Tag: to-do lists

Taking My Own Advice

jen1Back in October, I posted about Creative Self-Care. I have to admit that I haven’t really done that myself. I’ve been in get-it-done mode.

You know how it is.

You have your list. You’re checking it twice. You’re gonna find out who’s naughty… Wait. Wrong list. And I’m not Santa.

Anyway, you have your list and you double- and triple-check to make sure you’re dong everything you want to do. Then a hiccup comes along and makes you adjust your plan, but you’re still determined to get it done.

You don’t take time for you. You get run down. You don’t feel all that great. You’re trying to do everything right, but you’re… just… so… tired.

I’m there.

There are a lot of reasons for it, not just being busy and trying to get things done, but that is part of it.

I’ve decided to lighten up on myself. I’m not going to harp on what I have or haven’t done, because that’s not the point.

I am going to rest. I am going to do things for me. That includes reading and listening to podcasts just for the fun of it. If my wrist cooperates, that means making a “dragon belly” shawl and some dragon-scale fingerless gloves. Or starting them, anyway.

It means slowing down and taking my own advice.

 

3 Things to Do When Your Motivation Is Low

Photo of reporter's notebook by grafixtek on Flickr and used here with Creative Commons license.
Photo of reporter’s notebook by grafixtek on Flickr and used here with Creative Commons license.

I’m struggling with motivation today. Its a case of so much to do and too little time to do it. I decided in order to get at least one of the things done (this blog post), I would make a short list of three things to do when your motivation is low.

Here they are:

  1. Make a list of things to do. These can be things you need to do or things you want to do. Make a list. Get that forward momentum going again to help you build your motivation. (If you’re a bullet journal-er like I am, you do this anyway.)
  2. Already make to-do lists but leave things off? It’s not wasted if you do something that’s not on your list. Add them to it and mark them as done. It’s not cheating. it can honestly help you see that you are getting things done and building your motivation back up.
  3. Take a break. You’re not Superman or Supergirl. Nor do you want to be. (Trust me. The world would expect way too much of you.) Tell yourself it’s OK to rest, to take a break. If you don’t get everything done, the world won’t end. You can start again tomorrow.

So here’s one more thing I can mark done on my to-do list. Now if someone would write a query letter for me, I’d be set.