4 OF THE BEST WAYS TO GET YOUR MOJO BACK AFTER A BREAK
Over the past two weeks I’ve taken a break from everything. But now I’m back at work, I’ve been searching high and low for motivation. It disappeared as I got used to the Christmas chill time. And I’m not even going to mention the last time I exercised…
If there’s one thing I’ve always been known for, it’s my motivation. So when I thought about writing a post on it, I wanted to think outside the box. You could do the standard things like ‘set goals’ or ‘plan something to look forward to’. But I feel like I need a little bit more than that at this time of the year, don’t you?
So if you’re expecting some sort of magic formula that will help you smash your to-do list every day for the next 365 days, I’m sorry to disappoint. But I think the best starting point is figuring out where your motivation disappeared to in the first place.
I can definitely pinpoint the moment my motivation disappeared before the end of the year. It was the week before Christmas and I came down with a really bad cold (I actually think it was more flu-like...I didn’t move from the sofa for days!) And while my energy and appetite went away, I think my mojo did too.
I had really good plans for my last working week before the Christmas break, getting blog posts ready and wrapping up client projects. I was even planning a blog redesign, which I managed to get done, just a bit later than planned.
When I got poorly, I felt defeated that I had to take time off. I tried to work but I had no energy to do anything and the pains in my head made it very difficult. I found myself not having the energy to do anything and this made me feel guilty.
Thankfully, my clients were very understanding and sent me wishes to get myself well (note to self: I’m very lucky!) I managed to get the work done that I needed to, but apart from that, I didn’t look at my phone or laptop in over a week.
So while I was well enough to enjoy all of the Christmas festivities, I did find myself having an extra unplanned week off from work and blogging. I just about managed the odd tweet and post on Instagram, but I didn’t have the energy to do any work or anything else that I loved so much about blogging (not to mention my emails).
The to-do list that I’d planned went into the bin with all my tissues, and instead of ending the working year feeling refreshed and satisfied, I felt rundown and guilty that this situation had occurred.
It’s been a funny old couple of weeks. Despite telling myself over and over again that I just needed to accept the fact I was poorly, and start afresh with everything in the new year, I found it hard to actually do. Instead, I was obsessing over all the things I couldn’t do or hadn’t done, instead of actually take some time to rest and rejuvenate myself.
So I’m not just writing this post to tell you the story about my missing mojo, but also as a push for me to get back into the swing of things. And since you’ve listened so far, I thought I’d share a few effective, realistic ways you (and I) can try right now to regain your mojo and start 2018 in the best way possible.
#1 | JUST ACCEPT IT
See, I told you these would be things you could do right away! Sometimes, things happen and the best thing you can do is accept it and move on. Take a deep breath. Put the to-do list away. Draw a line through your planner and just count that amount of time as a write off.
One of things I’m saying no to in 2018 is worrying or obsessing over things that I can’t do anything about. So if you feel like you’ve lost your motivation because of a particular reason, or you’re just feeling a bit blue, take this as your sign to move on.
#2 | DON’T GIVE YOURSELF TOO MUCH TO DO AT FIRST
When I was planning my to-do lists for the start of the new year, at first, I piled WAY too much on my plate. I thought I had to make up for the working time I’d missed in December. But then I realised that I was just setting myself up for failure this way.
If you see a to-do list that has too many uncrossed things on it, you’ll forget everything you’ve actually accomplished. For instance, on my to-do list today is:
Meal plan for the week
Exercise plan for the week
Write blog posts
That’s it.
So write a to-do list by all means (I love them!), but be realistic when you’re putting one together and prioritise.
#3 | TALK TO A FRIEND
Ever thought you won’t be the only one feeling like this? Spending time with someone either in-person or virtually, talking about motivation or planning things for the new year will definitely bring your mojo back.
Happiness, motivation and energy are contagious. That’s why I love my mastermind group. We have a weekly chat where we share our struggles, give each other feedback and celebrate our wins. It definitely kicks me into gear and I always end the chat with a list of things I want to work on.
#4 | EMBRACE TIME OFF
Sometimes, your body is telling you things for a reason. When you’ve been working yourself too hard, or even if you just can’t find the words to write that blog post, it’s time to call it quits.
Rather than taking some time for yourself, you’ll get frustrated that time has flown by and you haven’t accomplished anything. You’ll feel like you’ve failed, even though you’re definitely not a failure. So take this time to do something for you. Binge watch a TV series, have a pamper evening, make yourself a cup of tea and start again when you’re ready.
So pick yourself up and get your mojo going again. The brand new year is waiting for you.
Are you ready?
