Being alone for most of my time makes me experience things in a different level. I’m not surrounded by people like in a normal job, so the only person accountable for my work is, mostly, me. I don’t hang around with friends like I would back home so my thoughts are always my own. I don’t have a workout buddy because M already works in sports and I can only imagine what that does to his body. So, summing up, I spend most of my days alone, wether at my apartment, going for a walk or even to the city. And one thing that I always struggle to find is motivation – that sneaky bastard that keeps getting away. When you do spend most of your days alone, you are the one who has to stop procrastinating and your mind is all you have to talk to and about. I’ve developed some skills throughout the years to try and fight this will to not-do-a-single-thing-besides-getting-out-of-bed. It’s
never easy, it takes a lot of courage, self will, but everyday you learn a little bit about yourself.
Every time I feel like procrastinating it’s probably because I’m sad. Procrastination is a mood-management technique that helps us with barely anything. One or another day it’s good to feel like you are capable of doing nothing, but not everyday. My chores, work, projects, all start with one thing: a to-do list. Wether you want to write it down or in your computer, do it, unconsciously it gives you a sense of semi-achievement. It’s also a way of monitoring your progress and making you feel like you’re already doing something. It’s also important to feel excited about what you have to do – for me, it’s writing a post, working on a design project or simply go for a walk. I trigger my mind into thinking those are things that will keep me busy, sane and healthy, which immediately reflects into what I’m doing with my life.
Another way of going at it is to reward your effort. What triggers your sense of reward? Buying, eating, running, relaxing. It’s important to make your progress noticed, by you or someone near you. Talk about it, if it makes you feel better, share it, show it. I feel rewarded enough when I realize that I’m actually doing what I set myself up to. If I said I was going for a run every single day of the week and I actually went, I take a good look in the mirror, at my body, and think how great am I? I actually did it. Your reward can be as simple as getting recognition for what you did/do/are doing.
I know that I’m setting myself up for failure on this one because I’m mostly surrounded by my husband but, for the last six months, I learned the importance of long distance relationships. Friendship relationships that help you throughout the day by the simple clicking of some buttons. I talk to some of my friends as much as I can, and am willing to, and the ones that make you feel like you earn what you’re doing, that motivate you, that teach you and, most importantly, are actually doing things you would like to do as well, are the most important ones. It’s good to feel the support of others but also peer pressure. Research shows, that, over time, we develop eating and health habits and even career aspirations of those around us. This sets us up to higher standards and goals to focus on.