The Secret to Staying Motivated in a Busy Life

I'm always on the move, constantly creating something. Creating makes me feel free. My daily responsibilities are so varied and demanding that keeping up with all of them isn't easy at all. I have a busy work schedule, motherhood responsibilities, household duties, cooking three meals a day as we work full-time from home, and time set aside for personal development. Then there's exercise, walking, and before I know it, the day is over. You might wonder how I manage to fit everything in and handle my time management. Those topics are for another article, though. In this one, I’ll share one of my key motivation tricks to keep up with this busy pace.

There are many methods to get things done. In my previous articles, I’ve mentioned a few. I talked about how many of the tasks we dread can actually be completed in under 20 minutes , and how if you don’t start, you’ll never finish. These perspectives help to get you going to a certain point. In fact, according to my own stats, I manage to stick to my plans for about three weeks on average, but then something happens, and I find myself abandoning everything due to a sudden lack of motivation. I’ve made so many plans and then dropped them that I can confidently say I’m a professor on the subject! :)

As someone who's spent years making plans and schedules, I've realised one big mistake I made every time I gave up. When I neglected to make time for fun, I quickly lost my motivation. Yes, you heard that right – your schedule needs to include a "fun" item. You need to have a dedicated time for fun in your day. I know it sounds good!

This realisation came to me quite naturally. Sometimes, we spend hours or days preparing for an exam or job interview, giving up everything we enjoy. Then, after completing the task, there's that moment of happiness and satisfaction, when we can finally do all the things we postponed for fun. I call this "earned fun." Once I discovered the joy of this feeling, I became hooked. I had found my own personal trick. Now, I had a reason to get my daily tasks done, both big and small. I was on the hunt for my daily dose of earned fun.

What is this earned fun?

Simply put, it's whatever brings you joy. Watching a show, playing a game, reading a book, dancing, hanging out with friends, or just doing nothing. I don’t watch many series, but when I finish my tasks and set the scene to watch my one show, it feels extra special. Sometimes, I finish all my work, make myself a cup of tea, grab some sunflower seeds, and just watch funny videos. I throw my own little party.

This approach has had two major positive effects on me. First, it gives me the motivation I need to finish my tasks. Knowing that I'll throw myself a little party after finishing two more tasks gets me moving. Second, as I mentioned earlier, the enjoyment of "earned" fun is so much sweeter.

Any plan made without including time for fun eventually falls apart. To be realistic, we need to reward ourselves. If you're skipping this part when planning, your plan will likely collapse at some point. Unfortunately, feelings of inadequacy and failure come as part of the package. I'll wrap up this week’s article by reminding you that we’re not robots, and it’s essential to treat ourselves to little rewards from time to time.