YouTube Videos

There are basically two instances where I use YouTube videos to motivate myself:

• when I need to do personal laptop work (like writing this blog post)
• when I need to clean

If I’m doing work on my laptop, I like to watch a “Study With Me” video or some kind of scenic ambiance — like the ones where there’s a nice cabin in the forest and you can hear birds chirping, rain, or jazz in the background. It really just depends on my mood.

If I haven’t done any focused work in a while, or if it’s something I really don’t want to do, I usually start with a “Study With Me” video or a video where someone is taking the action that I need to do, but don’t want to do. I find it so motivating to watch someone getting the thing done that I’m trying to do. It puts me in the “if they can do it, so can I” mindset. All I have to do is get started (more on this further down)

Check out my Study With Me playlist on YouTube below!

Planner

how much can you get done?

I personally feel that the key to using a planner is getting a sense of how much you can realistically get done in a day. And not just “how much you can get done”, but how much you can get done while feeling balanced, not overwhelmed, and actually wanting to return to your to-do list the next day. I’ve personally found this to be especially helpful if the amount of things on my to-do list feels insurmountable.

what answering “how much can you get done” looks like for me

Those 2 things are stretching and taking my vitamins. I won’t get into my love of having stretching as a part of my routine too much here, maybe I’ll write another blog post about this. But regardless, even though these two things are small they’re important to me to be consistent with. So including them in my planner helps me ensure they don’t quietly get pushed aside and suddenly turn into things I haven’t done in months.

After stretching and supplements are added to the list, I typically only have capacity for two other things. Sometimes, those are things that move me closer to my personal goals, like working on my blog or exercising. But other times, they’re things I simply have to do and definitely do not want to do. Like grocery shopping, returns, laundry, cleaning, etc. (I’m getting stressed just writing this out. Note to self: write a post on the woes of adulting) Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that while I would love for my planner to only be filled with things that help me move towards my goals, its not realistic, or helpful to myself, to do so. I like to visually see what’s going to take up my time so that I can weigh if I actually have time and energy to accomplish other things.

planner characteristics

Lastly, there are a few planner traits that I find to be pretty helpful.

• I like when a planner is spiral bound so that today’s to-do list is face up for me. Always. I don’t need to take an extra step or remember to open it. I glance at it and it’s there in my face.
• I also love planners that have a month > week> day> hierarchy. It allows me to brain dump everything I want to get done for the month, select the most pivotal items for the week, and further downselect it to my day.

I can kind of already feel that some may be thinking this is way too much. I can totally see that. Again, I’m just sharing what works for me. Don’t feel pressured or overwhelmed to utilize any of these things. I genuinely enjoy planning, writing things down pen to paper, and just seeing how my small changes over time add up.

What happens if I don’t get this done?

Sometimes, thinking about my goals and dreams — and what happens if I don’t take action towards them — helps to inspire me. Going back to the YouTube thing, seeing others living their dreams because they weren’t afraid to try, or because they continued to try after failure, is inspiring.

If I don’t start somewhere, or even just start at all, I’ll never reach my goal. The least that I can do is try. Some days I won’t feel like trying or putting in effort. But its more so about not letting those days become the norm.

Just Start

This is the hardest one. Sometimes, I feel like there are no tips and tricks. I just have to start. I really don’t want to do the thing, but I’m the only one who can do the thing, and the task just feels absolutely daunting.

• Sometimes I find that once I start, I feel a little more motivated to get the task done. The task doesn’t feel as overwhelming anymore. Once I’ve started, I sometimes find that since I’ve already put some time in, I want to continue it.
• Sometimes I have to set a timer for 10 minutes, and that’s all I do for the day.
• Sometimes, I don’t schedule any plans for the weekend so that I can do the task on my time. Having the flexibility and freedom to do the task any time I want can feel supportive. Whereas having plans can make me feel overwhelmed and restricted. It’s likeokay, I have to get this thing done between 2pm and 4pm, because I have plans in the evening and need to get my chores done in the morning so I don’t live in filth. However, there are other times where having time restrictions to get things done is a motivator. It just depends how I’m feeling and what phase of life I’m in.