Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get on with it.

You’ve all heard that before right?

So how do you do that? How do you just get on with it when it feels all too overwhelming and you don’t know where to start?

Right now I’m really feeling like I cannot be bothered and I feeling a little bit stressed.  I have mountains of things that need to be done and so many things I should be doing. Instead I’m whiling away the hours mindlessly with the help of the internet or attempting to complete things in random five minute chunks that never really result in anything being finished. How on earth am I going to get my butt into gear?

Plan, Plan, Plan!!!!

Whether you’re unwell, feeling down in the dumps or just can’t be bothered, (some days it might even be all three) creating a plan can help you create momentum. You won’t always feel motivated to do the things that need to be done during the day or sometimes even to do the things that you actually enjoy doing. Don’t wait for motivation to strike, it could be a long wait. Instead, take control and make a plan. Don’t think it in your head, you need to write it down and then if it’s on the plan then it gets done.

Start with writing some lists.

• A list of things that need to be done – household chores, work commitments etc.
• A list of things that you would like to do for fun – exercise, socialising etc.
• A list of things the make you feel cherished, rested and renewed - reading, watching a movie, take a bath, meditate.

Each night write down your plan for the next day.

Take a piece of paper, loose or in your journal and write tomorrow’s day and date on the top.

Choose one thing from each list and write it on your plan.

Start with one thing from each list so that your plan remains achievable and doesn’t feel overwhelming.

Either leave the plan just the way it is or if you need to then write in what time of day you would like to achieve each item on your plan. For example you might want to do item 1 in the morning and 2 & 3 in the afternoon or you might decide to do item 1 at 10am, item 2 at 1pm and item 3 at 7pm. It’s your plan so you decide how much or how little detail you need to make it work for you.

Don’t wait until the morning to see how you feel and then decide what you will do today. If you do that when you are feeling unmotivated you won’t feel like making a plan and you certainly won’t feel like putting the plan into action.

The next day - Follow the Plan.

Do the things on your plan, even if you don’t feel like it even if you don’t want to anymore. If it’s on the plan then do it.

Tick each item off your plan when it is completed.

At the end of the day when all items are ticked off, write down how you feel – you might feel satisfied that you have ticked some things off your lists, or cranky because you did things when you really didn’t feel like it, or you might wish you put something different on your plan. It’s all okay just write it all down at the bottom of your plan.

In the evening write your plan for the following day.

Look at you todays plan and see how you felt about it and decide what will go on your plan for tomorrow.

Do you think you could do more things tomorrow or are you going to do three things again tomorrow and then maybe four the day after?

Keep adding as much detail as you need as far as scheduling goes and don’t forget to always include at least one thing off your just for fun list and one thing off your list of ways to feel cherished, rested and renewed.

Do you have to do this every day for the rest of your life?  Of course not, unless you want to. Just keep doing it until you feel that you can manage without it. Then if one day you are feeling lack lustre, unmotivated and overwhelmed grab your planning tool out of your tool belt and put a plan into action.