7 Step Action Plan For Instant Motivation

by vanessa | Jun 10, 2020 | Entrepreneurs, motivation

7 step action plan for instant motivation

There are a lot of blogging myths out there, but these are the seven most common ones.

Motivation is a skill set most of us want, but few of us seem to crack. Athletes have boundless motivation and energy. When it comes to us it is hard to even get up when the alarm rings the first time. In this blog post, we look through the 7 action steps for instant motivation. That might seem unbelievable, but when it comes to instant motivation it all boils down to an action plan.

We all need action plans for us to keep the pace going. Action plans help us with routines, business plans, setting new habits and the list goes on. An action plan can save you so much time as long as you are willing to put in the time to make it work.

You have to set an action plan that will work for you. One that helps you go in the right direction. And as the question goes how do you know you are going in the right direction? The answer to this is not simple, but it also isn’t complicated. What it takes are work and reflection. You need to understand what you want and why. The action plan here can be used for almost anything because it is a step-by-step process to help you get results. If you want instant motivation, this action plan will help you get it.

If you want to start a business, you can use this as well to get your feet wet. This action plan is based solely on the reasoning that you are willing to go the extra mile to get results. Before, we go forward it is incredibly important for you to be willing to go the extra mile. If you don’t do that you won’t be able to achieve what you want. You won’t be able to go forward. Because becoming successful is more than seeking motivation, it’s about going the extra mile.

Know your what?

Steve Oshler famously coined this term. It is similar to Simon Sinek’s “Know Your Why.” You have to know why you are doing something. There has to be a reasoning for why you are taking action. Otherwise, everything will fall flat. It is like a person who wants to start exercising. Day one you are excited then comes day twenty and you lose the motivation.

Step one in the action plan for instant motivation is your reasoning. This is a quick trick I learned. It might seem too simple, but coming up with the answer will be tricky. There are a lot of reasons why we do things. So coming up with the one that rings true to what you want to achieve won’t be easy. Take, for example, you want to write a book. Here are a few reasons why people write books; make money, build an email list, become an authority figure, use it as a calling card, build a business or use it as a stepping stone to a course.

The problem comes in choosing one reason. If you have more than one it is so easy to lose focus. So, it is incredibly important to only have one reason for doing something. That way you won’t struggle coming up with the reasons for why you are doing it. You can build up on your reasons the further you go along.

Visualize and reflect

Step two in the action plan for instant motivation is visualization and reflection. It is here that you visualize and reflect on what you want to achieve. What is the one thing you are working on that you need instant motivation for? Once you have the answer to this you visualize the outcomes of your result. What will your life be like once you publish that book? How much money do you want to make from it?

What will you do with the money? The reflection comes in how well you feel after you achieved it. Will you be excited about the future ahead. Reflection also comes in when processing what you’re afraid of when you achieve it. Many of us are terrified of the unknown and this makes us lose motivation. We are terrified that we might fail or become successful. As strange as that may sound, many of us are fearful of success. Another reason why we might lose motivation is that we are afraid of the opinions of others. You need to reflect on the reasons why you are afraid to go forward.

Remember fear are fake events appearing real. So maybe you won’t be as successful as you thought you’d be. But isn’t that how you will learn. Every successful person has failed at something. Visualize becoming successful and you will realize that we have more power than we think we have. We are responsible for what happens. You decide whether fear will keep you back or it won’t. This step is critical in your action plan for instant motivation.

Plan ahead

You can lose time you don’t have by trying to figure out what you need to do. Step three in your action plan for instant motivation is planning. You must have an idea of what you want to achieve throughout the day. It is incredibly important that you know what you want to achieve. For example, the night before write down the five things you need to do for the day.

That way you know what you must do when the day starts. This will stop you from losing momentum because you understand what you need to do and when it needs to be done. The reason why most people lose motivation is that they have no idea what to work on. They lose energy by focusing on the wrong things. Plan ahead so you don’t lose sight of what you need to achieve. This step isn’t as hard as the others and you should put your time trying to figure out what you should and when you should do it.

You can start by Eating The Frog. This means start with your most taxing activity. This is the one thing you need to do in the morning because it requires a lot of attention. For example, I start my day writing, this helps me to get my thoughts out as soon as I can. I also start writing my blog posts early in the morning. Your routine can look differently, but look at your tasks and figure out which one requires the most attention. This is one of the best things you can do for instant motivation.

Set a routine

A routine will set you up for success. The reason for this is because it will help you focus on your goals. It is also one of the most important steps for instant motivation. A routine is incredibly important because it will push you to do things even if you don’t want to. For example, these are the things you do instinctively.

You set a routine for those things so they come naturally. A lot of successful writers have writing routines. These routines comprise of when they write, where they write, and for how long they do it. The more they do this the more proficient they become. It becomes part of who they are. Look at your habits. What kind of routine do you need to set-up for you to achieve what you want?

