You can listen to the article.
It’s the little things that matter and adding them to your daily routine can make the world of difference long term. Certain habits and practices that you do every day can lead to increased motivation and productivity long term. That is, if they are healthy habits.
It’s easy to take little steps like these, and you will thank yourself later when you have discovered new passions and a new healthy routine.
Wake up early
If motivation and procrastination is your issue, this can be kicked by waking up early. It may feel hard to force yourself out of bed in the morning, but you’ll feel proud and happy, and won’t start the day with negative guilty feelings. Research suggests that consistently waking up early will get rid of laziness and procrastination.
It may be gradual, but you will find getting up early easier and see your motivation improve as a result. Plus, getting up earlier will give you added daytime to use for yourself. There’s no argument that doing a positive activity first thing before you start work will do you the world of good.
Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning
If you start the day with a glass of water, every day you’ll feel hydrated and energised. It’s a natural caffeine-free way to kickstart the day and get you ready for action. You are meant to drink around two litres of water per day, so getting the first glass in early sets you up well.
The morning is the best time to do it because that’s when your body needs rehydrating the most. Long term, you’ll get into a routine of drinking more water and consuming more water means every part of your body will be healthier – and look better too.
Focus on one task
Multitasking used to be all the rage, but some useful scientific research, along with a lot of personal experience has lead people to realise it isn’t the best way to get things done and is especially bad for long-term motivation. In order to do something to the best of your ability, you need to devote yourself to the task.
This doesn’t mean you need to work yourself into the ground until you complete a project; it means you should allocate time to work on each task on its own: single-tasking. Don’t work near your phone, which provides so many little distractions. Instead, allow yourself proper breaks where you can mentally reward yourself. Focused time will improve the quality of what you’re doing, calming the stress and helping you to prioritise.
Keep learning
Learning a new sport, a new language, or reading a new book are exciting ways to keep your brain active and motivated; not suppressed and stuck. Learning doesn’t end when you finish your studies; there is so much more out there to get to know. Aim to learn or try something new every day, and find new hobbies to become part of your life. Every new experience teaches you about yourself and your abilities, and this can help you tackle life problems in new and creative ways.
New habits add new things to your life, which will help you in so many ways including improving your motivation. If you’re struggling with a work project, or just feeling a little blue with life, switching up your daily routine can give you the enthusiasm and motivation you may have been lacking.
Sustain your sense of purpose
The danger of being unconscious of your life purpose is that you may confuse it with your worldly goals. If you can identify your purpose you can be passionate about it. As you cultivate your sense of purpose, the other aspects of your life start to come together. You improve your relationships with the people around you, you add value to your community, and you learn how to spend your time efficiently.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the managing director of Psychreg.
