Simply..notivation....

30/1/2021

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!

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.

Freda

31/1/2021 02:44:21 pm

Visitors are a great motivator!!

Gail

31/1/2021 02:17:13 am

Fun trick

Freda

31/1/2021 02:45:25 pm

Anything that makes it fun…

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...

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!!

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.

Freda

31/1/2021 02:51:09 pm

That’s a good one Liz!

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

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.

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.....

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

Freda

3/2/2021 04:00:49 pm

Me too! Thank you for these ideas Clare.

Simply..notivation....

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