Your routine should focus on the time you go to bed, how you start your day, how long will you work on your tasks, and when you will have your breaks. Once you do that it will become natural. A lot of successful people use this to help them stay focused and build routines that help them become successful.

Start the day right

The next step in your action plan for instant motivation is to start your day right. When it comes to getting motivated, you need to be able to start the day as soon as possible. What this looks like is waking up early. The longer you sleep, the harder it will be. That is why you need to wake up before 6 am.

This is usually when successful people walk up. Your brain will also be more alert and since they will be less distraction you are more likely to be active. You can also do more since there’s no pressure. Most people wake up at 6 am and therefore there’s a lot of distraction. Starting the day right starts off with waking up at the right time. Another thing to note in starting your day right is to have a moment of inspiration. This can look different depending on who you are. For some, it means listening or watching something motivational. For others, it’s affirmations or even meditation.

You start the day right for instant motivation. When you don’t start the day right, you will find yourself dragging yourself through the day. Keep this in mind when you are doing the earlier steps. Even write this in your routine so that you schedule the time for you to wake up early.

Get moving

One of the best ways for instant motivation is exercise or even dancing. It has been scientifically proven that dancing in the morning will fire up your synapses, but it will also dose you will a lot of dopamine. This is the hormone responsible for happiness. The happier you are, the more motivated you will be. So, if you want to be motivated to do things that require a lot of effort, exercise.

Moving your body will also fight off sleep. Maybe, you aren’t a morning person. You don’t have to be to do this step. The first thing you should do is to pick a song that will get you going. Something that will push you past any negative voice. Our voices can get us into trouble and that is why it is important to pick one of your favorite songs. The song that makes you happy regardless of what time or where you hear it. Once you do that, go crazy. Whether you choose to exercise or dance, they both do the same. Your body will react in the same way and you will find yourself motivated to work on tasks you have been postponing.

There’s a reason why a lot of successful people exercise early in the morning. This is also a great way to be energized. Sometimes, the best way to get a boost of energy is right in front of you.

Eat the right food

Eat food that will give you instant motivation. This is the last step in your action plan. Most of us eat food that will tire us down, this looks different depending on who you are. But if you can avoid carbs in the morning then you should. It has been proven that carbs early in the morning make it hard to concentrate. If you can’t opt-out of having bread then have a protein-rich breakfast.

Protein-rich breakfast usually comprises eggs, meat, seeds, and avocado. Another breakfast recipe that is known to help get you the results you need is oats, fruit, and muesli. Smoothies are also beneficial especially if you add the right ingredients for instant motivation and energy. These usually are chia seeds, butternut, bananas, and avocado. There are dozens of smoothie recipes out there and if you add this to your breakfast plan you will be shocked at the results you will get.

What is your main take away from the blog post and what will you do to help you become more motivated? Comment below.

Keep Pushing

Vanessa

7 Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs

by vanessa | May 13, 2020 | Entrepreneurs, motivation

7 Characteristics of successful entrepreneurs

Here are a few of the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship has become popular ever since the form changed. Think about it, decades ago an entrepreneur was anyone doing start-ups. Now, entrepreneurs can be people behind a laptop writing blog posts or filming videos for their YouTube channel. Entrepreneurs can be self-published authors or anyone with an idea who wants to pursue it.

The question here is if entrepreneurship has changed what are the defining characteristics of successful entrepreneurs. As much as many of us don’t want to admit it publicly we all want to be successful and create an impact. Sure, our thoughts call into question whether we can do that. Our brains are capable of so much and if we believe in something strongly it comes true. Since you are reading this blog post you might want to know how you can become a successful entrepreneur.

One of the easiest ways to that is by understanding the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs and emulating it. When you do that, it is so much easier to become a successful entrepreneur. Maybe, you haven’t started your business yet, it is never too late to start. This blog post is a way to support and encourage you to go for your dreams.

Self-motivation

Do you ever go through moments when you don’t want to do anything? One of the main characteristics of successful entrepreneurs and successful people, in general, is they self-motivate. They don’t wait for a muse to inspire them and that is what separates them. Many of us are so used to waiting for a mythical muse to appear so that we can focus on work.

Yes, they might be days when you are tired and frustrated. These moments should be times when you pick yourself up and work on your goals. Will it be hard? Anything foreign to us is always hard. Think about it like this when you are starting a new exercise routine, is it hard to get into to or if you want to wake up early. Our brains tend to rely on the past to protect us. This is the way we survive so when you are doing something you aren’t used to there’s resistance.

You have to face the resistance for you to be able to self-motivate. Becoming successful isn’t easy, but this one characteristic of successful entrepreneurs is one that has put many of them on the map.

Take risks

This one is my favorite characteristic of successful entrepreneurs. I used to be a person who took calculated risks until I realized that to be successful I had to jump with both feet. Is it hard to do that? Yes, remember our brains want to protect us. There are built-in survival mechanisms that turn on whenever we put ourselves in a difficult situation.

