ever have a day start where you thought you're gonna be so productive and you think it's gonna
look like this only in reality to have it more end up like this the good news is you
are definitely not alone and the even better news is there are ways that you can combat this
to really actually having that productive day that you're looking for that's that yeah okay
Carol dweck is a famous American psychologist who focuses on just this around growth and fixed
mindset actually in the 1970s she conducted a series of experiments on children and their
responses to challenges she found that some children were more likely to embrace challenges
and view failure is an opportunity to learn while other children were more likely to give
up easily and view failure is a reflection of their own abilities so how does this happen at
such a young age how are some children already viewing failure as a way to grow While others
are viewing it as they're stuck they're in this place well she labeled these two mindsets which
I'm sure a lot of us are now familiar with which is fixed mindset and growth mindset now the good
news is through her studies and research over the years she actually found that the way your mindset
Works your fixed mindset can be changed with certain interventions and that's what we're going
to cover today ways that you can actually build habits to keep you motivated and focused because
a lot of times we like to sum it up as oh it must be just the work isn't that interesting but
usually there's a lot more going on related to it okay that's great and all but we need
to get into actual tangible takeaways here now something that I used to do and I'm not gonna
lie it failed me every single time was you know you have those days where you wake up and you
just do not feel like working please tell me I'm not alone those days I'd often suppress
my emotions push them down and just say Tiff you need to be as productive as possible or
you are a failure oftentimes what this would do though oftentimes what this would do is because
I wasn't taking into account my emotions or how I was feeling that day and instead pushing them
down and turning on you need to be as productive as possible and labeling myself as a failure if
I didn't do everything on my checklist which by the way was never ending in turn I would get so
overwhelmed and so frustrated with myself that I ended up being like this version actually in
a journal published by Personality and Social Psychology researchers found that people who
were able to identify and embrace their emotions were more likely to be motivated and engaged in
their work and you're probably saying well that's great tip okay I won't suppress my emotions but
how do I work then if I feel like not working one of the biggest habits that you can create when you
wake up and you're feeling not that motivated is to first of all acknowledge it acknowledge that
hey I'm not feeling super productive today then what I will do is I will actually go look at my
calendar of what needs to get done prioritize it but also keep in mind is there anything that I can
do tomorrow be kind and gentle to yourself work in Ebbs and flows you're not going to be you're
not a robot you're not going to wake up every single day feeling the most motivated possible
and like you can work the hardest or Focus the most every day it looks a little bit different
and when you can structure your work days around how you are feeling and I know I know it sounds
kind of sappy we're talking about feelings here but it is so true for example if you wake up
and you need to do a really difficult technical task but you're really not feeling motivated
look at the backlog of things you need to do and I'm sure there are things on there that
maybe are less mentally taxing on you that you can focus on for that day it's unrealistic to try and
get everything done at the same Pace every single day and rather than trying to do that and in turn
burning out or just resenting your work go with Ebbs and flows acknowledge how you are feeling
because there are going to be so many days where you do feel like taking on those more difficult
tasks that you really need to be motivated and productive for no one is going to like hearing
my next tip and I understand why which is keeping a clean or tidy workspace now you might be saying
yeah Tiff that's easy for you to do because you have an office a space to work out of I work out
of my kitchen I work out of my living room with kids running around to screaming whatever the
case may be I'm acknowledging that everyone's work environment is extremely different and
it's challenging and that's why I included it on the list if it was super easy and everyone
was doing it it it wouldn't need to be on this list essentially at the end of the day one of
the biggest things about having a place where you can focus and having a workspace to focus isn't
about the size or the grandness of it but tidy up a little space I've seen a lot of friends of mine
actually who are in the situation where they're working from home and there's a lot going on and
they don't have the space to do it what they will do is actually make a little corner for themselves
designated corner and put in a little desk maybe you buy it off Amazon maybe you buy it off of
wherever it is and just own that space that this is where you are working the one rule is though
when you are not working do not go in that space even if it's you know a corner or a little side
of your your kitchen table whatever the case is only sit there only go there when you are
working what this will do is it will naturally or subconsciously tell your brain that when
you are sitting there you are to be focused now this isn't a perfect cure-all but it definitely
for me anyways I've seen it significantly help my office I do not go to do any work on the weekends
and the doors are literally closed to the office all weekend long I don't go in here to watch you
know things on my laptop or journal or anything like that it's completely off limits and it's very
intentional because then when I do go in on Monday like okay my body is ready to work my mind's ready
to work and it knows what to do in this space another thing that really helps you find that
motivation when you're trying to focus is actually creativity now don't give me the tip I'm not that
creative a study that was published in the Journal of positive psychology researchers found that
people who engaged in creative activities were more likely to feel motivated and engaged in
their work this isn't just stuff we're making up here this is science for me what I will do is if
I'm feeling very unmotivated and can't focus I'll actually just go for a walk listen to a podcast
creativity can come in so many different forms that it doesn't necessarily have to be you are an
artist and wanting to paint this gorgeous picture or or you need to journal although journaling is a
huge creative outlet and I highly recommend it but there are so many different forms essentially take
a break and do something for yourself and this will really help break up your day also too it
will help reset your mind okay I hope you enjoyed this video going through that a lot of times it
isn't the work itself killing your motivation it's the habits or mindsets that you are doing
or not implementing I hope this video was very helpful and insightful these are takeaways that
I use in my everyday life and they really help me be able to focus and be motivated for much longer
extended periods of time if you haven't already leave any questions down in the comments hit
that subscribe button that like button all the buttons and I'll see you soon thanks everyone