Hey you! Yes, I’m talking to you.
You’ve been scrolling too much. Dilly dallying. Procrastination cleaning. Not prioritizing the important tasks.
We’ve all been there. It happens. But it’s time to nip it in the bud.
You’ve got a job to do. You’ve got goals to accomplish. You’ve got people that are depending on you.
It’s time to kick it into high gear and get out of procrastination, and into action!
If you’ve been feeling burnt out, unmotivated, or unclear about what your next steps are, remember this – you can only do what’s in front of you.
That being said, you and I both know that there are things you know you should be doing – yet you’re not doing them.
Let’s change that.
Stop Getting Overwhelmed by Breaking Up Your To-Do List
If you’re not doing the things you know you need to do it could be because you’re stuck in a state of overwhelm.
Overwhelm has a way of making us freeze, paralyzing us so that we don’t do the things we should be doing.
So instead we distract ourselves and put things off, again and again.
Each time you put off the things you should be doing, you increase your baseline stress level little by little.
You might feel too stressed to do the things you should, but instead, you’re stressing yourself out more.
How do you combat this? By breaking up your to-do list.
What is the first thing you need to be doing? Now instead of looking at that as one big scary task, break it up into smaller steps.
Take T.A.D. – tiny actions daily – to stop the overwhelm and get things done!
Kick Complacency to The Curb
When we’re feeling unmotivated or uninspired, we tend to get complacent.
Complacency is the nemesis of your goals.
Complacency depletes us of innovation, creativity, and imagination. It makes us fall into ruts, keeps us stuck where we are, and keeps us from accomplishing even our smallest goals.
Sound familiar?
It’s ok, but it’s time to stop.
Do you know what the antidote to complacency is?
Creativity.
I don’t mean creative tasks that are centered around your goals.
I mean creativity for the sake of creativity.
You might be thinking “Mike – why would I be doing something else when I have actual tasks I need to do?”
Because you need to break up this feeling of complacency. When you feed your creative spirit, you gain the energy you need to do what’s in front of you.
Here are some ways you can do this:
- Have an intellectually stimulating conversation.
- Pick up an old hobby like photography or painting.
- Move your body in a unique way like dancing or martial arts.
- Practice creative writing.
- Get wild in the kitchen.
- Make cards to send to your loved ones.
- Take an improv or theater class.
- Make a quick doodle and don’t worry about what it looks like.
Systemize Your Self-Discipline
If you’re not doing the things you should be doing, chances are you’re lacking some self-discipline.
Self-discipline can ebb and flow. It’s impacted by our relationships, our health, our finances, the world around us, and of course things like a global pandemic.
Still, self-discipline is necessary for us to reach our goals. It doesn’t have to be rigid or stuffy, but you do need it.
Wondering how to get disciplined and get back in motion?
You have to systemize your self-discipline.
Create organization systems that will set you up for success.
Say you’re building a house. You need to have a foundation and structure before you start to fill in the details.
The same is true for your day-to-day life. When you create structure and foundation for yourself, it makes it that much easier to get things done.
Different people need different systems and you have to find what works for you. This can take some trial and error and may change over time.
Here are some actions steps for systemizing your self-discipline:
- Use a planner like my GRAB Your Time: A Monthly and Weekly Planner
- Have co-work buddies that keep you accountable. You can find some by joining a co-working space, joining FaceBook groups with people in your field, and reaching out to friends whose work ethic you admire.
- Cut down on distractions. Put your phone on silent if you can. Create a specific workspace if you work from home.
- Set a timer for work periods. Work for thirty minutes, take a five-minute break. Repeat.
- Practice self-discipline in areas outside of work like setting an exercise regimen or limiting alcohol.
- Celebrate your little wins. You did it! Now give yourself a pat on the back.
Looking for further tips on systemizing your self-discipline? Stay tuned for a mini training I have coming up where I’ll break down just how to do that.