Anything that is new can be seen as a difficult situation. That is including taking risks, but you will never become successful if you don’t take risks. Even if you don’t want to be an entrepreneur, taking risks will push you out of your comfort zone. This is why this characteristic of successful entrepreneurs is often discussed at length. If you don’t take risks, you will never find opportunities to help you grow. You will never become a millionaire or impact the world.

I had to learn this the hard way. I spent so many years terrified of my own shadow and I didn’t take risks. I dragged my feet until I realized the reason my business isn’t growing is that I am not taking risks. It is of course not that simple, but if you do take risks you will discover how many opportunities are out there.

Passion

I believe passion has to be one of the most important characteristics of successful entrepreneurs. Passionate entrepreneurs are more diverse than any other. They are more willing to dedicate their time to serving others and they never give up. That is the key there. Often when we follow money over passion we create this void in us.

This void limits our potential because we are concentrating on the money. When you concentrate on helping people you attract more people to you and you achieve more. And you are likely to follow through when something doesn’t work and you also pivot if your business isn’t growing. If you look at what is happening to businesses because of the pandemic. You will realize that many are not making an income or they have shut down. The businesses or entrepreneurs who survive are those that are passionate.

There are a few entrepreneurs who looked at their circumstances and changed the way they did businesses.

Understand your business model

If you have no idea what your business model is then it is will difficult to sell anything. For example, if you are a service business, but you sell t-shirts. There’s a problem with your model and what you offer. This is why it is important to understand the business you want to do. There are service businesses that do sell t-shirts, though. It has to make sense with the business that they are running though.

Diversifying income is one of the traits of successful entrepreneurs. What you offer has to be aligned with your business and you also need to understand your clients. If you are a service business offering financial consultancy to your clients, they wouldn’t be interested in buying t-shirts from you. However, if you are a service business that caters to dog lovers’ needs then they would love buying t-shirts.

Paying attention to your business model, what you offer and your clients are what will put you on the top. This is one of the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs and it isn’t talked about enough. Maybe, because it isn’t as interesting as talking about taking risks or passions.

Diversify income

Majority of successful entrepreneurs have numerous income sources and that is what makes them millionaires. Diversifying your income is important, but the first step is of course understanding your business model. Once you do that it is a lot easier to diversify your income. However, the problem is not understanding your business model.

One of the main characteristics of successful entrepreneurs is they have multiple sources of income. Service based businesses are now offering courses to their clients. And e-commerce businesses are doing the same and adding speaking to their roster. Not only does this make it easier to become a millionaire, it reduces the stress on the entrepreneur. Having one source of income involves working over time and this reduces the impact they can create and the money.

This why many successful entrepreneurs suggest having multiple sources of income.

Money mindset

You will never become successful if you believe you will always struggle with money. Many of us understand this on a basic level, yet we make the rookie mistake in believing we won’t achieve financial freedom. Our brains are like computers. Whatever we believe, our brains will act out. It won’t filter negative thoughts out. It doesn’t work like that.

If a virus attacks your computer, it messes up with the software. The computer starts operating differently and that is how our brains work as well. When it comes across something negative it at first tries to fight it off, but then when that doesn’t work the virus spreads. It changes the way you process everything. Information to our brain is like code and it uses that to justify our actions.

One of the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs is that they have a money mindset. What this means is that they have a healthy relationship with money. Whether it is spending, giving, investing, or earning money. If they believe they can make $10,000 a month they achieve it. This might seem impossible, but it isn’t. It is all about believing you can. It might seem too easy, but our brains have been conditioned to view money negatively.

When you believe in something, you will discover that you will find ways to make that come true.

Adaptable

Another characteristic of successful entrepreneurs is how adaptable they are. One thing you will discover is that successful entrepreneurs need to be able to find solutions to problems. If something isn’t working, they need to find a solution. Many of us struggle with being adaptable, but if you learn this one characteristic of successful entrepreneurs you will be ahead of many people.

Finding solutions to problems and being flexible is what sets successful people apart. You need to be willing to change for your business to survive. Brick and mortar businesses that chose not to have social media accounts are probably struggling right now. Word of mouth used to be enough years ago and now it isn’t. Having a social media account is extremely important. Businesses that don’t find a way to operate are finding themselves stuck. A few businesses have seen this as an opportunity to go virtual because of the pandemic. Event companies are now doing virtual events.

What is your main takeaway from this and which characteristic will you work on? Please comment below.

Keep Pushing

Vanessa

5 Ways To Deal With Uncertainty

by vanessa | Apr 30, 2020 | motivation, personal development

5 WAYS TO DEAL WITH UNCERTAINTY

Find out what are the best ways to deal with uncertainty

Many of us struggle when it comes to dealing with uncertainty. We are so used to living life as it comes, but what happens if everything is uncertain. What happens when the future is unknown and all that you thought you know is thrown out of the window? That is a question many of us have to ask because of the pandemic.

