Get Motivated

Procrastination, i.e. the art of putting off the important tasks and engaging in less productive activities, is actually incredibly destructive and keeps us in a place of feeling stuck, limiting our own potential.

Netflix and Online-Shopping are my biggest weaknesses when it comes to procrastinating. I can spend hours browsing through clothing websites and not actually adding anything to my basket... or worse, adding everything and then not even buying the stuff when I'm done.

To combat this I've put together 5 tools that really help me to be more productive:

1. Be and Stay Active

I know a lot of people struggle with this one, but exercising on a regular basis is so important for both your physical and mental health. When you get into the mindset of pushing yourself every day a huge shift occurs. You become stronger, and not just in your body, but in your mind. You begin to have confidence in yourself and in turn begin to feel more motivated and content with your life. 

To motivate myself to stay active I always remember the quote "you'll only regret the workout you didn't do". Visualizing how I'll feel once I've completed my exercise for the day also boosts my motivation levels, as I know I'll feel a million times better about myself for doing it compared to if I just lay on my sofa watching Netflix for the next few hours. 

2. Make Goals and Commit

Set yourself realistic goals and commit to achieving them. When you set realistic goals and fulfill them you begin to feel more confident and productive, and in turn become more motivated to get stuff done. Set yourself the task to have completed a piece of work by a certain date and vow to treat yourself if, and only if you achieve this goal e.g. chocolate, a relaxing bubble bath, drinks with friends etc. 

3. Surround Yourself with Inspirational and Motivational Images 

I love having a vision board. It really helps me to see where I want to be and keeps me focused on the future and what I have to do right now to get there. Even if you don't currently have a vision board, spend time looking at motivational images and quotes when you feel your levels are lacking. 

4. Go Outside 

I always find being outside puts me in a better frame of mind. Whenever I stay in the house for a couple of days I begin to feel stuck, lacking creativity and motivation. Start going for a walk or a run whenever you feel yourself feeling this way. A new goal of mine is to go outside every day, even if I have no plans and it is just a 5 minute walk around the block.

5. Stop Making Excuses 

Seriously. Just stop. There is no better time to do anything than right now. The act of putting things off and saying "I'll start tomorrow" or "next week" is not doing you any favors. Once you get into the cycle and mindset of "tomorrow", time will simply begin to pass you by and you'll continue to be stuck in an unproductive and negative space. Begin realizing when you're simply just making excuses and decide in the moment to change this habit and just do it.