Getting started sometimes can be overwhelming. Finding motivation is often the hardest part of working towards a goal. Even as I start this blog, I find myself looking at the screen as I try getting my thoughts together. Since writing is not easy for me, I often have to take smaller steps to get things rolling. 

One of the everyday struggles I hear in my work with clients is a lack of motivation.

I know this challenge well because I’ve had plenty of times I shared a similar battle. One of the things I have found that worked is by starting small and making things just 1% better.

An example from earlier this year – during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself struggling with motivation while getting adjusted to sheltering in place. I began to notice a change in my mood, and I was having trouble getting motivated. Around the same time, I also realized that I had been staying in sweatpants all day and stopped getting exercise. So before 9 am, I started putting on active clothes and started going for a walk each morning.

Just this simple change had a ripple effect that led to feeling better and more motivated to do other tasks. 

If you find yourself in a similar situation or you notice that your motivation is low, start where you can start. For more on this idea, take a few minutes to listen, as Dr. Peterson explains how just organizing your room can improve motivation and your mental state.

Once you start fixing daily tasks, you can move to the more complex as you set yourself up to be successful in building motivation. If cleaning your room is too overwhelming, then perhaps you can start by making your phone less of a distraction.  

Check out part 2, when we’ll dive into more resources on getting organized!

Written by: Dustin Ellis