All the things we took for granted is gone. One thing we took for granted was certainty. Now, we are left to wonder what the future will be like. Many people are losing their jobs the world over, and are finding themselves in an uncomfortable position. They are asking themselves what will the future be like? Asking questions is a healthy way of coping, but what happens when the answers aren’t as clear cut as you would want them to be? What happens when you don’t have the answers to the problems?

A lot of people are finding themselves in this position. They are realizing for the first time they don’t have the answers, they wished they had. It is a terrifying time, but that doesn’t mean fear should push you to the back. There’s a way you can deal with the uncertainty that will push you forward and not hold you captive. The problem with fear is it tends to make us terrified of our own shadows. When you are living in fear, you make the wrong decisions. Right now, it might seem as if it is the best choice, but when all this is over you will realize you were wrong. For you to move forward then you should make decisions that will propel you forward. That is what this blog post is about. It will show you how to deal with uncertainty. Yes, things are changing, but you can use that to your advantage, and here’s how you can do that.

Focus on the positives

Have you ever noticed that when you focus on the negatives it is highlighted? Focusing on the positives is the best way to deal with uncertainty. In my last year of university, I had arrived at school a week late. I had believed that there wouldn’t be a lot of work I needed to catch up on.

The truth slapped me as soon as I was given a pile of homework I needed to do. I had two choices to focus on hard it would be to catch up or find a solution. I was so overwhelmed, but I knew that it could be done and I focused on the positives. I had spent a whole year at home. My parents were trying to raise money so that I could finish my last year. That year I lived with uncertainty and had to find a way to deal with uncertainty. Focusing on the positives of being in university was what kept me sane. Sure, I could have focused on the fact I had to catch up with so much work or be grateful.

That’s the thing with focusing on the positives, you have to be grateful. Yes, a lot is going on in the world, but you are alive. Maybe, you lost someone close to you, and that hurts like hell. But there’s so much to be grateful for. Be grateful that you are alive and there’s a reason for that. Maybe, you lost your job, but it could be much worse. You could be in a hospital, contemplating your life. There’s so much we can be grateful for and at times we focus on the negatives. There are so many negatives right now, but the more you think about it, fear will grip you.

Embrace the uncomfortable

No one enjoys uncomfortable situations. It is normal for you to run from that, but here’s the good news. The uncomfortable gets easier to deal with once you embrace it. This is one way to deal with uncertainty. You have to embrace the uncomfortable. Right now you might be going through an uncomfortable situation in your life.

You could try to avoid it or you could embrace it. Once you embrace it. Everything becomes a lot easier and then you can find a way to pivot. Going forward in 2020, you are going to have to pivot. You will have to look at life with a different perspective and the same applies when you embrace the uncomfortable.

Even though, you might have dealt with the uncomfortable before it was less dramatic than it is now. What I mean is often uncomfortable situations were temporary. For example, if you were speaking to a crowd of people that would last at least an hour. Whenever you wake up and realize that your new reality is different from what you imagined it to be. If you want to move forward then you need to embrace the uncomfortable.

Pivot

A lot of successful entrepreneurs are talking about pivoting. What this means is you should take on a new perspective. This is one of the best ways to deal with uncertainty especially now. If you want to move forward this year, take on a new perspective. Things have changed. You can’t have the same perspective as you did in the last two years.

Here’s an example, event companies have lost so much money because of what has happened. Those who will survive are the ones who pivot. A couple of businesses and entrepreneurs have decided to take their events virtual. Artists have used this time to do virtual concerts. We are living in unprecedented times, but that doesn’t mean we should remain in the past. To move forward you need to view something with a different lens. Focus on what you can do now instead of living in the past. As terrifying as that is, it is the best way to move forward. Pivoting will push you forward and you will have a new perspective on life.

Speak with someone

If you are living in fear and consumed by what might happen in the future, you aren’t alone. One of the ways you can deal with uncertainty is to talk to someone. This is the time when your relationships should be evolving. But if you don’t talk to someone, your fears will be heightened. Often, our minds can play tricks on us.

That is because we discussing what we are going through. Loneliness can be the one thing to push us back. It can bury us underneath our fears, but that is because we believe we have to deal with our pain alone. Even though, we are isolated it doesn’t mean we can shut our emotions off. Talking to someone can ease your stress. You aren’t an island and it is scientific that when we are closed off, we lose track of time. There’s a lot of scientific research backing the need for human connection. One of the things you should consider is if you want to deal with uncertainty you won’t be able to do it alone.

We all go through similar stages and right now, we all going through this. Why not discuss what you are going through? Why not talk about the fear of the future? Before you know it you will be better for it and so will the person you confide with.

Shed light on the problem or situation

The last way you can deal with uncertainty is by shedding light on the problem or the situation. It is often said that when you understand something better than you can deal with fear better. The same can be said here. If you are traveling to a new country, research all you can about it.

