As the weather in my neck of the woods begins to get cooler, and I look out my windows, I'm constantly reminded of all the yard work that needs to be done before
the first snow falls.
It's interesting. I need zero motivation to do yard work when it's spring. That's the time of year that I'm so excited that winter is finally over. On the first sunny,
warm, spring day, I rush outside to trim back any plants and get our plant beds ready for flower season.
As soon as that last frost is behind me, I'm planting flowers, hanging out at the
local gardening center, buying vegetable starter plants for my outdoor container garden, and thoroughly enjoying my outdoor TO DOs.
Granted, I'm lucky. My husband deals with the less fun
lawn stuff...like de-thatching and re-seeding.
Then the fall yard work needs to get done. Finding the motivation to get out there in the fall is much more challenging for me. I find little
pleasure in trimming back plants before winter...and definitely even less in raking the leaves.
I like the leaves ON the trees...they're colorful and cheery.
Once they start falling, it's a reminder that winter is on the horizon. Out of the four seasons, winter is my least favorite.
Even though my husband and I do the outside work together, I definitely have to use every motivational trick in the book to psych myself up to get out there and get going. Here's what I do:
1. Come up with, and repeat, your "why statement." In order to feel motivated, we need to feel like our tasks have a purpose and they aren't just a lot of work we don't feel like doing.
So, my "why statement" for fall yardwork is, "I am going to handle my fall yardwork daily...because the hard work will be done when spring arrives again...giving me a head start on all the fun gardening to come."
Here's a non-yardwork example. Instead of thinking “Ugh, I have to go to work soon,” change your mindset to, “I am going to work to help provide for my family so we can pay our bills, go out to dinner a few
times a month, and take a nice vacation once a year.”
The “why?” will give you guidance and reasons to keep going.
2. Set stepping stone goals. It's very easy for me to look at EVERYTHING that needs to be done outside and gripe about that. This is why it's very important, in this case, to NOT look at the big picture.
Instead, I divide and conquer. I handle what I have to do in small pieces. In reality, those small pieces aren't very hard. Even if I go outside in 30-minute increments, I will be making progress each time
and will be moving towards completion.
So, I tell myself, "Just focus on stepping stone goal number one." All of a sudden, I don't dread the task because I know I can get it done fairly
quick.
Let’s take writing an essay for example. Instead of viewing it as "the whole essay" needs to be done by the deadline, set small milestones along the way. For example, "I need to have
the first paragraph completed by tomorrow, and the second paragraph done the next day."
3. Schedule dates and times to get out there...and stick to them. If you say to yourself, "I'll do it when the
mood strikes" or "I'll do it when I have time," chances are, that job is not getting started or completed anytime soon.
For the yardwork, I schedule 30-minute time ranges on my
calendar...for five days in a given week...at a time that works for me each of those five days. I keep those appointments with myself, just like any other important appointment.
If it rains
and I can't get out there, that's fine. I consider that a "free day."
BUT, no other excuses except for a real emergency, like if I'm sick and can't get out of
bed.
Cold out? I put a jacket on and do it.
Feeling a bit tired? I do a few jumping jacks...and get out there and do it.
Something better comes up? I get out there and do it. If there's time leftover afterwards, I do the "something better" then.
The nice thing about this is, the more I'm out there handling the task, the closer and closer it gets to being done.
I do find a lot of motivation in
seeing progress for the time and energy I'm putting in.
4. Always set rewards. Have a whole
list of rewards to choose from that you can enjoy after each stepping stone goal is accomplished. Setting rewards to work towards is a simple way to feel motivated from the beginning of the task to the end.
Your reward could be treating yourself to a scone from a local cafe, reading a favorite magazine, or perusing a craft site you enjoy online. Set your eyes on the prize and work towards it.
Sitting down to a cup of hazelnut coffee on my deck and enjoying the peacefulness of fall is one of my favorite rewards. If it's a bit chilly outside, I just bring a blanket. Another reward I love: cozying up by the fireplace with a good book in my hands.
Be sure your rewards are in line with the work you did. Most important, don't indulge in the reward until you've completed your stepping stone goal. Be true to yourself.
5. Seek Encouragement.
Every now and then, when I need just a touch more motivation, I text a friend and ask them to send me some words of encouragement to help me to feel inspired to continue with the difficult chore. I have a few friends who are fantastic at doing this...and I do the same for them when they need a cheerleader.
