5 WAYS TO
STAYING
ON TRACK!

To help me push the procrastination aside and ensure that I stay on track, starts with remembering my WHY.

Why am I doing this? The answer to my WHY has to be clear in my mind, so clear that it propels me to wake up, stand up, and put in the work.

It also starts with what I do first thing upon waking up and to be quite honest, there are days when even my WHY is not crystal clear in my mind and I need to force myself to be true to my reasons.

It is easy to feel like you are not able to reach your fullest potential with all the uncertainty ( thanks to covid19) this can leave you feeling uninspired and demotivated. And, this is the enemy, the enemy of progress and ultimately, success, this is what we need to fight against.

Now, in my case, I don’t really have the luxury of harvesting procrastination and despondency. I’ve trained myself from early on, the ability to identify negative thought patterns and subdue them before they take up space in my mind.

And with 4 kids, two of which are girls in grade 4 & 6, yep (add “homeschooling” to the list) a home to manage, husband to be there for and a degree to finish, leaves me with little time to dwell on what’s not going right. So, how do I do it?

These are some of the actions that have really helped me in transforming my reluctant mindset (especially during this lockdown period) into a positive and productive machine, even if it’s at 50% capacity.

Let’s face it, it’s quite easy to get reluctant when working from home or just with everyone being at home, sharing space, and the never-ending chores that go with having everyone at home.

It’s quite easy to turn to mindless activities, distractions, decide to bake (as everyone has been doing lately) instead of investing the time and effort into your WHY!

So, let’s get to it then.

Below is what works for me, which could very well work for you too. Now, I know we are different as human beings and we all strive under different conditions, I know that, so do what works for you and that which brings you results.

1. Ditch the PJ’s – creating an environment that is conducive to what I want to achieve is very important for me. So, when I have a big day, the first thing that I do is prepare for ME. I cannot function in PJs especially when I need results, I need to look and feel the part. So, I wake up and prepare myself as if I’m going to the office/lectures, only to sit at my workspace and grind! This works for me, it keeps the energy, creativity, and engagement at optimum.

2. Schedule your day – planning is what gets me focused, especially planning in advance. I even compile a TO DO list that I’m going to tick off as I finish each task. This gives me a sense of accomplishment when I look at my list and everything planned for that day is ticked off. Now, this is were, I become too hard on myself, I would literally push myself to finish every task that’s on my list before I can move away from my work station. You certainly do not need to do this, in fact, I strongly suggest that you DON’T. Take a break, catch some fresh air, make yourself a snack, and get back to it. Pace yourself to your ability, as long as you stick to your list and don’t get distracted.

3. Avoid distractions – Here’s The Big old culprit!! DO NOT GET DISTRACTED!! even if you do for a second, because, we humans right? But, get back to your tasks, remember your WHY, and hold yourself accountable. Imagine how better you will feel baking those scones after having accomplished your goal? Magic!!

4. Make family members aware of your “time” – And ask them to respect your time. What I do is, I get the girls seated with me as I’m working on my tasks, they are also doing their school work, I find it works better than shouting and screaming at everyone to keep it down.

5. Well, done! Now, have that glass of wine, you deserve it! – Yep, Yes!!! You totally deserve it girl!! Remember, you don’t have to go hard on yourself, if you couldn’t tick every task off from your TO DO list, try again soon and I mean soon, don’t leave it hanging, hold yourself accountable and always remember your WHY!!