Organisation and Motivation Tips

The irony is that this post is the product of my extreme procrastination from planning my essay - wow I am so damn qualified to give out advice on organisation and motivation! So the following ramble is actually more of a reminder/kick up the arse for myself rather than advice for other people, some of it is super specific and might not work for anyone else but LET'S SEE HOW IT GOES..

1. Get dressed. 

See, I said this list was going to be ridiculous. I designate some days to staying in and just doing uni work and even though it would help me out washing-wise to stay in my pyjamas/comfy clothes I have to get into real clothes. Staying in pyjamas will mean my day starts out pretty well but slowly I become more and more sloth like and eventually I realise I've been in bed for 6 hours watching How I Met Your Mother. Just showering and getting into real trousers (you can stick with the comfy jumper) means you'll be more motivated, probably because then it already feels like you've accomplished something that day. It's harder to end up curled up in bed when you're in skinny jeans too.

2. LISTS. 

I love lists so much. People see my lists and assume I'm an incredibly organised person when in fact the opposite is true. My head is incredibly messy and disorganised and I forget everything which is why I NEED lists. And I've been doing it for so long now that I'm really good at making lists (and lists of my lists) which gives the impression of a well organised person. 

3. Schedule all your tasks. 

I have a weekly planner which is on my desk permanently so I can see the week ahead at any time. Everything and anything I need to do goes onto this planner, even silly things like when I'm going to wash my hair. I do this because if I didn't write them down I would just be sat obliviously in my room for days on end not doing anything and then I would lose my job, get kicked out of uni, lose all my friends and also forget to wash my hair. 

4. Go outside. 

If I'm inside/on my own for too long I get really sluggish and unmotivated, sometimes even just a few hours will do it. I have to really push myself to get up and go outside because I know once I've walked around for 30 seconds I'll feel so much better. It's probably the act of actually physically doing something that makes you feel mentally motivated, along with the obvious benefits of getting some good old-fashioned fresh air!

5. Do something else.

If it's academic work that you are struggling to find motivation for, I really think it helps to get a part time job. Not a really tough/skilled one, to be honest I think the crappier the better, because the crappiness of this job will really motivate you to work hard academically so you can do something you actually enjoy. I've found that I really look forward to Monday's now that I work at the weekends. Although Monday's are hard, I enjoy my degree more than I enjoy my part time job. Having a part time job also forces me to organise my uni workload more because I know I won't have Saturday and Sunday to procrastinate.

6. Encourage other people. 

There's nothing that gives you a little lift like congratulating a friend on how well they are doing, or sending them a 'you can do it' text on a tough day. Sorry guys, you all thought I was being kind but the motive was in fact to selfishly improve my own motivation.

7. Exercise. 

Kind of pissed me off to even type that. I've seen it on a thousand of these types of post and rolled my eyes, but it really does help. I don't do a lot of exercise, I do a yoga class once a week, Yoga with Adrienne videos every other day, and an ab attack class with an instructor who interrupts the class with jarringly mean but inspiring speeches. I have to do classes because if left to my own devices I would stop at the first level of tiredness which for me is 3 minutes (or one song) in. Being at a class means I am forced to get to the level of activity where the endorphins start releasing and muscles start hurting, and I'll feel invigorated when I get home.

8. Remind yourself of your goals. 

Some people like to do this by writing them down and looking at them when they need that extra bit of motivation, I like to go somewhere that reminds me of where I want to be/how I want to feel (cheesy I know). This is often central London for me, especially in the evening. The lights, the buildings, the tiny pavements overspilling with people enjoying after work drinks, it's where I want to be and where I feel most at peace and when I come home I feel refreshed and ready to work to get there.

10. Find the balance that works for you and be okay with it! 

Some people have a body clock that fits perfectly into the 9-5, other people are night owls or early risers, don't beat yourself up and try and change your schedule if you don't need to. If it's working then just go with when your body/mind is most ready to work. This tip goes for having breaks too, if it works for you to schedule in breaks as a reward (eg. when you've written 500 words) then do that. I find I do better if I don't schedule breaks, I take them when I'm at the end of my tether work-wise. 

11. Never have a nothing day.

 I read a piece of advice once that said you should never have a 'nothing day'. It said you should always try to do just one thing - write one sentence, wash one dish, do one productive thing each day. This makes me feel really good because it's such a simple and achievable aim to have that it feels like you can excel it even on the hardest of days. 

Hope these helped! Thanks to Mandy and Geeta for helping this post along

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