Keeping Your Motivation + Momentum

I want to start this week sharing some motivation + positivity with you all - yes, please!  We are all trying to navigate through intense amounts of noise these days… childcare, constantly changing work demands, our health, loved ones, relationships, trying to keep our sanity (not to mention social movements + a rollercoaster political climate).  It’s a lot!  The list goes on + it has even the most experienced multitaskers raising both hands in the air for help.  Guess what?  That’s 100% okay!  The only way through this is together.  

The strategies below can help you efficiently navigate through the noise + hectic demands of our current normal.  I hope these help keep your focus strong + motivation high for sustainable success!

Find a system that works for you.

There’s a ton of schedules, organizers, etc. out there claiming to be the secret that solves all.  While that sounds great, it’s not realistic.  None of us need more judgement + a cloud of negativity to make us feel like a failure.  Just because something worked for your co-worker, in-law, best friend, or neighbor, doesn’t mean it’s right for your realities.  The good news is because there are so many options out there, you’ll be able to find one that works for you. You can also take a system that’s a close fit + adjust as needed to make it work for you.  So whether your style is visual or narrative, digital or hand-written, calendar or organizer, weekly or daily, you can find/create a system that works well for your lifestyle.  This is a great foundation for sustainable success!  

Establish healthy + productive boundaries.

Right now the idea of boundaries is being tested at an all-time high, which makes it even more important to establish realistic, healthy, + productive boundaries for your current lifestyle + responsibilities.  For some of us, this means setting limits on how frequently you check-in with social media/news.  Or protecting your weekly workout time or group call with friends. For others, this means establishing zones in your home for work, school, play, etc.  Whatever your current realities + responsibilities are, be honest + communicate about how you/your household can come up with healthy + productive solutions. 

Keep it actionable/measurable. 

Whether you’re working on goals for today, the week, the month, or even the next 6 months, here’s a life-changing tip / lens for you: keep it actionable / measurable.  By adjusting your to-do’s into a goal that’s actionable / measurable you’re actually changing your mindset with a positive shift.  Example: You can do this and here’s how ( insert your actionable / measurable piece here ).  It can take some practice - it’s like building a muscle.  The more you use this strategy, it becomes the lens you’ll use to view all of your projects + goals. 
Another related strategy: keep it digestible.  In other words, if you’re working on a major goal, break it into realistic, timed-out, smaller pieces that you can tackle one-by-one, eventually reaching the full goal.   For Sales Professionals, we often speak about H1/H2 goals + how Q1-Q4 individually support those larger goals accordingly.  For educators, we often discuss building a strong foundation for the entire group of learners + then scaffolding to support individual students.  Whether you’re planning out professional or personal goals, do yourself a favor by not overwhelming yourself to the point where you can’t even start.  You’ll be able to sustain motivation + focus by balancing the larger goals with your smaller, digestible goals that support the big picture plans. 

Stop waisting time not asking for help. 

I’ll admit - I’m still a work in progress in this area.  For lots of us, asking for help had the connotation of weakness, lack of intelligence or capability.  That out-dated mindset couldn’t be a bigger waste of time.  If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this post: use your voice to ask for help early + often!  This strategy applies to both personal + professional aspects - just like both, it’s also fluid.  Depending on the context or situation, you’ll have unique strengths + experiences + areas where you need support (again, this will fluctuate time + time again).  Right now, for some of us this means we need more help with childcare or family responsibilities.  For others, we need more support from our employer in managing work demands + home-life realities.  For dynamic/complex projects, those may need a phased approach, and you’ll most likely have to navigate everyone’s busy schedules.  Take the time upfront to recognize where you’re going to need support, so you can ask for help early on + delegate accordingly.  Communication is crucial - using a solution-focus approach in these situations will help set you up for success!

I hope these strategies help keep your motivation high + momentum strong - you’ve got this! 
- K.S.