Has your year gotten off to a good start? I’m feeling pretty optimistic but one thing I’ve had to navigate a lot recently is how to get and stay motivated after a minor setback. There’s been a lot of times something comes up to derail my plans for the week (usually plans of productivity!), or I find it hard to knock everything off my to-do because of something like not taking care of myself physically, grinding my plans to a halt.
After dealing with setbacks or plan changes in just about every creative project I’ve ever worked on, I wanted to tell you what works for me as far as getting motivated again!
Be gentle but honest with yourself – I have a habit of trying to protect myself after setbacks, where I allow myself excuses to not start a project or goal again for far too long. Depending on your situation, you should be kind to yourself but also realize that you ARE capable of starting up again! A quick note of positive self-talk usually does the trick.
Dive into your favorite aspect of your work – Any time you’re experiencing a lull in motivation, it’s good to remind yourself of your “why”, by diving right into that aspect of your work. Like I said in our top myths about blogging post, there’s a lot of not-so-thrilling moving parts that go into creating and building a great blog or website. When I need a boost, I take a break from all that and focus on brainstorms, drafting posts, and photography… My favorite parts of blogging!
Change a habit or switch up a routine – Since my current setback has to do with my work habits (the last few weeks I’ve been awful at taking my own advice), the biggest help is working on them so I don’t repeat my mistakes again. Not all hurdles involve something you can simply change in your life to prevent of course, but there are so many ways that refreshing your routine can lead to renewed motivation. A couple things I’ve done lately are: planning more meet ups with other creative people (it’s funny how you can feel so unmotivated, then talk to someone and suddenly feel ready to take on the day!), making more time to write by hand so I’m not on the computer too much, and working at my desk rather than spaces that aren’t comfortable/good for my posture, health etc.
Probably my first under-500 word post ever! Are you feeling motivated in your blogging/creative projects right now?
Natalie says
Being gentle but honest with yourself is such a great advice, you shouldn’t be too harsh but you shouldn’t avoid whatever went wrong
– Natalie
http://www.workovereasy.com