Last Updated on June 10, 2008 by Kate Darktea
It can be difficult to get back on track when you’ve lost momentum. This is certainly the situation I’ve found myself in at home over the last few months. However, I feel I have finally started getting there.
I think the key is in repeating tasks. By their nature these are tasks that are done on a regular basis, and I have a mix of tasks that I ‘should’ do and those I want to do. What I’ve done over the last couple of weeks is to focus on those ‘should’ tasks, because although they are chores they have a big impact on my surroundings and therefore my emotions. For instance one of these tasks is to tidy the house and I know that by having a tidy environment my brain finds it easier to focus on achieving the things I want.
The other important aspect is that because these tasks are repeated on a regular basis it is not necessary to complete them in one go, instead it is recognising that the task is started and progress has been made; “little and often” is the key phrase here. So when I was tidying the house, I started by ensuring the floor was clear and then the next time I tidied the surfaces and continued building it up each time. It meant each time I action the task I am affirming what I have already achieved, but also taking it further.
Together, this has meant that I have really started achieving things in the last week as you can see from the list of repeating tasks I completed from last Monday to Sunday. There are a variety of tasks, but each one I’ve completed has helped me gain my motivation and although I admit the house is not as tidy as it could be, it is certainly the best it has been for a while, so success!
- emptied bins around the house
- responded to blog comments x2
- tidied house x3
- read my feeds in google reader x3
- reviewed the posts I’ve starred in google reader
- tagged my photographs in Adobe Photoshop
- sorted my email x3
- typed up a journal entry x2
- tidied my study x3
- did some handwashing
- watered plants
- read email backlog from Mark Forster
- reviewed my open tabs in Firefox
- recorded a programme from the hardrive to dvd x3
- dusted the house
- written my journal x2
- cleaned my makeup brushes
- contacted someone through facebook
- reviewed my internet bookmarks
- cleaned my computer desk and keyboard
- sorted filing cabinet
- sorted handbag
- collected stats for my blog
- learnt a new keyboard shortcut
- wrote a post in my livejournal blog
- looked for post ideas by reviewing my stats
- made a post about progress made
- emailed a friend
- responded to messages in my facebook inbox and wall
- sorted the start menu on my laptop
- wrote blog post
