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Longstanding lack of motivation - how can I break out of this rut?

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  • msb5262
    msb5262 Posts: 1,619 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    My goals between now and 5.30pm (62 minutes):

    1. Prepare the meat and vegetables for dinner

    2. Mark my children's handwriting books

    3. Look on numeracy website to find some information I need for tomorrow.

    4. NOT even look at MSE.

    Reporting back on above goals in post #15...

    1 and 4 achieved.

    Also soup made for starter for dinner this evening (idea being to stop everyone wolfing down every bit of the roast lamb).

    2 and 3 not achieved.

    Maybe this is my problem...will do anything to avoid the school-related tasks which I MUST do.
  • Dee123_2
    Dee123_2 Posts: 4,396 Forumite
    edited 10 January 2010 at 6:31PM
    I'm another one that feels this way. Was supposed to declutter and clean my house totally during the two weeks I had off at Christmas and New Year - do you think I lifted a finger?

    Therefore, I can't contribute all that much. But the one thing I find does get me started with the housework is if there is a programme or film on I want to watch. I get up during the adverts and whizz around doing housework/dishes/putting the washing on during the 3-4 minutes. It's amazing how much you can do if it's a film and you get up each time.

    Otherwise, I'm just like you - distracting myself all the time with the internet. At work, I am known for being thorough and organised, yet my home is a tip!
    "Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is
    determinism; the way you play it is free will.” Jawaharlal Nehru
    I am a magnet for all kinds of deeper wonderment
    I am a wunderkind oh
    I am a ground-breaker naive enough to believe this
    I am a princess on the way to my throne
  • OK - just typed a huge post and lost it - aarrgghh! Am now going to paraphrase.......!

    I am in same boat but for the last three days I have got bull by horns and every morning emptied dishwasher and swept floor whilst waiting for kettle to boil. I do recycling and waste paper bin emptying whilst toast doing. I also make sure I wipe down table and surfaces after every meal and aga top and it does make a difference.

    I keep a packet of supermarket anti bac wipes and bleach in bathroom - once I am washed I do loo, sink, bath with them and squirt bleach in loo. I then carry load of washing down and put it on.

    I know only tiny things but I have found that if I just get on and do them things have already improved and it then makes me feel mor motivated iykwim.

    Don't know if it helps you - but well done for making a start - it isnt easy but hopefully together we can all support each other!
    I x
    Target for MAD - 24:)
  • Glamazon
    Glamazon Posts: 8,401 Forumite
    I feel the same and I should have plenty of time as I'm on maternity leave!

    I have no motivation for housework or anything else really so end up doing everything last minute but need to break the habit! Doesnt help that I do EVERYTHING in our house AND we have BIL staying with us.

    From tomorrow, I plan to do some housework/pay bills/declutter every morning while Jack goes back to sleep after his first bottle - I usually go back to bed with him but no more! I plan to do it as holliegarson said & do stuff while I'm waiting for kettle/toaster/steriliser etc
    A very busy Yummy Mummy to a 1 year old gorgeous boy :smileyhea

    Where does the time go? :think:
  • aliasojo
    aliasojo Posts: 23,053 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    A few months ago, we had to move out and temporarily rent whilst work was going on in our home. The rented place had no internet connection, no sky and no phone line. We were in the middle of the country with erratic mobile connection.

    After the first few days of absolute boredom and apathy, we all interacted with each other more and achieved more throughout the day. We even washed the cars, lol. It was clear that we needed to avoid distraction in order to actually achieve something.

    When we came home I vowed to not switch on the pc until I'd at least had a tidy round and the tv wasn't going on until late afternoon at the earliest. Unfortunately I lapsed back into my old rut of a routine fairly quickly. :o

    Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is simple......try to avoid switching on the tv and the pc first thing, change your initial morning routine even slightly and it might help you become more productive. It's just all down to habit, you need to break the old ones first before you can move on I think.

