A Kick in the Pants

Here we are the first full week of January (without a holiday) and I already feel like I need to place a sign on my back.   A big huge sign that says "Kick me"!  Don't we all need that every now and then... a good, swift kick to the behind to get us UP and MOVING.    Today was one of those days.  The temperature was a steaming 7 degrees and the high for Mississippi was... are  you ready, yep... 15 degrees.   I just wanted to get back in my bed and stay warm.  I seriously stuck my toe out and at one point thought it had froze.  (Yes, I know there are people in the mid-west and north-east who are dealing with -40 below and snow drifts of 2-3 feet... but I live in the South... we aren't supposed to have Arctic blasts of weather!)   Yes... where is that sign!  

                                                      

Motivation!  We all need motivating from time to time, don't we?   The holidays usually give you time to sit back relax, enjoy family and friends, eat a lot and take time away from your work mode.  For me... they provide that opportunity to launch into what I like to call hibernation.  Sounds odd, right for someone who travels a great deal of the time.   I don't know what "willed" me from that warm cocoon of the down comforter, but I got up and made it to my home office.  

Today, as I opened my computer and looked at my list of priorities, I felt overwhelmed.   I felt like I had been gone away on a 3 month voyage.  So, as I sat there staring at my list... I remembered my post from last week... My Road to 50 and my "be" list.    I pulled the list back up and read it to myself to serve as a reminder of what I want to accomplish this year.  I printed it out as well and placed it near my desk-top so that if I ever felt like I couldn't get going again... the list would be there staring at me... willing me to get going.  

I took a deep breath and slowly starting looking at the list and started to check off a few of the easier items which were follow-ups to emails.  Once those were done, I checked them off and re-evaluated the list and chose the next couple of items, and then the next and next.  By mid-afternoon, as I looked at my list, I realized I had actually become productive and gotten quite a bit accomplished.  

My reward.... a hot cup of tea.   For me, there is nothing better around 2-3 p.m. than a a cup of hot tea.  It soothes the soul and re-energizes me.   I felt better than I had earlier in the day and as i sat back down with my computer, realized that I had only 5 more items to get finished for the day.  Several phone calls later, I had completed my list for the first official Monday in January 2014.  

Motivation comes in all forms, shapes, sizes and ways.  For me... it was as simple as remembering my goal I set for myself last week and slowly easing myself back into work mode.   Instead of allowing myself to feel overwhelmed, I started out slowly and took each item on the list one by one.  By breaking down the list, it became more manageable.  So... for today... I got up and moving and motivated and cleared the list.    Have a great week and stay warm!