6 Simple Steps To Get Shit Done

Unless I grow an extra set of arms or someone invents the cloning machine I am pretty much only getting work done at my own pace - which is significantly slow (ATM). As my final deadline is approaching I find myself at the worst state of mind with keeping my motivation up to top notch. Sometimes even thinking about the lack of time I have left can be very overwhelming to me that I end up wasting time being anxious and have a brain flooded with worry/nerves. Recently I have been trying out new ways to keep motivated which believe it or not have really made a difference so I've decided to share them with you all!

1. Break, Break And Then Maybe Break Again

The number of times I get so worked up over having an endless list of things to do that I think a break will make me waste time. Breaks are great ways to keep our brains from feeling stressed, tired or even bored of doing the same thing. If you read my Dissertation Advice The Tutors Don't tell you post (here) you will see I even mentioned take plenty of breaks away from the keyboard and the same applies to anything. If you spend a lot of your time in front of a screen doing work maybe consider stepping outside for a break with a cuppa or even go in the bath or a walk, do something refreshing that gets you out of your workspace. You will have a much more refreshed, clear mindset when you come back to work.

2. Spring Clean Your Work Space

I do a lot of my work at home because it takes an hour and a half just to get to uni, therefore, it is easier on my days off to just work here, therefore my desk area has got to be clean and tidy. As soon as spring arrived I gave my bedroom a spring cleaning where I started de-cluttering my shelves, added some daffodils on my desk, added some motivational postcards to my wall and changed up areas. This was so refreshing to do and definitely made my workspace feel more spacious as well as tidy. I think it is really important to keep your work area spacious and change it up every now and then to keep your brain refreshed and avoid the boredom of things.

3. Keep Things Short & Sweet

I constantly write countless amounts of lists and I think it is important to maybe have 2 or 3 notebooks to keep yourself organised. One notebook could be for uni projects or school stuff, one could be blogging ideas and others could be general things like shopping lists, things to remember etc. I like to keep everything spacious in my mind, therefore, jotting down different categories of things to do in one notebook can become messy and unorganised which resorts to me not wanting to complete them all. I also think it is important to keep your lists short and sweet, don't pile yourself massive things to do I actually write daily lists which for example could look like this: make hair appointment, reply to emails, text driving instructor, blog my favourites, finish my logo design for uni, try Laura Mercier blusher...something like this is what my daily to-do lists would be. Nothing overly wordy or a countless amount of things to get done. Keep it short and sweet or your brain may explode!

4. Get a Routine (and change it every now and then!)

Having a routine is a good way to get motivated and organised with what needs to be done whether that's going to sleep earlier, waking up earlier or even just setting yourself times of the day when to do whatever needs to be done. This changes for me quite frequently which is why I've included the 'and change it every now and then' because I do think changing a routine up every few weeks can keep your brain focused and not bored - just think of it like a workout routine eventually things start to change to keep it interesting. Some days I go to bed earlier, some days I wake up earlier, some days I work during the day and some at night and this changes all the time which stops me stressing out or thinking 'ugh got to get this done this afternoon'. Keep things from becoming mundane.

5. Turn Off, Delete, Disconnect

I can most definitely admit that I find it hard to simply work on something and not wonder onto Twitter or Instagram. Recently when I am trying to work on something important I will turn my phone off or leave it out of reach. I think having Wi-Fi can sometimes be a bit enticing to focus on work when social media is only a click away. If you don't need to use Wi-Fi when working then maybe it would be worth turning it off. If like me you are constantly on your phone maybe turn it off, disconnect from Wi-Fi or even remove the app until you are finished working. It sounds preposterous but if you have a deadline emerging it may be worth savouring those 10 Instagram minutes on your project.

6. Give a Damn

If you have things that need to get done that you don't really care about then it's very likely that you will put off doing it or put a small percent of effort into it. Actually give a damn about what it is that you need to do and think about why you need to do it. I know at times I sometimes get that 'I don't care' attitude over the simplest of things, we all do because we can't love everything that needs done. When I do have this attitude I reassure myself why I am doing it and what will I achieve from this and I think that is a good mind set to have to stay positive.

What are your simple steps to get shit done??