Once you do that, you are less fearful about what you come across. This will help ease the stress and pressure you might be going through. There are a lot of things out of our control. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t be cautious. When you are cautious the problem isn’t as threatening as you might believe it is. For example, if you are traveling to a dangerous country, there are so many precautions you can take. For one, you never travel alone and two, you don’t take a lot of money with you. But, you can also research all the things you should or shouldn’t do while in the country.

Shedding light on the problem or situation will help you to be less fearful. You will also be able to confront the problem head-on and you will take comfort that you can’t solve everything.

What is your main takeaway from the post? Comment below

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA

How To Stay Motivated and Sane Working From Home

by vanessa | Apr 22, 2020 | motivation, Success

HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED AND SANE WORKING FROM HOME

Here is how you can stay motivated and sane working from home.

Staying motivated is one of those things many of us get wrong. Unless you are one of the few who has cracked the code to being motivated. What is even harder is staying motivated while working from home. How do you stay motivated and sane working from home? That is a question that isn’t as simple as it sounds.

The problem with working from home is the distractions. It is so easy to slip into old habits, for example, watching your favorite television show. We are human after all. The thing though is you need to understand what it is that you want to achieve. It isn’t impossible for you to stay motivated and sane working at home. In this blog post, I will share all the ways you can stay motivated and sane working at home.

Get up and get ready as normal

If you want to stay motivated then you have to act as if it is a normal day. If you do this then you are likely to get into the flow a whole lot quicker. Working in your pajamas might seem like it will work, but likely it won’t. The earlier you wake up, the better. You need to act as if you are going to work that way you push yourself out of the holiday mode.

When your mind is set to holiday mode, it is harder to get into the flow so you need to act as if it’s a normal day. What is your routine when you are going to work? Whatever it is, keep doing what you were doing before if it worked for you. If it didn’t then find a morning routine that will put you in the mode. The key here to is stay motivated and sane working from home and to act as if it is a normal day. It will feel weird at first, expect that, but in time you will ease into it.

Also Related: 5 Habits That Will Change Your Life For the Better

Have a dedicated work zone and set your time

There needs to be a dedicated work zone that you use. This will help you focus on the task at hand. This is one of the ways you can stay motivated and sane working from home. You should also set your times. This way you won’t get distracted and lose focus. This also helps you in becoming more productive.

If you know that at certain times you are working on certain projects then that motivates you to keep going. If you lose track it is also easier to get back into the flow. Having a dedicated work zone and a timetable will also stop you from doing things you shouldn’t be doing. Just like you wouldn’t watch TV shows at work, the same applies here. You are training your brain to focus on important projects and not get caught up with things that will slow you down.

Try the Pomodoro Technique

If you have never worked from home before then you need something that can help you stay focused. The Pomodoro technique can help you to remain focused. When I was first starting out and even now, I use the Pomodoro technique to help me stay focused.

The twenty-five-minute intervals will help you to not only stay focused but to use your time wisely. Often, that is the main problem. We can get distracted and with this technique, it is a lot harder to do. This is one way to stay motivated and sane while working at home. If you want to move forward in what you are doing then you need something to aid you. Sometimes, the best way to be productive and motivated is by having an app. There are a couple of great Pomodoro apps out there that will help you stay motivated.

Also Related: Best Pomodoro Apps to Try

Have a strict cut-off time and breaks

We are not robots, therefore you need a cut off time. This will help you stay motivated because you will remain focused until your break. If you have several breaks this will also be seen as a reward. If for example, you work for four hours straight, you will reward yourself with a forty minute or an hour break.

Another important thing to note is that by having breaks you don’t work yourself to the bone. Working from home is hard, but that is because it is easy to fall prey to overworking or slacking. What you need is to have strict times for your break and cut off. You might not be working the traditional 9-5, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have breaks. Depending on what time you wake up and start working you can focus on that. If you wake up at 4 am and start working at 5 am then you can cut-off at around 3.

Be kind to yourself and remember there’s still tomorrow.

Do a relaxing activity

When you are on your break do something that relaxes you. For some people, it is a stroll or basking in the sun. It depends on you. You could also journal, play an instrument, watch something funny, or prepare your favorite meal. Whatever it is, this is an important step to stay motivated and sane working from home.

Relaxing activities make us focus better. They give us insight and keep our minds ticking. This is so important because when you forget to take care of yourself, it is hard to stay motivated and sane. The objective here is to stay motivated and sane working from home. You don’t want to lose yourself to the extent where you forget why you are even doing it. An easy step to figuring out what relaxes you is to write down all the things you enjoy doing. Once you compile your list, you look at the top three activities that relax you.

Take advantage of virtual tools

If you are self-isolating like most people and need to communicate with clients and customers then your best bet is virtual tools. They will allow you to communicate with your clients. They are a lot of virtual tools out there. It is hard to pick the right one. There’s, of course, Google Hangouts and Skype. But Zoom is great as well. What matters is showing your face whichever tool you decide to use in the long run.

