up with a friendship-based SS-CONMAT community like Cohere Coworking is another great way to increase your exposure to busy and motivated professionals.
