5 Tools to Stay Motivated

The funny thing is, I sat here staring at the computer screen for longer than I'm willing to admit. Sometimes puking up all my thoughts at once is the only way to get any out, so here goes! After having a baby and going straight back to work, I felt like I didn't even have time to find motivation. I was just running from here to there and hoping I was getting everything done fast enough! Once the school year ended and I was home with Cohen more, I hit a serious lull in my motivation. Getting out of bed was such a pain. Getting dressed for the day was a chore. Sometimes I found it fun to get done up and go explore the new city we were in for the summer, but having a little one to keep happy during that began to overwhelm me. I don't think I ever had post-partum depression, but I had post-partum something, I just couldn't figure it out. I'll talk more about my mental health journey before and after baby some other day, but it's important to figure out where you are when it comes to being motivated and how you feel about that. If you are content to sit on the couch longer one day than the day before, that's fine! I find strength in being self aware and knowing how to get myself going when I'm feeling a little bluer than normal. These 5 things work for me, but I can guarantee they won't all work for you. I'm curious to hear what helps you stay motivated, so let me know!

1. Seeing progress. I like being able to notice a change in myself. Set a goal to do one difficult thing today. Maybe you're just going to tell yourself to do something simple like take the trash out because you avoided it all day yesterday. That way, when you get that done and realize how easy it was, the train of motivation will just keep on chuggin!

2. Give yourself some credit. I've gotten in the habit of saying to myself, "This is so hard, but I'm doing it!" When my little one is screaming for no reason, punching me in the boob, and ripping my baby hairs out all at the same time, it's difficult to stay calm and rational. Once the tantrum is over I like to sit back and be impressed with how awesomely I just handled a nightmare-ish situation. Pat yourself on the freakin back. You are the only person who knows how much crap you put up with, so don't minimize it. Be proud of yourself!

3. Herbal Tea. You read right. This one is specific for getting me up out of bed in the morning. My house gets nice and dry in the fall/winter months when the heat is running more often and I tend to wake up with a super dry throat and mouth. Knowing that I can quickly heat up some water for a yummy herbal tea in the morning is very helpful when all I want to do is stay in bed all day. Especially when little boy is head butting me while still half asleep. Add some honey and we're in business! Maybe, for you, it's heating up some bacon in the micro real quick or eating your favorite sugary cereal.

4. Root Beer Float. This one is obviously customizable, too. Whatever is a treat for you works. We had some friends over a few weeks back for rootbeer floats and they mentioned they are trying to eat healthy, so we changed the soda and ice cream out for homemade jam on whole wheat toast and bananas topped with peanut butter. Yum! Knowing that if I can get through a particularly rough day I can reward myself with a yummy treat is super helpful.

5. Spread the love. Another thing I've started to do everyday to help me feel motivated is listening to a talk from General Conference every morning and choosing a quote or short section to share with my friends on Facebook. Not only do I like feeling uplifted at the beginning of my day, but I've also enjoyed seeing my friends' reactions to what I've posted. Along with this, making people laugh and serving others helps me feel motivated to continue to be kind and happy. Our neighbor across the street takes care of her elderly husband and doesn't get to leave her house much, so when I take my baby for a walk we often stop by to say hello and hopefully brighten her day. My baby is another source of joy. Working to find ways to make him giggle are one of the happiest things I've ever experienced. Next time you see a baby, get them to laugh and you'll understand what I mean. 

What helps you stay motivated? Mine are pretty specific to my life, but I think they can be applied in most circumstances. Let me know what you think and share your thoughts on what motivates you!