Motivation

Have you ever felt like you just can’t get motivated? Maybe you’ve had a bout of depression. Maybe you’ve recently experienced an emotional hardship. Maybe you’ve just been really stressed out with everyday life occurrences. Sometimes we feel that we just have too much on our plate. In today’s society, we are constantly on the move. We have many commitments, ranging from our families to our jobs and our personal lives. Sometimes this is too much and we cannot keep ourselves on track. The depression hits and we have to find a way out of it. We are the only ones that can get ourselves back on track. For some people, this can be very difficult.

It took me a long time to wake up. I was floating through life day after day, wishing for the end of the day and then the weekend, just so I could relax. When the weekend came, I stopped everything and did just that. Well, that became a problem. The laundry wasn’t getting done, the house was a mess, birthday cards weren’t being sent. I felt that I had worked hard enough during the week that I deserved a break. In all actuality, my husband was going on overload, trying to make up for what I wasn’t doing. This became a vicious cycle that continued for far too long. I found myself making excuses for appointments and canceling dates with my friends. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I was in a state of depression that kept drawing me in like a suction cup. Then the physical signs hit. My back and neck were hurting, my legs were sore, I was getting headaches; all of which helped me make more excuses. Where am I going in life? What am I doing here? I can’t even get anything done.

One night, I had my friend Shannon over, which I naturally tried to find a way out of. Not because I didn’t like her, or like to hang out with her. No, I just wanted to be alone in my own little world sulking and watching television. Over a few glasses of wine, we started discussing how hard it was to motivate ourselves. There’s just so much going on. It’s hard to stay on track and remember everything you have to do. She took out a date book and I laughed. “You should get one of these and mark everything down in it,” she said. I laughed again. “I have tried that a million times before and now I have a stack of dusty old ones that were used only on the first day I bought them. I just can’t keep it up.” I am not an organized person, which probably makes things worse.

What I didn’t know was that I could become organized. You may laugh but I thought it was a trait that was instilled in me that I could never change. The actual problem was that I hated change. I have always had the hardest time dealing with it. Well, it was time for that to change too!

Shannon told me to make lists. Make lists of goals you want to reach, of things you need to buy and of things you need to do each day. I can tell you, it feels so great to cross things off those lists. And that’s motivation in itself.

I honestly don’t know what made me wake up that day and realize that I needed to get off my behind and start working for myself. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was just an old friend who had gone through the same thing and wanted me to see how to get back to being myself. It worked though and that is why I am writing this article right now. You don’t need to have a big awakening. You just need the want to be happy and less stressed out. Spend more time with your friends and family. I know it’s hard to get out of depression when it hits. Trust me, I’ve been there more than a few times. But, do yourself a favor. Do this for you and only you, and you’ll feel a lot better.



Tips for getting yourself motivated:

Sit in a quiet room with no distractions. Make a list of things that you want from life. Go ahead, dream big. Write them down! First, pick the one that is easiest to accomplish, no matter how easy or hard it is. What is the first thing you need to do? Go out and do it so you can cross it off. Work your way up to the goal no matter how long it takes. Then go after the next one.

Buy a date book or calendar that you can keep in your purse. Mark down everything from appointments to shows you want to watch to visiting friends. Write down the things you need to accomplish each day. Don’t forget about those goals we talked about either. The more you write, the more you will rely on it.

Be social. Have at least one meal with your family or friends everyday. Talk about your day and listen to theirs. It makes you feel better knowing what is going on in other people’s lives.

Watch the news. It may be depressing but you can also find out ways to help your community. Doing things for others always makes you feel good about yourself. It’s also good to know what is going on around you.

No avoidance. When you avoid situations or even feelings, it makes you feel worse because you didn’t confront the issue. You will never learn how to deal with things if you don’t put yourself in the line of fire.

Take time for yourself. This is important. You need to have time for yourself each week. Set aside a time that you will not answer the phone or talk to anyone. Hire a babysitter for that time if need be. Go shopping, get a massage, read a book, go for a drive, take a bath. Just relax and do what you want to do, even if it’s only for an hour.

Eat healthy and get some sleep. Eating junk food, drinking and smoking will zap your motivation. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep each night. Don’t worry if you didn’t cross everything off your list for that day. Add it on to the list for the next day and do that first.

Last, but not least, be yourself. People will love you for who you are, no matter what. If they don’t, don’t worry about it. Trying to be someone else puts added pressure and stress on your shoulders. We were all made differently for a purpose. Get on your feet and get going. There is so much out there for you, you just need to find it!