Live Simply Simply Live
  • Blog
  • Studio
  • Home
  • Cards
  • Coronation Wood

Simply..notivation....

30/1/2021

14 Comments

 

Usually very self motivated I must admit to finding it harder these days. But I am a great believer in carrots rather than sticks so have been tryng a few old strategies.

One is to set up a tray with coffee in a favourite cup and saucer and fill the kettle, set the timer for 15 minutes and get moving. I remember FlyLady saying you can do anythng for 15 minutes. It's true, and I will someitmes do longer once I am started.

When our families were little and we were working full time and studyiing too, a friend and I had an arrangement when things got really chaotic. One of us would phone the other on a Saturday morning and say The place is a mess . Woud you like to come for lunch at one? Right you've got two hours the other woud say and we would get the family to join in and whizz round the house cleaning and tidying and making lunch in record time. It worked every time, and we would enjoy the rest of the day.

I did that with the same friend the other Sunday. I texted her to say I coudn't motivate myself to do anything - If I got things done within the next hour coud I reward myself with a call with her?. She agreed and said she would do tasks which she had been putting off  for a week. One hour later with everything done, we had a lovely long chat, all the while laughing at ourselves for needing such tactics still!

How do you get yourself motivated when you feel you really can't be bothered?  All suggestions welcome!

Picture
Knowing a fresh coffee awaits helps....
14 Comments
Gwendoline
31/1/2021 12:19:58 am

Oh I wish I had the perfect trick for this one. I really don’t though. Every chore has a different threshold for me. Vacuuming happens quite often as I hate a crunchy carpet. Cleaning the shower....well, I’ve never actually caught anything from it and I mostly have my eyes shut in there anyway. I definitely used to do a clean before company came so I’m guessing that, come the resolution, I’m going to have some serious de-incrustation to do. In the rest of life I just do what I think is important so I suppose Purpose is my motivator.

Reply
Freda
31/1/2021 02:44:21 pm

Visitors are a great motivator!!

Reply
Gail
31/1/2021 02:17:13 am

Fun trick

Reply
Freda
31/1/2021 02:45:25 pm

Anything that makes it fun…

Reply
Rosemary Brough
31/1/2021 04:03:13 am

I am, as they say, very much speaking without my book here because I don't know much at all about theories of personality; but I believe that the normal Self is not one entity, but contains also an innate Father, Mother, Child. (Put me right here if I am wrong, please).

The reason I bring this up is that during these hard and solitary times, especially if we live alone, I believe we recognise, depend on, and appeal to the sensible and caring aspects of our own personalities (Father, Mother).

Every day in this blog, I believe I see Freda instinctively doing this for herself - and for us. Today she is setting out the caring response to herself for making the effort to keep her house and home ticking over - see the coffee tray she has beautifully prepared for herself.

Look at almost any post Freda has shared and you will see the elements of Father-Mother commonsense and self-compassion that she is expressing. We are very lucky that she is an artist too, because everything is given to us in an aesthetic and uplifting way.

Answers on a postcard...

Reply
Freda
31/1/2021 02:49:39 pm

How interesting Rosemary. I would agree that I am in parenting mode much of the time. But my inner child longs to play and have fun!!

Reply
Liz
31/1/2021 10:25:03 am

Brilliant idea! My version is to go into a messy room and say - I’ll tidy away 10 or 20 things (depending how messy) and count aloud as I do it. Makes a huge difference and I work super fast.

Reply
Freda
31/1/2021 02:51:09 pm

That’s a good one Liz!

Reply
Madeleine Lawrence
1/2/2021 12:22:38 pm

I remind myself that if I don't do the task nobody else will so I might as well just do it! And that it gives me pleasure to live in a clean and orderly home.
I really find that having a morning routine is key for me: a series of things I do, without fail, in a particular order, before I stop for a break. Once that routine is done I tend to feel more motivated for the rest of the day. In case you want to know, it is this: let dog and chickens out, pot of tea, yoga 45 mins, walk 45 mins, feed dog, cook breakfast and clean up, make bed, sweep laundry and back verandah. Then, if I feel like it, wander around the vegetable garden noting any tasks that are urgent, check work emails.
Similar to the idea of doing something for 15 minutes, if things are really in a mess I just return 5 things to their rightful place in any room I enter.
One other trick, open in my browser any articles or blogs I want to read and know they are waiting for me whilst I complete tasks I usually don't want to do!

Madeleine

Reply
Freda
1/2/2021 03:17:56 pm

That’s an impressive routine Madeleine and it sounds very pleasurable too. So worth it for a clean and orderly home and it gives me a lovely picture of your life.

Reply
Madeleine Lawrence
2/2/2021 02:28:50 pm

I had to smile at the word 'impressive', Freda. As far as the exercise routine goes, unfortunately it is just what I have to do to keep body and mind together! Any less and I am just 'treading water' or going backwards. Everything changed once I passed 50, I'm sure many can relate.

I struggle with discipline just like everyone else, and left to my own devices life would be just one long pot of tea (with book or pen in hand) and home, garden and body would just fall apart!!

I meant to include a load of washing in that routine. I get it on first thing, and put it on the line after breakfast. Otherwise I just may not feel like it. In other words, habits are the glue that holds my life together. If only it were easier being a human!

Madeleine

Clare
2/2/2021 07:06:36 am

My solution for repetitive tasks is to box myself in -- cycle into town, then I have to get exercise by cycling back up the hill; get up 10 minutes early so I can do stretches in my PJs. What I find harder is the lengthy one off tasks that can't be done in one go, like sorting paoers. One thing that works for me is the sticky note method - do a bit, then when you have to stop leave a note saying what needs doing next. Then if you can't get back to the task for weeks, you spend less time trying to remember where you'd got to.....

Reply
Madeleine Lawrence
2/2/2021 02:30:44 pm

Oh, I like the idea of the post it note, Clare. I recently came back to doing my tax after it sitting in a basket for a while and actually redid some of the things I'd forgotten were already done! I am going to try your idea.

Madeleine

Reply
Freda
3/2/2021 04:00:49 pm

Me too! Thank you for these ideas Clare.




Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Live Simply
    Live Simply
    Simple
    Simply Art
    Simply..A Student Of Old Age
    Simply Beautiful
    Simply Bin It
    Simply Chill
    Simply Christmas
    Simply Christmas
    Simply Do A Good Deed
    Simply Draw
    Simply Draw
    Simply Eat
    Simply Fitter
    Simply Fun
    Simply Get Rid
    Simply Grow
    Simply Headspace
    Simply Holiday
    Simply Home
    Simply Home
    Simply Inspirational
    Simply Laugh
    Simply Learn
    Simply Listen
    Simply Live
    Simply Low Maintenance
    Simply Money
    Simply Move
    Simply Move
    Simply Organise
    Simply Paint
    Simply Routine
    Simply Seeing.. Or Not
    Simply Stylish
    Simply Venice
    Simply Write


    Author

    An artist seeking a simpler life - (but not too simple!)

    All words and images copyright Freda Waldapfel 2010 - 2020

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.