    Alternatively, do more overtime and just pay a cleaner/Person Friday. ;)
    Herman - MP for all! :)
  • I am also freecycling like a demon - no effort required as people come to the door and although I could do with the money from ebay I think for me at the moment I just need to clear space and hit the ground running so I don't lose motivation. Have also been recycling clothes/books etc - put them into car as soon as bag is full so you can't take things out! I tell my children it's just more stuff to clean and it is so true!

    I have bought those big £3.99 shabby chic type zip holdall bags for christmas decs/halloween decs and put them in loft today (they're huge and hold loads) - I freecycled the old decs I didn't want and a local school took them for next year - everyone's a winner!

    Rambling now but am on a roll!

    I x
    Target for MAD - 24:)
  • Many thanks to all of you who have taken the time to reply!!

    The general consensus seems to be that my situation is normal, and I do seem to be being a bit hard on myself, so I need to take that on board. Perhaps by posting here regularly I can give myself an element of accountability, so lets see where we go!!

    My goal earlier was to iron 10 items - I ended up doing more than that, and it took me less that 30 mins. I have left all the tea towels & pillow cases for DD to do - its about time she learnt!! BTW, I only iron tea towels when the edges start to bend over, I don't iron them every wash!! I still need to do the floors, but I prefer to do those just before bed, so I'm not walking on the wet floors!

    I'm going to set myself the following goals to complete by Friday:

    - finish scrapbooking various items salvaged from my dad's house after his death in 2008 - it doesn't have to be perfect!
    - spend 30 mins going through holiday photos deleting those that are not up to par
    - clean the bathrooms midweek ish

    and before I go to bed, I absolutely must

    - text DDs friends' mothers to give them more details about DDs birthday sleepover next weekend
    - order DDs birthday card from Moonpig
    - write list of things to do to get ready for DDs birthday celebrations next weekend!!

    Will report in as I go! :T
  • lynzpower
    lynzpower Posts: 25,311 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Good luck

    I dont know if you can use your phone for anything ( setting reminders) I set reminders for myself for things I MUST do each day. I try to do these each night before bed as i charge my phone.

    Im thinking of getting into the swing of using it for other things too, I used it to remind myself when my parking ticket was running out for example.

    I found I had to do lists on the pc but I just find I spend too much time on here, moaning about how my house is a tip/ disorganised yada yada.

    On that note off to quickly clean the bathroom!
    :beer: Well aint funny how its the little things in life that mean the most? Not where you live, the car you drive or the price tag on your clothes.
    Theres no dollar sign on piece of mind
    This Ive come to know...
    So if you agree have a drink with me, raise your glasses for a toast :beer:
  • Errata
    Errata Posts: 38,230 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    - finish scrapbooking various items salvaged from my dad's house after his death in 2008 - it doesn't have to be perfect!

    You're right, it doesn't, it just needs to be good enough. I'm wondering - do you need things to be perfect? Is this what stops you from starting, because you find it difficult to settle for good enough ?
    .................:)....I'm smiling because I have no idea what's going on ...:)
  • pavlovs_dog
    pavlovs_dog Posts: 10,213 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    And believe me, I'm well aware that there's more than life than dusting - the problem is that I waste so much time online or watching tv that I don't feel that I'm achieving anything.

    i think you're my long lost twin :D

    i find when it comes to orgnisation, i'm very much an all or nothing kind of person. I am finding that writing lists help though. I'm also stating to be a lot more realistic about how long things actually take me - i'm one of life's slow and thorough people.

    i find the PC/internet is a terrible distraction, and breaking the habit is the secret, as alias suggests. unfortunately i'm not disciplined enough or sufficiently annoyed by my disorganisation to make the change :rotfl:

    if becoming a teacher has taught me anything it's that there will always be a neverending list of things i could/should/ought to be doing. inevitably the most important things will always end up getting done, because there are repurcussions if they are not.the rest will get done when i get around to it.

    I do actually own 'a round tuit', therefore i really do have no excuse. i keep this on my desk :D...

    RoundTuit.jpg
    know thyself
    Nid wy'n gofyn bywyd moethus...
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