The Secret to Motivation

Recently a new(ish) friend said to me,

"A lot of your stress comes from your disorganisation"

and I was horrified at how accurately they had analysed me- far better than I could have- considering how short a time they'd known me. I know that I am generally a stressful person, but I never used to be a disorganised one.

So what went wrong?

I wouldn't call myself lazy. And I don't like to think that I'm not driven. But unmotivated? That sounds a bit more like it.

When I was in primary school I would come home and religiously complete my homework the day I got it. I don't think I usually even questioned it. It was just habit, and I knew it felt good to get it out of the way. Nowadays though, I am a nightmare for leaving things until the last minute. Nine year old me is disgusted.

Partly, I think this is because I have been testing my limits over the last five years of education (this came to a head last semester when I left myself 40 hours to write and research an essay. From scratch. I can confirm that this is neither clever, nor funny, and absolutely NOT worth the stress). But also somewhat because I just don't have the same motivation to get it done. There are so many more responsibilities pressing on me now than in my first decade of life, and I always seem to find a way to avoid getting things done. Thus, my stressful, disorganised existence.

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For a while I've just accepted that that's how I feel. That I'll live with it for now and eventually I'll care enough to be productive. Yet there is a way of breaking the habit- and it's been right under my nose.

I have realised that there's no point in waiting for motivation to come to you.

For me, the secret is just to start.

Start getting dressed

Start to do things outside of the house

Start planning that dreaded report

Even if you don't quite feel like it, I've found that after a while you will feel so much more ready to get things done.

For me, it's always been very easy to get caught up in a messy headspace- not getting out of my pyjamas and not trying to go anywhere. But as soon as I break that cycle by actually doing something, the idea of sitting down to be productive is a lot less painful.

In short- productivity breeds motivation and you are the key to making it happen. 

It's so unhealthy to let the dread of work feed your procrastination. I know that now. So perhaps instead of moping in my lack of motivation, I'll just get started. Hopefully in the process I'll actually regain some old good habits and organise my life... just in time for fourth year.

Vicky x