Six steps to getting out of a motivational funk

Six steps to getting out of a motivational funk

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Sean Vosler in Productivity

Instead of refreshing your Facebook (Or using Stumbleupon) to procrastinate, next time you’re really in a motivational funk try this:

  1. Acknowledge that you are just not enjoying what you're working on, be honest with yourself... For most people putting together a sales presentation or the like is not their idea of 'fun'.
  2. Turn off all distractions, if your on the computer, close all windows except what your working on- then minimize your project for the next 15 minutes.
  3. For 5 minutes close your eyes, lean back in your chair, and try to calm your mind.  Just relax, as they say.
  4. For the next 5 minutes use your imagination to explore something you really enjoy- perhaps relive a roller-coaster ride in your mind, or sharing some drinks with friends.  Keep it positive and focus on the positive feelings you remember.
  5. For the last 5 minutes, use your imagination to look into the future.  Imagine the last line on your homework, or last slide of your presentation being completed and you moving the mouse button up to File and hitting save.  Focus for a moment on the feeling you get when you've finished, clearly its a good feeling.  Much better than having it in the back of your mind bothering you through the whole day.
  6. Now open your eyes and do your best to keep that feeling of successfully finishing in your mind, focus your thoughts on this not specifically on the task your trying to complete (most of the time its something you could probably do in your sleep anyways right?).  Try this, and you'll be surprised how much longer your attention span will last, after trying this simple technique I've spent 4 hours straight zoned out on a single project till it was completed... Not even A.D.D. medications can do that!

Not to complicated, but it works.  Fifteen minutes could save you a whole bunch of wasted time ;)

What do you think?