Growing Into You

“The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting started.” –Dawson Trotman

Have you ever wanted or needed to get a task done but just didn’t have the motivation to complete it? Were you tired, lazy, or just content with doing nothing? Chances are, you most likely did nothing and regretted it the next day.

As I was sitting here thinking about writing this blog, I just could not get motivated to begin. It has been a LONG day. I got up, did four hours of homework, went to class, went to work, did two more hours of homework, and here I am. I would be very happy to just lie in bed and call it a night. If I did that though, I KNOW I would regret not posting an article tonight. I have been wanting to write an article all day long and trying to think of topics to write about to no avail. Finally, I got the idea to write about what I do to get started on a task that seems hard, endless, or just mundane.

So here is a list of tactics you can attempt when trying to get motivated to start an essential task.

1. Jump in the shower: If it has been a long day, jumping in the shower is a great way to relax and regroup. If you really want to create some energy, I recommend turning the hot water off and the cold water on for the last 30 seconds to a minute of your shower. The cold water will send a wake-up signal to your brain to get you amped and ready to go.

2. Go for a brisk walk/jog: Getting some light physical activity is a great way to get your blood pumping. Just as you would warm up for a sporting event, try warming up for your task. I think you will find this is a great way to clear your head and get motivation on your side.

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“One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.” -Bertrand Russell

In May, I plan on graduating from Indiana University with my degree. After five years of playing baseball, attending school, and working, I will finally be able to leave my academic career behind. But wait, May is only a month away and I have so much to do!

Two things I MUST get done before then, as required by my degree, include completing an internship and finishing an Independent Study Macroeconomics class. The internship is something that causes absolutely no worry in my life because it is simply showing up and helping with baseball; something that I love to do. Macroeconomics, on the other hand, is something quite different!

Because of the procrastination tactics that I have taken on in completing the task (something I will discuss in future articles), I am left to complete a 16 week class in a matter of 4 weeks! If you do the math, that is about a chapter a day. This is on top of my regular class, internship hours, work, and writing for this blog. All of this studying could leave a lot of people to be very stressed out, but to me, it’s just another thing to do on my task list because I have learned to excel under pressure.

I have a simple approach to stress that I believe can be used in ANY situation. Is your financial situation stressing you out? How about your health? Just follow the five simple steps in order to feel secure and confident you are heading in the right direction and going to fix the stressor.

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