Motivation in Winter

You wake up and it’s dark… start work when it’s dark, you finish when it’s dark, you go to bed when it’s dark.

It’s difficult to find any sort of motivation for your day when you’re always cold and tired and in the dark. It makes me want to curl up on the sofa with the dog, a hot chocolate, a blanket and watch friends for the 7000th time.

Cold, Frosty mornings are here

I’m not one to preach about motivation, I’m the worst when it comes to getting up in the morning. BUT every time I get stuck in a rut of not being ‘in the mood’ to work, I do the same things to force me back to my desk.

Although it might be miserable, there’s some gorgeous views to be seen

I always start with making a to-do list the night before, so when I get up I know exactly what I need to do. If it’s a massive list then I know that when I naturally wake up at 7, I know I need to get up and get on with it, BUT if it’s only a short to do list that day, I let myself spend half an hour reading and wake up gently.

Even when you work at home, getting dressed is ALWAYS a good idea, otherwise you will just end up feeling sleepy all day. Sometimes, it’s even beneficial if you sit at your desk with shoes on. It sounds extreme, but it means that you don’t feel quite so relaxed.

Cold, Dark nights are here before 4PM. This is my current set up!

Have everything that you need laid out on your desk before you start working. This is where your to do list comes in handy; you know exactly what you need to do that day and what you need to do it. You could even be extra organised and write what you need to complete that task, or get it all out the night before so you don’t need to do it in the morning.

Set timers! If you have a job to do that shouldn’t take any longer than half an hour, set a timer for half hour. Power through your job as soon quick, but as effectively as you can, means that you can get through your jobs that day, letting you finish your working day earlier than normal.