It is almost the end of January and it’s a good time to review those goals and resolutions you set earlier this month. How are you doing? Feeling stuck? Unmotivated? Getting “unstuck” and moving on to achieving your goals is easier than you think. Here are 31 ways to get started! Try a different one every day or use them in whatever way appeals to you.
1 – set super small, easily achievable goals for the day that will move you toward those big gigantic goals you have set for the year. For example: if your goal is to lose ten pounds, think about what small goals will help you move toward weight loss? Eating more fruits and vegetables? Drinking more water? Trying intermittent fasting? Researching a new way of eating (such as Paleo or Keto)? Exercising for at least 15 minutes daily? Set one or two small, do-able goals for the day. It might seem like it will take you a million years to achieve your goal if this is all you’re doing daily, but think about this: small steps are better than no steps at all. When you feel ready to take on more, then you can add on!
2 – Speaking of small, do-able steps, try jotting down just three things that you need to do today. Just three. Try to choose the three things that are most important to complete today. When you have completed those three tasks, then you can add three more. Somehow, just keeping your immediate things-to-do list to three items is less overwhelming and gives you energy and motivation to get more done.
3 – Listen to music. I am a big fan of Spotify and I use different playlists for different tasks. If I need to concentrate and focus on some mental task, I use coffeehouse or spa type playlists that are instrumental only. If I need to be jump started to go work out after work, I listen to a playlist that is created for workouts.
4 – Read just 5 – 10 pages of a book that inspires or motivates you. Here are some of my favorites:
Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel HollisYou are a Badass by Jen Sincero
Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon HillBecoming by Michelle Obama
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Atomic Habits by James Clear
High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard
Miracles Now by Gabrielle Bernstein
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Grace, Not Perfection by Emily Ley
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
5 – List five things for which you are grateful. It can be something small, like your cat’s purring, or something huge, like good news from a medical test. Just write whatever comes to mind. I start every day with listing five things and I end every day with thinking about gratitude as I fall asleep. If you want something a little more formalized, try using the 5-Minute Journal or try Rachel Hollis’s Start Today journal which you can read more about here.
6 – Organize or declutter just one small area that is getting on your nerves. Very often, that would be my desk or work space. Sometimes it’s my purse, my kitchen counters, or my car. Just seeing things more orderly and efficient helps bring clarity to my mind. Read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up or watch “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” on Netflix for inspiration!
7 – Make a list of what you want to be, do and have in your life. Don’t judge what you write — just write whatever comes to mind. Keep writing. When you think you are done, read over your list again and add more ideas as they come to you. What to do with that list? You could keep it in your planner or transfer it to your phone and read it every day. Or you might want to try making a vision board. This site explains the concept and shows you how to create a vision board online. Some people prefer to create their vision board using photos (from magazines or online images) and gluing them to a piece of cardboard or sturdy paper such as cardstock. Whatever appeals to you and inspires you!
8 – Take a look at your planner. Is it working for you and does it appeal to you? If the answer to either one of these questions is NO, consider getting a new one, even if it’s not the start of a new year. Your planner needs to be an important part of your life and something that helps and guides you, not something that gets on your nerves. See my post about time management here. Some planners that I like and have used are the Erin Condren planner and the Bloom daily planner. And of course you need Flair pens for your planner! See my post HERE about using your planner to help you better manage your time and to set goals.
9 – Do you write in a journal? Some people do this faithfully, every day. Other people write in a journal just occasionally. I have found that writing something daily works best for me. Get some kind of notebook, even an inexpensive one, and just start. When I read Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way, I started writing daily morning pages as she describes in the book. Here is a link to Julia’s explanation of this process. It is amazing what comes up when you are writing morning pages. It’s an inexpensive form of therapy! Morning pages do NOT have to be written in the morning only. Any time you are wrestling with lots of things on your mind and feeling stressed and unfocused, sitting down to write whatever comes to mind will help you get some clarity. See my post here about activities you can do for mental self-care.
