Staying Motivated :: What Motivates You?

There are more instances where I am not motivated than when I am. I am typically a lazy person who enjoys daydreaming, writing lists and mentally mapping things so motivation to inspire those changes is pretty scarce. With being self-employed motivation is also key to being able to perform and I do like to keep busy so when these moments collide with their contrasting agendas it can often be a case of cheesecake and a sofa rather than what I really should be doing. We all say we have such little time but I have found when I'm motivated that I can fit so much more than I thought into a day, feel energised while doing it and have some of the best night's sleep of my life when it's all over. I want to recreate those days as much as possible but when inspiration isn't there and motivation is nowhere to be seen, how do we keep motivated?

Motivation to me is a spark that sets things into motion be it a plan I have to develop this blog, to get organised, to do something as simple as pick up the phone to pay a bill or to stand up, stretch and go for a walk around my neighbourhood. If you enter my house you'll find lists in every room on post-it's or inside technology and it really does transpire that I should be busy every moment of the day. If you know me you'll also know I find time to watch a lot of TV shows religiously. How do these things go hand in hand? For the most part, they don't and I end up neglecting the things that need to be done in favour of Nathan Fillion and his sassy self in Castle.

However, all is not lost. Since January I have made massive changes to my lifestyle and motivation is becoming more of a regular occurrence. It's still not making up the majority of my days and time but it's a drastic improvement from what it was. Trust me, there are still re-runs of Ru Paul's Drag Race with a slice of red velvet cake under a blanket and suddenly three hours are gone but there is a lot more being done. The house overhaul is something that's been in the planning stages for over a year and last week I got so much done that really transformed the space. Sometimes it really does just take one big burst to filter down through the days in smaller, more manageable bursts. I'm not going on a mission every single day since but I am a lot more content and getting a lot more things sorted so I thought I'd share my tips on keeping motivated and read through yours (which I hope you'll tweet me or post in the comments) to make a list I can check back to when things aren't going so well.

Stay organised
I'm not talking about list organisation but life organisation. Have a routine where you wake up between certain times, do a few acts and then set down to think about your plan for the day. I wake up between 7am-8am every morning, drink coffee, read the front page of the news on my phone, eat some breakfast if I can be bothered, do the school run and then come home to really start to tackle the day.

Make yourself feel good
If you treat yourself with love and care you'll be in a good frame of mind to start something that you've been meaning to for a while. I buy myself a bunch of cheap flowers from my local florist once a week and my morning routine and bath at night is my 'me' time. Knowing I have those things to look forward to that's just for me make me look ahead to the rest of the day or week and give me a little kick up the bum to make the time go faster.

Prioritise and discard the rest
Some things that I thought were priorities really weren't. The bill that isn't due for another week? Sure, paying it now gets it out of the way but it doesn't become a priority until at least two days before so I strike it off the list. The dishes in the sink? Well, do we have enough to see us through the day and is it bothering me that much? Strike it off. The thing I've been planning on doing for months and is always on my mind but I don't see it as a priority? That becomes a priority. If things keep entering your head it's important to you so you owe it to yourself to at least try to get started. The small every day things usually aren't the big things and nothing that can't be done again.

Appreciate what you have
I, like everyone else, get quite envious of other people's lives, homes, things. It's not a healthy way to live as I know I'm not going to become a size 10, live in a beautiful spacious house or have picturesque picnics every day at lunch so I concentrate on the things I do have. I take my camera and photograph the things I love in the house and garden. I put on an outfit that makes me feel great, laugh with my children and think of one compliment I could give my life as a whole. Even something like rooting through your make up bag, laying it all out and re-discovering the things you haven't used in a while can give a little bit of a happiness boost. However you get your joy from your life, focus on it and realise that your life sees you go to bed and wake up every morning surrounded by it all. It doesn't work all the time but it does give a little boost that's worth more than anything else in those moments.

Reward yourself - you deserve it
I reward myself with time out. I work for two hours and then spend half an hour on social media or nurturing my borderline unhealthy obsession with Pinterest. It doesn't have to be material things or food but I find they work really well if I have a big project I need to get done. There's nothing like talking yourself into a guilt-free pizza or new dress. You deserve it. You got it done. Look how good it is! Definitely deserved.

Sometimes it's super difficult to get out of those holes but by climbing them little by little you'll eventually see the light. I don't ever expect to be one of those women who are organised and ritualistic with their home, work, children and life in general but if I could see a little more motivation in my days I think things would run more smoothly and my mind would be less cluttered. Being a fan of lists really helps but truly when you spend all your time writing and ticking things off you never really get to push yourself into those things you've written and sometimes the amount of inspiration and motivation that can come from just throwing everything into something can be enough to run the rest of the week with a little more organisation and productivity.

What are your tips? Tweet me at @hellowonderful_ or comment below!