Y’all seem to really be loving my motivational posts (like this one and this one) so I want to keep that train rolling. Plus it’s the start of the year, so who doesn’t love a good motivational post? The truth is, I actually really like writing posts on this topic because they’re helpful for me, too. Sometimes I need my own advice, know what I mean?

I think the tips I came up with today can be applied to just about anything, so no matter what you’re needing motivation for, they should help! I also didn’t want to get crazy specific because I feel like I could write a blog post on each tip individually. Hopefully you feel like each one is actionable, but not overwhelming.

Anyway, even if that new year motivation is still going strong for you, bookmark this post for when y’all need it!

Think about your goals

Whenever I’m really struggling to just do something – ANYTHING – to get a project moving, I like to back up and think big picture. Because if I’m struggling to find the motivation to do something, it’s usually for one of two reasons. One, I’m just distracted by other things and/or feeling lazy in that moment. Or second, whatever it is I’m trying to get done doesn’t actually ALIGN with my goals.

If it’s the latter, I’ll ask myself how I wound up doing whatever it is to begin with and why I needed to do it. Obviously if it’s a project for work and I’m committed, I’ll get it done, but I think it’s very important to note if you’re spending time and energy on things that you really just don’t care about (especially if they’re not aligned with your goals or priorities).

Look for inspiration

I freaking love a good self-help book and tend to write about motivation a lot on BTD, so I wanted to share some of my forms of finding it when it’s not coming naturally (WHICH HAPPENS OFTEN). If you’re lacking what you need to finish something (or even get started), seek it out in others! Bookmark this post for when you need an extra push or hop on Pinterest and read all the motivational quotes or even save them as your computer/phone background – my faves are right here! Read or listen to a podcast. Make an inspiration board! Meet up with someone who always inspires you or ask someone to grab coffee if you find them motivating. Go to a conference. Watch TED Talks on YouTube. There’s no shame in needing to lean on others for a little motivational inspo and I think it’s smart doing something like this daily.

Celebrate when you’re finished

I’m not saying you should go to Fiji every time you finish a project or reach a goal, but maybe pour yourself a glass of wine or turn off the computer and go for a walk? Or TACOS. Sometimes to feel motivated we need to know there’s a reward waiting for us at the end and that’s OK! Just make sure your celebration slash reward is in proportion to whatever task you completed.

Put perfection aside

Ugh, this is one I struggle with ALL THE TIME. If you’ve been around here for a while then you probably know I’m a Type A perfectionist. Working on giving up on the idea that everything has to be perfect has helped me tons in terms of getting more things done. It’s a struggle some days but helps me move through simple tasks much faster. If you’re on the struggle bus with this, check out the tips in this post.

Think about how you’ll feel once you do whatever you’re putting off

Whenever something is lingering, whether it’s a workout, a work project or cleaning my house UGH, I hate the feeling of overwhelm that starts to creep in. It’s like my brain knows I’m putting something off and am in dire need of motivation. When this happens, I try to regroup and instead focus on what I’ll feel like once I’m done. One word usually comes to mind – RELIEVED. And that is 10x better than stress.

Break big to-do’s into smaller ones

Do you ever lump several small tasks into one big one and then put it off all day because it just feels like too much? Same. Like instead of putting “Pay Taxes” on your calendar and then moving it from day to day because you just can’t, break it up into more manageable tasks. Start with getting all your documents in order, then maybe later that day go through the first 6 months of the year. Do another small task the next day and so on.

Tell yourself you’ll only work for 10 minutes

This is a trick I play on myself all the time. Nine times out of ten it works like a charm. This really works well for working out, too! For some reason, things can start to feel scary if I have to commit for more than 10 minutes, so that’s kinda my “safe zone”. Usually once I’m a few minutes in, I forget about time completely and zip right through whatever I’m working on.

I could probably keep going with these tips, but less can be more when it comes to this stuff if you ask me (trying to avoid the overwhelm). I’d love to hear what y’all do to get slash stay motivated, so let me know in the comments!