Too Much Time Too Little Motivation

For the first two weeks of this quarantine - I got after it. I cleaned, I ran, I did Pilates, I filmed videos, I organized, I cooked, I read, I did my own nails… I was making the most of it. And then it hit me around the end of March … I had at least another month to go. Ugh. That realization hit me like a ton of bricks and took my motivation with it. What in the world was I supposed to do for a whole month or more?

I’ve always done well with small pockets of time. Friends coming over in 30 minutes … I can get the whole house clean in that time frame. Students coming to the studio in 15 minutes - I can get my social media done and posted in that time frame. Two hours between Pilates classes - I can run and shower and be back to the studio in time. BUT give me all day every day … and I just can’t seem to get anything done.

I bet I am not alone in this. I am a very goal driven, time driven person. Too much time is actually not a great thing for me. Sure I enjoy the occasionally lazy weekend but that’s because it is rare. Lack of schedule is not great for most of us. Lack of goals - even worse.

So how do we get through this next month or more? How do we get our motivation back?

Here’s what I am doing. I took a couple days to feel down and be less productive. And then it was time to get back to business. Each night i’ve been making a list of what I want to accomplish the next day. I am making a schedule for myself - get up at a decent hour and workout. Tackle task one or goal one next. I will admit knowing I can be late … I’m not always on time right now.

My day may look like this

  • Morning Run

  • Social media posts

  • Shower

  • Film Pilates videos and workout on the reformer

  • prep food

  • clean or organize

  • read for 1 hour

  • Continuing education- I have I mentioned I am taking a class at Yale now?!?

  • Walk

  • Relax

Not every day is the same but having some structure is definitely helping me. I am also not chastising myself if I don’t get everything on my list done. Those items carry over to the next day. Sometimes a phone call with a friend pops up and that’s a good thing. Sometimes a walk goes longer and that’s a good thing. I have flexibility but also accountability. Have some tangible things on my calendar really helps time block my day and keep me more efficient. I am setting up walk dates, zoom calls, live workouts, bike rides … items that happen at a specific time that gives me the time before and after to work around. I also have items I want of finish during this quarantine because I won’t have time after - a stack of books to read, my Yale course, some videos to shoot, and blog posts to write. These goals keep me going each day because I do not have a finite amount of time to finish them.

Looking at the month is overwhelming but looking day to day seems a bit more doable. Having little wins each day also helps. Seeing the improvements in my home and the pile of items to donate is motivation, too. Seeing my running log grow and my hours on the reformer accumulate motivates me. I have better days and worse days but each day is a new start and new chance. I am choosing to take this day by day and not focus on the entirety of it. I am choosing to celebrate my daily successes.

I hope this helps you, too!

PIlates MusingsLucie BecusShine Pilates Studiomotivation, quaratine, pilates