Showing your face to your customers or clients provides a personal touch. Schedule meetings and maintain relationships. As hard as it is self-isolating, your clients feel the same way. This will help you stay motivated and sane. Some people also use Zoom Rooms and that will help you to beat the loneliness of working at home. The way Zoom Rooms works is you will have fellow creatives in the background. Virtual tools also will help you stay in the loop and relate to other people. When we relate to other people, it is then that we know that we aren’t alone in this. There’s a 30 day trial for Zoom Rooms, but Zoom is completely free.

What is your main takeaway from this and how will you stay motivated and sane working from home. Please comment below.

Keep Pushing

Vanessa

How To Be Productive At Home During Uncertain Times

by vanessa | Apr 1, 2020 | Blog, Entrepreneurs, motivation, personal development

HOW TO BE PRODUCTIVE AT HOME DURING UNCERTAIN TIMES

The easiest way to become productive is by using a routine to help you out.

.As more people are staying at home it has become harder to be productive at home. These are uncertain times over the world. More people are losing their jobs and it is hard to start something or to be productive at home.

Fear has a way of making us emotionally unprepared for the next steps we should take. The thing is even though everything is uncertain life goes on and if you have to do your job here’s how you can be productive at home. If you want to start something then you also need to learn how to be productive at home.

I have been working at home for over a year now and I have learned what helps in becoming productive. That is why I want to list all the ways you can be productive at home.

Yes, quarantine might have pushed you back, but it doesn’t have to remain like that. You can be productive at home. The excess time you have makes it easier for you to start your own business, work on your projects or even work on assignments you left hanging.

I do understand how all of this can mentally weigh you down. In the last few weeks, things have gotten so out of hand and it feels as if you have no control over what happens. Yes, you might not have any control, but you can look at this time as an opening. You can develop a new skill set, work on your dreams, become more productive or take this time to reflect.

I wrote this blog post to help you in these difficult times that we are going through.

Your Reason

As a kid, you had a reason for everything you did and you made it known. You stole from the cookie jar because you had the munchies. You didn’t sleep in your bed because you had a nightmare. You worked hard on that speech so your parents and friends could be proud of you.

This is no different. Why do you want to be productive? I know it sounds stupid because you wouldn’t be reading this blog post if you didn’t have a reason. You want to be productive at home because it is difficult to do.

When you have so much time on your hands, you can do anything and you have all these big ideas of what you will do. At the end of the day, you then realize you did none of them. Absolutely zero. Not because you are lazy or anything like that, but because you got distracted.

There are fewer distractions in an office setting. Another thing that could have happened is you procrastinated.

It is important to know why you are doing something because it makes all this less hard. It is easier to endure the long day and the isolation when you have a big reason why you are doing something. It could be that you want to make more money in the long run with a side-hustle or you want to develop a new skill. Whatever it is, remind yourself daily. This is a motivation booster.

Use tools to help

There are dozens of tools out there that help with productivity. Find the one that works for you and use that to help you be productive at home. These tools were created to help people manage their time better and that is the issue. Most people struggle to manage their time wisely. I was the same way when I started.

It used to take me forever to get something done. For example, writing a blog post would take me hours to do because I wasn’t doing it the right way. I didn’t plan and prepare before I wrote the blog post so my thoughts were everywhere. When I mastered that it became easier to write a blog post.

The tools you end up using depend on you. You could use slack or other time management tools to help you get the work done. What counts here is using something to help you out. Bear and Evernote will help you jot down notes that speed up the writing process. Todolist helps with writing a clear concise to-do list to get you through the day.

You don’t need to figure everything out all at once. Take your time to figure out what works best for you. What works for person A might not work for you and that’s alright. Our brains all work differently and embrace that, don’t try to do something that might not work for you. This is where research helps. Research tools and test them out to see which one suits your personality.

Write down your goals the night before

If you want to be productive at home you need to write down your goals the night before. This makes it easier to jump in and start working on your goals. Unfortunately, many of us don’t do this and the problem is that often it leads us to not doing what we planned on doing in the first place.

The day runs away from us and we forget all the things we needed to do. It is so much easier knowing what you need to do at work because you already know if you don’t do something you can lose your job. At home, we have no one telling us what we should do and that is why we are less productive at home.

There’s no urgency and it is scientific that human beings respond better to urgency. This is why when you write something down it sends signals to your brain telling you that you need to complete the tasks because they are important. When you are first doing this start with three tasks. It is important you get everything done that you list down. If you add too many things you won’t complete it in time.

You set the precedent so that is why you need build this skill up by starting small. Complete those three tasks and you will shocked by the amount of progress you make. And if you finish the tasks you can start something else or learn something.

Write down your goals the night before

If you want to be productive at home you need to write down your goals the night before. This makes it easier to jump in and start working on your goals. Unfortunately, many of us don’t do this and the problem is that often it leads us to not doing what we planned on doing in the first place.

The day runs away from us and we forget all the things we needed to do. It is so much easier knowing what you need to do at work because you already know if you don’t do something you can lose your job. At home, we have no one telling us what we should do and that is why we are less productive at home.

