Me Monday - Get Motivated

Accomplishment has always motivated me. You know, that rush that you get when something is "finally" done? If you are a busy mom, you know how easy it is to get frustrated when a host of things around you are unfinished. When approaching even the most high priority tasks, it can be tempting to think, "What's the use? I won't be able to finish it anyway! This is especially toxic if you never "get around to" establishing household routines, because you get stuck in survival mode, which really does prevent other accomplishments.

The best way to get motivated is to START. Small victories and progress can be very motivating. If you have to, start with ONE routine. Ten years ago, my husband and I determined that we would have lunch at a particular time no matter what. It was a start to getting things more in order.

If you are more advanced and are having trouble being impatient for things to change, try taking a day off to ponder what's gumming up the works. I did this a few days ago (yes, I hired a babysitter just to do this!), and discovered a powerful tool for evaluating my use of time, and planning for the next few months.

Using a weekly spreadsheet tool similar to this one, which is used by some direct selling sales force members, I started with the night before and worked back, filling in each half hour with what happened over a week. I discovered and made a list of what was happening that should not, and what was not happening that should! When I saw it pictured this way on paper, I realized that cracks in my time-management were the real thing getting me demotivated, and not anything or anyone else I felt tempted to blame. It totally changed my perspective and gave me a motivation boost!

Think about it. Is your child being incorrigible, or did you not plan ahead and allot time for some need of hers (physical or emotional) to be met before your tank was empty as well? Is your husband really inconsiderate to plan something which would get in the way of something you wanted or needed to do, or did you not consider timing for the family as a whole before choosing that time slot?  Do you need to admit that a certain obligation you have is no longer  the best use of your time, although it may have been even just a few months ago? What's bugging you? Could it somehow be time-management related? Could it explain fatigue and lack of motivation?

Are you ready to help yourself and try this? Try the form I linked to , or if you are tech savvy, make a form of your own and print it. For even more motivation boosting ideas, read my contribution and the contribution of several others here, and see what works best for you!

Did you find some time leaks, and are you feeling more motivated? Tell me about it!