Working full-time can be exhausting! Just sitting at a desk and occasionally venturing to various conference rooms doesn’t seem like it should be so strenuous, but by the time I get home at the end of the day, I can barely muster the strength to make myself dinner. And when I do do anything other than just decompress, such as heading to gym or out for a run (despite being particularly proud of myself), I can never seem to get into the zone for a real workout.
The good thing about the working life is feeling challenged intellectually – and of course having a little more financial security! One major lesson I’ve learned, however, over the past year is just how important it is to take time for yourself. As the cliche goes, stop and smell the roses.
Something I’ve found to help with this is to take a minute or two to reflect and to set an intention for the day. I’ve found that by simply writing down one small goal for the day, I can be more focused, less stressed and more motivated overall. I particularly like this exercise because I enjoy getting a cup of coffee and sitting at my desk in the quiet of the early morning and just taking a moment to decide what is really important to me for that day. Sometimes I will set my intention just to finish a specific deliverable by 5pm, for example. Sometimes, if I know I have a particularly overwhelming day ahead, I will set my intention to stay calm throughout the day. Whatever needs you may have, selecting one thing to focus on for the whole day (even if you are not successful in any other area) will allow you a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day, and will therefore help maintain level of motivation.
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