Motivation Reset

2020 has been a real struggle for me. With everything happening in the world, my ability to get on task and stay on task has taken a giant hit. I know that I'm not alone in this feeling of overwhelm and I've been searching for ways to get myself back on track. 

When 2020 started it looked like it was going to be an amazing year for me. Business was going fabulously. I felt connected and supported in my personal life. I was still emotionally struggling with the death of my mother from cancer in late 2019, and my step-daughter was experiencing some serious problems with school, but we were managing. 

Then, the world just bottomed out. For everyone.

At first, I welcomed the shift. I'm an optimist. One of my best friends describes me to new people as "a laugh waiting for a place to happen." I work hard to keep my baseline emotional setting at least at grateful, at best at joyful. When the pandemic hit, I saw it as an incredible opportunity for the world to truly understand what our interconnection means. Like most of us, I thought this would go on for a couple of months and then we would get it under control. 

That was March.

Today, my August self looks back at that naive March me with the same loving and wizened patience that I direct toward my young step-daughter and her struggles. And, as I'm sure you do, I feel emotionally exhausted. 

I decided I couldn't continue like this and determined that I would hack my motivation in a five step process.

MOTIVATION RESET

1. RE-FRAME - Rather than looking at tasks like things I "have" to do, I'm choosing to see them as paths to becoming the person I want to be. I'm hacking my motivation by attaching simple tasks to a stronger personal meaning for me.
2. MANAGE OVERWHELM - I've broken down my to do list into manageable components. I maintain one large list of the many things I need to or want to accomplish and then separate them out into what I choose to work on daily. Once my daily to do list is all crossed off, I let the rest go until tomorrow.
3. DEMOLISH DEMOTIVATING - I've determined what tasks are demotivating me. When I'm going over my to do list, what tasks feel just exhausting when I read them? Is each task a want or a need? If it's a need - I break it into smaller tasks, determine if I can outsource it and get it off my plate, or, plan to accomplish it early in the day when my energy and focus are optimized. If it's a want - I work to let it go and move my energy to more important tasks.
4. SCHEDULE - I've created a schedule for work and for home and I stick to it. Typically, I'm horrible at this. So, I alter my hours and the structure of my days in order to hack my attention and keep my days interesting for me. 
5. PERSONAL TIME - I've determined to use my personal time to it's fullest. I can work hard, but then I need to ensure that I am doing my best at managing my self-care. For me, that means making time for my daily walk, yoga and meditation. 

The biggest challenge for me is always my self-care and I know I'm not alone in that either. What I've learned that helps keep me on track is: I am stronger, calmer and more accomplished when I take the time to care for myself. That hour in the morning makes me a better coach, a more focused entrepreneur and a more patient and loving wife and mother. That investment in me pays off for everyone in my life.

And my family and my clients deserve the best me I can be!