2020 has been the year of "WTF?!" I have personally faced some of the hardest moments in my life this year and I think a lot of you can relate. Most of us were impacted by this pandemic, whether we lost our job, became isolated, lost human interaction, some of us felt alone, and others lost someone they love. It can be hard to stay motivated during a time of uncertainty because of the emotional toll it takes on our mental health.
With all of this madness going on, I resorted to do things that made me feel good in the immediate moment, which would lead to me feeling guilty about my decisions and in turn made me feel even more unhappy because I felt unproductive and useless. Sure, there were reasons for me to want to seek immediate happiness, and I give myself grace for those moments. Ultimately we all have to realize this may be our new normal and we have to move on in this new life.
I am finally ready to quit complaining, whining, self-pitying and I am ready to make shit happen! If you are feeling the same way, will you go on this journey with me? ¡Girl, Vámonos!
How to get motivated, when you just aren't feeling it:
1) Show Up: Sometimes I will procrastinate doing something, I will put it off forever because for some reason it seems tedious or scary or I may not like the outcome. For whatever reason, I procrastinate doing something but once I do it I realize it wasn’t that bad. If you're a "normal" human being you will avoid pain/discomfort and seek pleasure. What you don't realize is that you are putting yourself in more mental anguish by putting stuff off! Seriously the stress of not doing something and having it plague your mind with anxiety is always much worse then the actual act of doing it! So instead of dreading it, just try to show up! Whether it’s putting your workout clothes on, going outside, start walking and once you are ready start jogging. Or just get in front of your computer, go on LinkedIn (since it’s like social media lol) and start applying for jobs. Or if you have to have an important conversation, the more you put it off the more unhappy you will be. Once you get started doing that thing you’re dreading you will realize it wasn’t that bad and you will feel better right away and that anxiety about doing it will go away.
If you take anything away from this post is that you just need to get started and putting it off will make you feel worse!
2) Bribe yourself: Okay, maybe this is not the healthiest habit lol but it will give you a reason to get annoying shit done. If you need to bribe yourself with a glass of wine to get tedious work done, do it. Reward yourself with whatever you want like pizza, a night out, binging your fave show, but ONLY IF you get that dreaded thing done.
I personally hate washing dishes, so when I have a million dishes to wash, I will listen to my fave podcast and all of a sudden washing dishes becomes a fun task!
3) Manage your time with a schedule: How many times do you tell yourself you don't have time for something? I do it ALLLLLL the time! Whether it's not making time for healthy eating, going to the gym, reading, making family time, or following our passions. This thought of not having enough time is most likely NOT true. (Okay maybe there are some exceptions if you have two jobs and kids, etc. But even if you are the exception just try this exercise anyway.)
I think we can all benefit from doing an exercise of creating a schedule or at least analyzing our time spent. Pull out a piece of paper and write out the time in your day (For ex. 8am- 9am: wake up, eat breakfast, 9am-5pm: work, etc.,) Are there areas in your life where you can be more productive? Can you do your work faster and finish early? Can you take a lunch break and work out or read? Do this exercise and see where you can better improve your time management and make time for those important things you're putting off.
P.S. the average person in the U.S. will spend 3 hours and 49 mins a day on their phones. If you stay off your phone and social media you will have so much more time in your day for the things that are actually important to you!
4) Practice gratitude: Take a moment to appreciate how far you’ve come! Appreciate the bad ass that you are!! The fact that you’re reading this tells me you’re a smart person, who can read and is looking at self improvement information. Some days when all I want to do is wallow in self-pity about not being where I want to be in life, my boyfriend reminds me of how far I’ve come in life, how much I have grown and improved in the last few years. So I'm here to be that loving boyfriend to you and remind you how bad ass you are. Think of all the obstacles that life put in front of you and you've overcome. You are a mujer chingona and don't forget that!
Progress is compounding and everyday whether you think it's impactful or not, everything positive you do is getting you closer to where you want to be in life. Don't compare yourself to where you want to be, compare yourself to where you were last year.
& please stop comparing yourself to other people. Literally everyone has problems, even the rich and famous are unhappy af. Stop envying other peoples lives which you really know nothing about and practice a little gratitude for your own fortunes.
5) Change what you're doing: Analyze why you are dreading what you’re doing. Is there a different way to get it done? For example, you hate going to the gym, why not get exercise a different way like dancing or yoga? If there’s an alternative try that instead!
If all else fails, maybe you need to get yourself out of that situation. If you hate your job or your boyfriend lol, change it! You should not have to live life in a situation that’s not making you happy! Life is fluid and ever changing, it is not stagnant, and it does not have to suck forever, if you don't want it to! Changing your situation and getting yourself out of shitty jobs or relationships will change your perspective will get you closer to living the life you've always wanted.
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I am on this journey with you and for me Girl, Vámonos is something that I want to stay motivated to grow and share with you.
Let me know in the comments if there is anything you are looking forward to do with all your newly found motivation!
Andrea
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