What provides you with a burst of motivation? I hear so many people say they cannot get going in the morning without a cup of coffee. I am not talking about that kind of motivation. What truly makes you feel like doing something amazing, catching up on that pile of laundry, or getting rid of clothes that no longer fit? What are motivational moments for you?

My Motivators

For me, several things get me motivated. The first is that I just cannot stand looking at the pile of dirty laundry (or pile of junk in the corner of the room or whatever it is) any longer. I have reached the point of intolerance. This can be a good thing. Doesn’t it feel good to accomplish a task after putting it off for a while? For instance, I have had the beginnings of a clothing donation pile on the floor of my closet for a couple of months. This past weekend I finally went through the rest of my closet and added to the pile. Taking a huge bag of things to Goodwill yesterday felt GREAT! I gave away a top and matching sweater I have had for years but not worn in the past few years. I like the pattern of the top and kept telling myself that someday it would fit again. Nope. Not going to waste the closet space any longer. Someone else can enjoy the clothes and actually wear them. This was one of my motivational moments!

Second, I need to be well-rested so that I have plenty of energy. I get bogged down if I pick too many parts of a task, trying to complete them in one sitting. Sometimes I need to break down a bigger task into smaller pieces and chip away at them one at a time.

Changing my View

Since I was a young girl I have liked moving around furniture to change the way a room looks. I remember my mom doing that after the holidays, the way the living room would look so fresh and clean. It is a great way to brighten up the winter months. Right now I cannot move things around because I have my grandson’s toys in the living room. He needs the freedom to feel at home. I can think about how I will move things at a later date and that is okay. A few things to do this time of year are cleaning those windows, washing the floors, deep cleaning the baseboards, and maybe even taking down all the curtains and washing them. I notice how dirty my windows look when the afternoon sun streams into the living room. My problem with cleaning the windows is that there is a constant dusty wind where I live so the cleaning of windows seems fruitless. I will no doubt take up this task in the next few weeks, and enjoy spot-free windows for a few days before they get dusty again.

Motivational Moments– Good or Bad?

Good motivation comes from within. Negative motivation is forced upon us by others wanting certain results. If you can determine which motivation you are feeling then you can make use of the extra energy. I find that some days I simply feel like doing more than on other days. I resent the negative motivation that comes from being told it would be nice if I did X, Y, or Z.

So, I checked off “take donations to Goodwill” and that feels really good. My next tasks are: organizing my craft closet, making some New Year’s cards, writing thank you notes, posting some items for sale on my neighborhood FB page, and vacuuming my vehicle. We shall see which thing I actually get done amidst the everyday routine of work, childcare, and home chores.

Do you have tips to share about what motivates you? Please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you!