Fingers to the Bone: On Remaining Motivated

 

 

When in doubt, I work.

I have always been the girl with the project. In high school, I self-published chapbooks of poetry. [By self-published, I mean, I printed them out at home and stapled them myself.] In college, I started blogging, signed up for internship after internships, wrote for the newspaper, and edited the literary magazine. After college, I now work a full-time job, as well as keep my fashion blog and do other projects. I’m a master at remaining motivated. It’s not just my personality though. This is how I do it.

1. Keep A Notebook. I keep lots of notebooks, for lists and other writing. Right now, I have four main notebooks, all regarding different projects and topics. One notebook is dedicated just to my to do lists, as well as lists of what I want from life and writing as to how I think I’ll get there! If you don’t use lists to stay organized, may I suggest you start? Nothing motivates me more than writing out a to do list – and a paragraph about why I’m doing those things.

2. Know Your Reasons. Why are you doing what you’re doing? When I don’t want to go to work, and could easily call in, I go anyway – because I need the money. When I don’t want to write a blog post, I do it anyway – because doing so will free up time later and keep my blog on a consistent schedule. Having a reason why you’re doing something makes it easier to just get it done. But if you can’t think of a reason, it’s probably okay to ditch it.

3. Slow and Steady. Sometimes, we all get in a rush. We want to clean the whole house in a day, do all the laundry, bake five batches of cookies, re-organize the closets, and cook a five-course dinner. Can I tell you a secret? It’s probably not going to happen. By doing things slow and steady, you’ll get more done – and you won’t hit that burn out period where you lie on the couch and eat cookies for seven hours. It’s like when you study for tests: studying for eight hours straight will only lead to staring blankly at a page for eight hours. Taking breaks is how it’s done.

4. Seriously, Take A Break. Until recently, I was also doing two internships while working full-time. It was easy to do when I worked at a grocery store. But after switching jobs, I realized I couldn’t do it anymore. One internship ended on time and another I decided to quit early. I’m not the kind of person who likes to quit things, but I realized I needed to. I needed a weekend. I needed time to just lie on the couch and watch movies without worrying about getting my 20 internship hours done!

5. Work Out. Do Yoga. Do something. Really, staying active will not only make you feel better, it will make you more productive. Sacrifice 25-30 minutes out of your day to do yoga, or go running, or do a CrossFit routine. You’ll be healthier and more focused.

Most importantly, when it comes to staying motivated, remember that you aren’t a machine. You have to have time to sleep, eat, relax, shower, and do other basic human activities. If you find yourself frantically wondering if you have time to shower everyday, it’s probably time to take a step back and ask yourself if you really need to be doing that much! 

- Michelle

[Michelle blogs over at Locked Out - About life, fashion, and photography. She comes to you live from the wilds of Oregon, where she grew up. She is 23, a writer, photographer, and receptionist. She spends most of her time wondering if people will judge her for having another snack.]