There’s no urgency and it is scientific that human beings respond better to urgency. This is why when you write something down it sends signals to your brain telling you that you need to complete the tasks because they are important. When you are first doing this start with three tasks. You must get everything done that you list down. If you add too many things you won’t complete it in time.

You set the precedent so that is why you need to build this skill up by starting small. Complete those three tasks and you will be shocked by the amount of progress you make. And if you finish the tasks you can start something else or learn something.

Strengthen your mindset

If you want to be productive at home then you need to strengthen your mindset. What I mean by this is that it will take time to get a handle on things. It will take time to change course because when you are doing something that isn’t part of your routine it is hard. For example, if you decided that you needed to eat more protein in the morning instead of cereal it doesn’t happen overnight.

It takes time to put everything into practice. This is the same thing. You need your mindset to change so that you can take on the day. What I mean by this is becoming productive at home is a way of life. Your habits need to change and that is a hard thing to do. You need to mentally prepare for everything and take charge.

In the beginning, it won’t be easy but if you believe you can do it then you will. If you don’t believe you can change your mindset then you won’t. This is why it is important to feed your mind things that strengthen it from podcasts to reading self-help books and watching interviews about successful people.

I know it is hard to do this when fear is outside knocking our doors, but don’t allow fear to push you aside. Don’t let fear stomp on you until you surrender to it. Everything before the quarantine was uncertain and yes, this is far worse than what has happened in recent times, but you survived that you must believe you will survive this.

I want you to believe that you were created for a reason and keep reminding yourself of that. Keep feeding your mind positive information and this will help strengthen your mindset. This is one of the best ways to be productive at home. It all starts with how your mindset views the world. If it is based on negative notions then it will be difficult moving forward.

Also Related: Is A Success Mindset Still Key to Success?

Set boundaries

You are doing great. I need you to know that, but so that you don’t burn out or get distracted set healthy boundaries. Tell the people at home how many hours you will be working for and at what time. You must also keep a note of the time, don’t extend yourself. Sure, you can say you will work for five hours straight, but we all human. It is okay to take breaks.

Even successful people don’t work for five hours straight. They take breaks in between so that they don’t burn out. Don’t burn out because that won’t help anyone if you fizzle out trying to be superhuman. Be gentle on yourself. Love yourself. One way you can do that is by not pushing yourself to the point where you start seeing double. Even if doesn’t get that bad, take breaks after every two hours.

Even if they are twenty-minute breaks that can still help you relax your mind. We all need to get better at setting healthy boundaries and the reason why many of us don’t is that we believe we don’t need to. When you first started your job you had to set boundaries in the way you dealt with your co-workers and everyone else. The difference here is you are doing it at home.

If you don’t set healthy boundaries then you won’t be productive at home and this isn’t what you want. You want to be productive at home so you can achieve more in your free time and the way you do that is by knowing your limits.

What strategies do you think will help you be productive at home? Comment below

KEEP PUSHING

VANESSA

5 Proven Ways to Get Up Once You’re Down And Out

by vanessa | Mar 4, 2020 | motivation, personal development

5 proven ways to get up once you’re down and out

Getting up once you’re down is not the easiest things to do and that’s why these proven ways will help you out.

Confidence is one those elusive qualities we strive our whole lives to get only to be down the rabbit once again. We curse at how we there, on top of a mountain staring down at all those who are below. It’s almost as if life has pushed us far too many times to push back. We’re beaten past recognition and when it’s night the silence fills the void in a way we never anticipated.

So, if that’s the case then why do we try our very best to get a hold of it. Why is confidence the one quality we have to have to get out of bed in the morning or to smile at that woman who always sneers at us. What’s the point of all it, because there’s to be something we’re missing right. Someone who has an answer to the importance of confidence.

Most people won’t ever tell you that to make it in life you have to have confidence. To get out of the house you need confidence. To smile even when you don’t want to you need confidence. Life is brutal, let me repeat it is brutal. The kind of brutality action movies have gotten right, sure no one is beating you to pulp. At least not physically, but that doesn’t mean that you’re still not pushed down time again.

Here is the reality life is about surviving, about being strong despite the stronger. And at the end of the day you have to be have enough self-confidence to not be beaten down. If you don’t, you’ll come up with some illness so you can survive the day. Or a reason or excuse not to do something. I’m camera shy. That’s my excuse for not taking pictures.

The truth is I don’t believe enough in myself to appear on photos. We all have insecurities, but they become a problem when we let them. It pushes us to the ground, we eat dirt so we can hide from the world. The world has enough problems that it doesn’t really think twice about our insecurities. Sometimes our problems are manufactured and we believe because that gives us assurances.

Unfortunately, here comes the real issue when we allow this to build up we never go anywhere in life. We will constantly hide so we protect ourselves from the world and maybe ourselves. And the most important thing that we forget is how far we have come.

