Hello Women, 

How you are? How are you feeling as this first of month of 2022 comes to a close? Are you filled with the optimism of the brand new slate that is a new year, or have you found yourself getting caught up in the many mundane tasks of life in a never ending pandemic? I know that unfortunately, I fit into the latter. So on this late January afternoon, I want to get cozy for a little while and contemplate some ideas for motivation for the winter season still ahead, even if the first blush of romance with our new year goals, may feel like a slightly distance memory. Make a cup of something warm and yummy, if you feel called to do so, get comfortable and let’s use this small, but sacred window of time together to eliminate the blah and fire up a little motivation! 

Firstly, I think it’s worth recognizing that in the times we are living through, (especially if you live in a cooler climate and have the dark, cold and snow of winter to deal with too), it’s ok to cut yourself some slack, if your motivation to work on your new year goals is falling a little flat. Pandemic fatigue is REAL! So real in fact, that even if you don’t think you are experiencing some level of burn out, from the constantly changing landscape of rules and restrictions, your body likely knows it on a cellular level. Your mind may just not have caught up yet. So if you are tired, feeling a little lack lustre, not quite as focused as you’d like, or just not feeling as inspired or as creative as usual, give yourself permission for that to be ok. We have all felt like this at some points in the past two years. Short term periods of feeling unregulated, in extreme situations are totally normal. Be kind to yourself!

So when you do feel ready to gently stir the motivation pot a little, here’s a few ideas that might get you started in realigning with your dreams for 2022 and give you that New Year energy again: 

• Put your vision board where you can see it, often! So, in your office, kitchen or workspace is a great idea. If these places don’t work so well, on the inside of a closet door is excellent too. Every time you open the door, when you get dressed in the morning, you will be delighted and motivated by the visions you are holding for the year ahead. Simple, yet effective!

• Take the next right step. Goals, even well thought out ones, can seem overwhelming sometimes. Add in the times we are living in, and you can quickly see motivation slide, when even small steps towards a dream can appear hindered by the world in general. So bringing it down to the next right step, is a great way to move towards a bigger vision. What can you do today that is in the direction of your goal? Even the tiniest step in the right direction is worth while. It moves you closer and gathers momentum and motivation.

• Move your body. Moving in a way that you enjoy, whether it’s running, dancing, yoga, walking or playing with your kids in the snow, moves energy. Motivation requires energy. A stagnant body often equates to a stagnant mind.

• Look how far you’ve come. If you are really feeling the post new year slump and need a quick fix to fire up your motivation, take a pen and quickly free write about one or two past goals that you have worked towards and achieved. How did you move towards those dreams? Where did you start? What motivated you? How did you make it happen? Just a few sentences on past motivation to get where you are now, can quickly realign the mind and heart with a new perspective.

• Celebrate yourself. See yourself in all your glory and celebrate you! Make your favourite dessert, raise a glass of something delicious to yourself or spend an hour doing something just for you. In some way or another, do something that feels like a little celebration of how fabulous you are. It’s doesn’t need to cost a lot, or be overly fancy. It just needs to be something that you enjoy. Treating yourself as you would treat a cherished family member or friend, can go along way to realign how you feel about motivating yourself to work on something important to you.

These first months of a new year can be both exciting, as a brand new chapter opens, but also demanding, as life goes on and often swallows time and energy, which you had hoped would be invested in your goals and dreams for the year ahead. Work, school, family, winter weather and as I write, a global pandemic that just keeps lingering, easily fill our days. If you are feeling a little misaligned, or just a little blah... these quick tips may help you take the next right step on the road to realizing your 2022 dreams. 

Until next time....