A Simple Trick to Stay Motivated When Times Get Tough
**A quick note: I’ve got a project with a looming deadline and a family wedding this week, so while items will still be posting, I’ll be moderating a lot less frequently for the week. I look forward to reading what everyone has to stay when things calm down. Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful week!
So there was this girl. She enjoyed writing, and was having moderate to middling success at it. Some days were long. Some were hard. Sometimes she felt simply tapped. But she kept writing with no changes for one reason, and one reason alone: she had the next step laid out for her.
So what’s the easy trick to staying motivated?
Schedule yourself in advance.
Here’s why: it’s too easy to let emotions dictate whether we continue to work on our dreams. When you have a bad day, it’s natural to want to take a break. But a break becomes a rest, a rest becomes a hiatus, and that becomes, well… the black hole of doom. Before you know it, you’re sucking your Doritos-dyed thumb, zombified out in front of Saved by the Bell reruns (or Walker, Texas Ranger—your call).
Create the Next Step When Times Are Good
But when you’ve got a schedule (a loose one, please), you’ve got the next step ready for you. You’re short-circuiting the existential crisis and just moving on. If that next step was good enough for you a week ago, it should be good enough now, even when bad fortune shines on you.
It’s the everdayness of our lives, the daily minutiae that often gets us through the really hard times—the loss of family, illnesses, joblessness. So let that same principle work for you on a micro level by creating some structured everydayness with your projects.
So you had a bad day. It happens. Check your calendar and look ahead to tomorrow. As Scarlett O’Hara, my favorite procrastinor, would say, “Tomorrow is another day.”
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This post has 11 comments
August 4th, 2008
Great advice on staying motivated, Sara.
I find that when the not-so-good times are here, it really does pay to keep the goals you have in sight. Better still, if you’ve recorded them down, have a check to fire yourself back up again.
The Scarlett O’Hara quote is very fitting too… Frankly, I do give …
August 4th, 2008
I definitely needed to read just this post this morning.
August 4th, 2008
interesting how motivation behaves like momentum. it needs the initial push, and a path. i like that you have a “favorite procrastinator.” it’s like a mascot.
August 4th, 2008
You picked the perfect example, the eternal optismist, Scarlett O’Hara.
When things get rough and overwhelming, I go to the movies.
August 4th, 2008
This is actually how I am getting through college. Some assignments make me want to drop out for sure and I almost have twice! But I always remind myself why I am doing it and what plans I have once I achieve my degree. It always makes me smile to think of the opporunities that will come easier with the attainment of that piece of paper; not to mention the overwhelming, wonderful feeling of self accomplishment.
August 4th, 2008
Having a plan is definitely a necessity! And if you have good routines established you can use them as a conveyor belt when things aren’t going so well. “So when you’re in Texas look behind you, ’cause that’s where the Ranger’s gonna be” (I used to watch that all the time).
August 4th, 2008
Great advice; if only I’d had it sooner. My life’s road is paved with abandoned dreams, not for want of passion, but for want of focus. I’m easily distracted, and that five minute I’ll-take-a-quick-walk-to-figure-out-my-next-step-because-I’m-just-so-list quickly becomes a two year so-what-I-bailed-on-another-project.
With my latest project (and with all of my most recent ones) I’ve been taking time to plan things out ahead of time. Knowing what comes next saves time when I get lost in the process. It also adds to that euphoria of accomplishment when I finish and realize the next step is to throw my hands in the air and shout, “hurray!”
August 4th, 2008
Great advice, and I especially like that you make it clear the schedule should be a LOOSE one. No point stressing over a too-tight or too rigid schedule.
August 5th, 2008
Thanks for the tip! I tend to go with the flow or the order of the day. I’m finding that I really need a schedule!
Evelyn
August 10th, 2008
Thank you to everyone who’s commented. I think NeimanMarxist made a great point about momentum. Momentum is necessary, but it also needs a direction. And Tiffany, I’m happy to hear that you’re sticking with it! Sometimes the “just do the next thing” mentality can help you reach amazing goals.
August 16th, 2008
I can’t believe how true this article is in describing my life.
I usually am not stable in my work energy. For example, some days I will write tons of stuff, post comments, read articles, and otherwise be very productive. Other days, I won’t get much done and will feel pretty crappy.
I think scheduling in advance will keep me focused and my energy/motivation levels much more stable (and probably higher than they were before).
Thank you for providing this idea for me to implement!
Cheers,
Brad Spencer
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