Motivation, oh, there you are!

It was kind of like playing Hide-and-Seek. I posted about needing some motivation tips and I gained some valuable feedback from that post as well as from myself as I thought of things that could help me through my "slump". It seems I just wasn't looking in the right place for my motivation. 


That's the key isn't it? Finding what motivates you? 


Usually I am kept motivated by deadlines but in the absence of deadlines, I was somewhat at a loss. I also realized that although I may think I'm not getting much done, I have set the bar very high for myself. I don't say that to pat myself on the back; it's just a fact of my personality. I do accomplish tasks every day both for my job and my family but sometimes I don't meet my expectations. I suppose that's what makes me a good employee and a good mother/wife. If I give myself lofty goals then even if I don't get them all accomplished on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis, I am still doing something. So that was encouragement in and of itself, just realizing and knowing that I'm not really a bum. 


I thought' I'd share some of the things that I am finding are helping me boost that energy/motivation level a bit. It's only fair since I asked you for your input!

• Listening to worship music: This is a big one for me because nothing can make you more focused on the ultimate goal then listening to music that glorifies God and puts the focus on Him, rather than myself. It doesn't always work to motivate me and sometimes I just need to listen to some good upbeat rock music but today this is doing the trick quite well.
• Focusing on God's tips for staying motivated: My dad was thoughtful enough to share some excellent verses from Proverbs with me. God has a lot to say about laziness and it's good to remember why we need to stay focused and on task. Basically laziness results in nothing good so if nothing else, be motivated not to become poor and a slave!
• Getting enough rest: I realized that my energy level is probably lacking severely largely due to the fact that I wake up several times in the night either because I'm uncomfortable from being pregnant or because Jayden needs put back to sleep. Also I have a cough right now that keeps me up all hours of the night so once I can take care of these issues, I think a lot of my energy will return. (The pregnancy related one will only get worse before it gets better unfortunately but that's only temporary! Then I can replace it with a newborn!)
• Eating better: I have a serious candy craving/problem. And I have been eating candy lately like it's about to become extinct so I also think that the lack of nutrition has contributed to my sluggish feeling. This is an easy fix and I intend to up my veggie intake! That, and drink lots and lots of water!
• Taking frequent breaks to keep my blood moving and energy level up
• Giving myself rewards every time I finish a big task, whether it's an actual reward or just an opportunity to get up out of my chair and go do a housework task
• Seeking encouragement from family and friends

I'm still open to more suggestions and to hear what works for you so keep the ideas coming! It definitely helps to hear from other people and if anything, it gets my mind in the right place and I don't become complacent. But as Proverbs 14:23 wisely states "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty." So I know that I can't just sit here blogging about motivation, I actually need to put it into action!