Am I the only one that is struggling to find motivation this year? Most of the time, I bust into the new year ready to get stuff done. This year, I am taking a little longer to get my productivity going. Maybe it is still the holiday hangover.
For me, January is usually a slower month, since most of my clients are just starting to gear up for the new year. Instead of being lazy with this time, I am trying to be productive. This can be challenging because it is so easy to snooze for an extra hour or watch just one more episode on Netflix.
Here are a few things that I have been doing to make sure my January is super productive:
I know this sounds cheesy, but write down what you want to accomplish for the year. That way you have it as a constant reminder as the months pass. While it is good to be ambitious, make sure you are including things that are manageable. For example, my goal is to do one training webinar a month. Of course, I would love to say that I am going to do 5 or 6, but that is just not realistic. If you work on creating attainable goals this month, then you can continue to achieve them all year long.
For example, my goal is to do one training webinar a month. Of course, I would love to say that I am going to do 5 or 6, but that is just not realistic.
Over the past month, I am continually reminded about how important this is. I am in transition between co-working spaces, and for a brief moment thought about just working from home permanently. No way. Getting up, getting dressed and getting out of the house makes me feel productive even when every ounce of my body just wants to go to bed. Even if it is just going to a coffee shop for one hour in the morning, it gives me a kick start to the day.
This is a big one for me. During my slower times of the year, it can be very easy to stay up later because I know I can snooze a little more in the morning. If I do this, this is a major productivity killer for me. Mornings are when I get most of my best work done. So no matter what, I am always trying to go to bed at a reasonable hour to get up and get stuff done.
As a freelancer, we all have them. Those projects that just sit on the bottom of the to-do list all year long. This is the perfect time to get them done! While these organizational things might not make you money immediately like client work, they are still important. Get them done now. Imagine how good you will feel.
Photo Credit: AnnieAnniePancake
a different kind of professional membership for pr consultants
