If September has become our second ‘new year’, October is like February – when we all start backsliding. Our best-laid plans for how we would run this year have begun to hiccough and snag.
Maintaining motivation when you’ve got a case of the perma-Mondays.
Feeling especially Monday-ish can happen on any day of the week and, on the worst ones, all the coffee in the world won’t help. We’ve compiled a list of our seven go-to strategies for maintaining motivation when all we want to do is have a nap.
1. Focus on the end goal.
Why did you get in the game in the first place? What are you working toward? Keep the answers to these questions front and center when you’re feeling sluggish and apathetic. Create a vision board or pin a reminder where you can easily see it at your desk. Take a few minutes to meditate on what life will be like once you achieve your goals.
2. Work ahead.
Reduce the pressure of your workload by completing tasks ahead of time. Don’t wait if you don’t have to. Just the act of crossing items off your To Do list can pump up those endorphins.
3. Set a deadline.
Alternatively, setting a deadline, a do or die date, can be a propellant. By giving yourself a timeline for completion, you put an end date on procrastination.
4. Stop doing what you hate.
If you routinely find yourself dreading a task, perhaps you aren’t the best one to do it. Consider delegating the task or getting help. Or maybe you shouldn’t be doing it at all, if it isn’t moving your academic business forward.
5. Break it down.
The sheer enormity of a task can make it far too intimidating to even begin. If this is the case, break down the boulder blocking your day into small, manageable tasks.
6. Give in to peer pressure.
Find yourself a mastermind or a tribe of like minded people you can reach out to. When the Mondays are closing in, talk with others who have been in similar situations and will hold you accountable to your goals.
7. Make it sacred.
Turn your phone to airplane mode, get your favourite cuppa and start streaming your favourite focus playlist through noise-cancelling headphones. Set aside time to focus in an atmosphere where you’re comfortable and aligned.
Bonus tip: reward yourself! Celebrate the process and your progress by taking a little longer lunch, going for a walk, knocking off early – whatever makes you happy and keeps you motivated after the ‘new year’ rush!
What’s your favourite way to reward yourself? Lunch out? Early dismissal? Share your motivation in the comments below!
