In this week’s #5MinMotivation the question I bring forth is, “do you need to be motivated in order to do something? If you don’t feel like it, is that a good reason for procrastinating? It only becomes procrastination when you have a specific intention and you push off accomplishing it. There are people who wait for the motivation bug to bite, in order to start a task.
Do these words sound familiar?
- “I don’t feel like it”
- “I am too tired”
- “I don’t have all the tools necessary”
- “I don’t know where to start”
I don’t think it is that simple. You can’t always wait until you are in the mood. If that was the case, then I would never clean my house or do laundry. I wouldn’t spend time trying to sell my sons on the importance of completing their homework or several other tasks that I “don’t feel like doing”.
When something is important to you, you might not always “feel” like doing it. Push through that feeling and start with one action. If you need to spend hours working on a project, don’t focus on the hours of work ahead. Focus on the first action you need to take to start. Start a timer and commit to 20 minutes. Once you get going, often you find that those first 20 minutes makes it easier to get past the next 20 minutes.
“If you deemed something is important, don’t wait for motivation to get started. Take action and let this action motivate you to keep on going”.
Move past your internal debate of waiting, it may not come for a while. Instead, focus on performing small actions at a time. Don’t be so hard on yourself when you are lacking motivation. Acknowledge it and keep moving.
Having a hard time getting started? Here are some quick tips:
- List the costs of procrastinating. When you are aware of the costs, it might be the incentive you need to get started.
- Think of where you want to be in 5 years? What actions do you need to take to bring you closer to that person? Are the actions you are taking now taking you towards or away from who you want to be?
- Set a time limit to motivate you to get started. When I REALLY don’t feel like doing housework, I just focus on cleaning for 30 min. Often, once I start I continue until the end.
- Seek an accountability partner to motivate you and encourage you on important tasks.
[tweetthis]“Amateurs wait until they feel inspired to do creative work. Professionals do it on a strict schedule”. – James Clear[/tweetthis]
Our lives can get pretty hectic and it can be easy to get lost in our actions. When we are so focused on what is ahead, we forget to pause, reflect and find ways to energize our minds. These 5-minute motivation posts are meant to give you that recharge. The goal is to give you a 5-minute Vitamin for your mind through quotes, posts and videos. It is also meant to challenge your thinking and inspire you to take action.