Do you ever just feel plain unmotivated? Whether it’s dreading tackling that need-to-do project or simply just trying to figure out what you need to do that day.

I know I have! Here is a list of 5 helpful steps that will help you conquer un-motivation IF you put the following into action.

STEP 1:  Wake Up Early, DO NOT Sleep In!

Simply waking up early makes you more motivated and excited about day. Go to bed at a decent time so you are able to wake up early the next day.

I know some of you may wake up at the crack o’ dawn, so congrats to you as you are already on your way to having a productive day. 

However for some of us, we tend to stay up late pondering our lives, eating ice cream and binge watching that new tv show. (Hello Stranger Things) 

BUT… do not fear! I’m here to help you break that bad habit. Like with any bad habit, it takes time to break that cycle and change completely.

So if you have trouble waking up early, try the Gradual Method. If you are used to getting up at 8am, set your alarm for 10-15 minutes earlier for 2-4 days.

Don’t set it for 6 am off the bat, because you’ll be more likely to hit snooze and it will be harder to break the habit.

Soon you will be waking up 30-45 minutes earlier.

Once you are awake, the next hard part is actually getting out of bed. Here are some tips that I have done that really helped me get up and get going:

• Put your alarm clock (or phone) across the room or in the bathroom. This forces you to get up and walk around to turn it off.

• Jump into the shower (try cold water if you can bear it!)

• Drink a glass of water . (this is very important as you are dehydrated from sleeping all night)

• Drink a cup of coffee or tea.

• Stretch, meditate, go on a walk or quick run.

• Stay off of social media, reading emails or any work related tasks until you are at your desk. This your morning time and should not be interrupted.
• Think about something exciting that you get to do that day, think positve thoughts about the day.

These tips will help you wake up earlier + develop a healthy habit of waking up early and excited about tackling the day in front of you.

STEP 2:  List and Prioritize Your Projects

I use Google Sheets to make a list of my projects. You can even get fancy and create a color code so you know what’s important and what’s not.

• Write down all the tasks that you need to complete that day. You should break down the first step for any large task that you need to do.

• Color code or arrange each task from most important to least important.

• Tackle the most important project first at the beginning of the day. You’ll feel amazing when that big task is out of the way!
• Once you complete each task, color code or strike them through so you keep track of what you completed.

As you start marking off each task, it will make you feel more accomplished and more motivated to complete more projects.

STEP 3:  Take Breaks

Taking breaks is very important as focusing too much can drain a lot of energy and your productivity can turn unproductive very quickly.

The Pomodoro Technique is very helpful.

This is when you work on a task for 25 minutes, then take a short break of say 5 minutes. Then do another 25 minute work sesh. After you do this 4 times, take a longer break to rest.

Or grab a cup of coffee, a green smoothie or a cup of tea to rejuvenate and take a mental break.

Or if time permits, go on a quick walk or run. Running really clears my mind and makes me feel great!

STEP 4:  Manage Your Time & Distractions

It is very easy to get distracted by emails, social media, trying to be a perfectionist and thinking about your car needing an oil change.

Using the Pomodoro Technique is helpful when managing your time.

Also, a good idea is using a time tracking app such as Time Doctor.

This software tracks how much time you spend on websites and sends you a weekly report of where you spent your time.

This can be very helpful in figuring out where you are wasting the most time on.

STEP 5:  Celebrate Your Successfully Productive Day

At the end of the day, it’s important to take the time to reflect and be proud of your productive day.

Reflection helps you understand what worked and what didn’t. It also gives your brain a change to de-stress and decompress.

You could even create a reward system for yourself, to motivate you for the next day and the next and the next.