Optimistic Mondays – Give It Back!

I don’t know who it was, but someone stole my motivation, and I’m demanding it back! (Pretty please… I’m lost without it.)

I’ve come up with a plan, just in case my motivation doesn’t show up at the door this morning. (If opportunity knocks, what does motivation do, ring the bell?)

If you know me very well, you know I like to make lists. I love to set goals. And I really love to accomplish my goals. When I have success in my life, I feel positive. It makes me want to keep going.

I have a list of things I want to do each day. Each item has been carefully chosen by a panel of judges (me). They are tasks that, when accomplished, will help me feel motivated.

I call it the list of "Motivating Moments".

1. Make Bed. It amazes me at how much better I feel, when I walk into my bedroom and the bed is made. And it only takes about a minute to do.
2. Do my makeup/Get ready. I usually do this. But I've noticed that when I don't, I feel lazy, negative, and washed out. I'm not talking about full blown makeup/dressy clothes each day. Just enough to make me feel comfortable, if a neighbor should drop by.
3. Clean Something. This does not count the daily cleanup around the house, like dishes or picking up toys. It's for things like scrubbing toilets (because, no - I don't do that everyday), organizing my desk, or tackling an item from the Spring Cleaning list.
4. Eat at least 1 fruit and 1 vegetable per day. This one sounds ridiculously easy, but I'm surprised at how often I don't have any at all. Eating healthy food always motivates me to eat more healthy food. I really do like fruit and veggies. But I also really like chocolate.
5. Read to/Teach my kids something. I'm really good about reading to my 3 year old. I'm not as good about reading to my 1-1/2 year old. I would feel so much better, as a mom, if I knew I had spent time each day teaching my children something.
6. Write 500 words. I hope this number will be higher most days, but this is a goal for my minimum. It includes any type of writing, whether it be on a book, blog, in my journal, or any other misc. writing. As long as I'm writing, I feel motivated.
7. Read my scriptures. This is a habit I already have, but I'd like to change, just a little. I currently read them just before going to bed. That's the time of day when my mind is so tired from a long day, and my eyelids are so heavy they don't want to stay open. Perhaps there is a better time of day, when my mind will register what I'm reading. I'll see if I can find it.
8. Plan ahead for dinner. I usually make a menu for the week, when I do my grocery shopping. I couldn't survive dinner-time without it. But dinner is still a little too hectic. The kids always want my attention, and it creates an unpleasant environment. This goal is to plan and prepare as much of the meal as possible ahead of time, leaving me less frazzled when dinner-time actually comes.
9. Get rid of 2 things. It feels so good to get rid of things I no longer need. This can be anything from a pair of shoes that make my feet hurt like crazy (today's example), or cleaning out the fridge. Broken toys, clothes that don't fit, expired coupons: be prepared to say goodbye.
10. Exercise. I always feel more motivated when I've exercised for the day. I am so excited that Spring is just around the corner. It's amazing how much work it is to push 2 kids up and down the neighborhood hills, in a double stroller.

There you have it. My hope is that my productivity will increase as I work on accomplishing these daily tasks.

Are there certain things in your life, that make you feel motivated?

Happy Monday Everyone!