10 – Do you exercise or workout a few times a week? If not, consider options for getting a routine started. Even if you cannot exercise daily, you should aim for 5-6 times per week. Anything you are doing that frequently needs to be a good fit for YOU. If you like to run, that’s great. If you don’t like to run, find something else that will be good for your cardiovascular health and do that. Also think about changing up your routine from time to time. Switch from working with weights to a barre fitness class. Switch from using cardio machines at the gym to walking or running or biking outdoors.
11 – Remember the goal setting from tip #1? Choose just one goal. Close your eyes and point if you’re having trouble deciding. Now think about doing just one thing that will move you closer to that goal. When you have accomplished that task, or if you have achieved that goal, choose something else.
12 – Buy yourself something new that is within your budget. A little “retail therapy” never hurt anybody — as long as it’s not something you will regret. Some ideas: new underwear, new pajamas, a new accessory like jewelry or a scarf, some object from the Target dollar spot. Anything that will make you smile or feel pampered, but didn’t exceed your budget (which will only cause more stress). See my Friday Favorites posts for ideas!
13 – Try some new habit or routine. Think about something that you have been wanting to try or wanting to incorporate into your life, and start small.
14 – Speaking of trying something new — how about learning something new? Use videos on youtube, take a course with Udemy, use Babbel to learn a new language, watch cooking shows on Food Network.
15 – Try meditation. Some good apps are Headspace and Calm. Both apps teach you some “techniques”, but do not make you feel as if you are doing meditation “wrong”. Just try sitting in silence for a few minutes every day. See how you feel and try adding on more time.
16 – Try some yoga poses. Yoga with Adrienne on youtube is a good resource, but you also might want to try going to a local class.
17 – Think about creating a productive self-care morning routine. See my post about that here.
18 – Think about creating a productive self-care evening routine. See my post about that here.
19 – Change up your environment in some way. Could you move a piece of furniture or rug to a different area and see how it looks? Could you buy some home accessory that is within your budget? Try a new lampshade? Check out Joanna Gaines’ new book Homebody for ideas!
20 – Make a list of places to go and things to do in your area. Make plans to visit or do one of those things with a friend or family member.
21 – Make a list of places you would like to go that are not in your area. Plan some dream trips!
22 – Drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water every day. Notice how this makes you feel.
23 – Try something new with your hair or makeup.
24 – Plan some meals or recipes you want to try.
25 – Start getting up earlier and spending some time outside, if the weather permits. Maybe take a morning walk or just enjoy sitting outside and appreciating the quiet?
26 – Make plans to visit someone you love.
27 – Listen to a motivating pep talk on youtube. Search for speeches by Rachel Hollis, Barbara Sher, Simon Sinek, Mel Robbins.
28 – Listen to a podcast. There are hundreds of good ones to choose from! Go to the search feature of your favorite place to get your podcasts (Apple, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify) and type in whatever category interests you. Find one or two podcasts to try, download them and listen while you’re commuting, walking, cleaning, whenever.
29 – Go someplace new. Try a different route to or from work and notice what you see. Try a different grocery store. Visit a small local business that you haven’t visited before. Go to a different Target or Walmart from the one you usually visit! Just doing some routine things in a new way gives you a new perspective and ideas for what you can do differently.
30 – Draw, color, paint, make a collage, try a craft, write a poem, play an instrument, sing. Do something artsy to wake up a different area of the brain and help change your perspective.
31 – Ask yourself some key questions — “what’s the lesson for me here?” “how could I make this fun?” “who can I surprise with appreciation today?”. Make a list of what comes to mind when you ask yourself these questions. Another prompt to try is to say, “This situation is good for me because . . .”
We all get “stuck” sometimes. Knowing how to get yourself “unstuck” and move on is the key. Did any of these tips resonate with you? Do you have other suggestions? I would love to hear your thoughts! Email me at stillteachingstilllearning@gmail.com!