Fall has arrived, the leaves are turning, the kids are headed back to school, and you’re likely feeling the back-to-work doldrums that no amount of pumpkin spice latte can cure – you’re not alone!
Motivation is something we all struggle with from time to time and there are a number of strategies that can help. One of my favorites and one that resonates with many of my clients comes from an article I read on the polar bear plunge. If you think about it, who knows more about overcoming inertia than those who motivate themselves to jump headlong into frigid waters in the middle of winter?!
The key to their success is a simple shift in focus. When you focus on the frigid water and how big, daunting, cold, and uncomfortable the entire task ahead is, motivation drops. But when you shift your focus and reframe the task as something infinitely more manageable, like simply moving your feet, motivation rises and before you know it you’re up to your neck in icy water (o.k., maybe that’s where the analogy falls apart, but you get my drift).
The key is to shift your focus from the mountain of paper or the entire brief to something more
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manageable. Focus instead on the first piece of paper on the pile or just the outline of the brief. In other words, make a molehill out of a mountain. Just add a pumpkin spice latte and you’ll be on your way!
Happy Fall!