Past Successes

When I was in fifth grade to make all the kids feel welcome, we were all give certificates. Many of my classmates were given certificates of excellence in sports, academics and art. My parents were shocked because ten-year-old kids often don’t need certificates. I guess that’s a millennial problem. I digress, I got a certificate for being energetic. I remember how that moment made me feel despondent. Everyone got something of value and I did get that.

At ten I felt like a failure. I know ridiculous, but that moment I wanted to prove everyone wrong. The next year I trained for sports, tried my best to win an award and I got a certificate for track. It was an accomplishment. It was a moment I still remember, my friends cheering me on. My confidence was lifted, the next year I struggled getting into a good high school. It was almost as if the whole world was conspiring against me and I was angry. My confidence wavered for many years. It took time to get over many of insecurities, to rise up and gain confidence in myself.

Once you start doubting, it’s a never end cycle. When that happens, it’s easier to sink into quicksand and not get up. Your past failures don’t determine who you are. When you focus on your past success stories, it will be a lot easier to get up and keep going at it.

Past Failures Don’t Define You

How many times do we think more about our failures than successes? That has been the story of my life for a long time. Dwelling on where I went wrong rather than what I did right. Here’s an interesting truth, when you forget about your failures there’s always someone around the corner to remind you. No one remembers your audacity, your persistence or tenacity. Nor they focus on the negativity.

Unless you refuse to listen to the naysayers you will always live a life less than. You’ll always be too terrified to do anything. And too unsure of yourself to risk something. And that will always be the predominant voice. The one that tells you that you’re worthless, pitiful and not worth a single breath of air. As a kid that was the voice I listened to more, the one that said I couldn’t do anything and I always wrestled with the voice.

I would do things that scared me, but until I believed I could achieve it that’s when my confidence grew. Confidence is like a flower, the more water it gets, the more it grows. No water and it wilts away. Flowers should be protected at all times because with it, the world is normalized.

Failures are there to teach you a lesson. Often we’re too blinded by our pain to realize what the lesson is. I used to have stage fright and every time I got onto the stage my knees shook. No trick in the book worked, I was laughed off stage. Cried after it, but I made a promise I would conquer it. I’ve done almost every act on stage. I was in debate club and we had to do it on stage. I sang on stage, did public speaking. After two years of doing that, I conquered stage fright. Was it easy? Nothing in life is easy and that’s what failure teaches us.

Past failures will never ever define you. They’re as an obstacle, a roadblock and a minor annoyance. That’s it and until you realize this past failures will always define you. Your past failures don’t define you and once you understand this you will be able to get up and focus on the now. You will be able to move forward with your life.

Your Strengths

We live in a society that loves pointing out weaknesses. Often it’s with a snicker or a gleeful look. That oh you do this and that. Sometimes it’s constructive criticism, but most times it’s destructive. It depends on who the person is, are they saying it to build you up or tear you down.

At the end of the day, you are your biggest supporter and if you don’t remind yourself of what you can do no one will. I had to take a year off school because my parents couldn’t find money to send me to school. For one year, I had to watch as people moved forward with their lives. Many graduated from university, others got great jobs and I was at home. I was so despondent, depressed that the thought of getting a job in the meantime never crossed my mind.

In that year I lost myself, who I was and what I wanted to become. I kept thinking of my weaknesses and it’s recent that I have started to think more about my strengths. Life is unpredictable, to remain steady you need to remind yourself of who you are. Keep thinking about your strengths. When you do this, you’ll conquer every obstacle you face. When you use focus on your strengths this will help you to get up and keep moving forward.

Gratitude

This one will sting a bit. We’re so lost in our own world that we never think of what we have or how far we have come. There are people in the world who have more troubled lives. Literally a life were they’re not sure when the next meal will be. It feels good to wallow in self pity, to be down and that’s why a lot of people do it.

When you do that it’s almost as if you’re patting yourself on the back for a job well done. You have opportunities that a lot of people wish for. Taking that for granted is a slap in the face to your parents, God and the people in your life.

We all do it, I do it. That’s why it’s important to remind ourselves of what we have and not we don’t have. You might not have a six figure job, but you have people who love you. You might not have a BMW or Mercedes, but you do have a car. Even if you don’t have a car, you have legs.

I’m not trying to make you feel terrible, but there’s always going to be something we don’t have. When you’re grateful, life gets a whole lot brighter.

Also Related: 5 Habits That Will Change You For The Better

The People You Have in your corner

This is one of the most important things to remember. I’m not going to say anything corny or cheesy, but it’s important to remember you’re never alone. That you have people who will help you if only you ask. And at times we forget this or we are too proud to ask for help.

We believe it makes us look weak or scared. But isn’t that the reality, we’re terrified of something, be it hairy eight-legged creatures that make you jump or drowning in the ocean. We all go through problems. Sometimes in order to rise up your loved ones need to lift you up. Doing life alone is not only lonely, but petrifying.

What steps do you take in order to get your confidence back? Let me known in the comments section.

KEEP P USHING

VANESSA