Some of us have sufficient time during our day or on the weekend to lay down and shut our eyes for a few. Others encounter this rare opportunity by witnessing clouds parting and the golden sun beaming a light right onto your bed: nap time. Now you can either take advantage of this unique moment to take a nap or you can be productive by tackling one of the many things on your to do list. How do we choose the productive route?

Here are a 4 ways we can get motivated to be productive instead of laying down for that sweet nothingness.

#1 Accept the fact that you do not have to feel like doing something in order to get it done.

If we can separate our emotions from the task we can go ahead and get it done. Sitting around waiting to feel like doing something can cause you to wait forever! Yes, of course wanting to do something will definitely help you do it (like, wanting to take a nap) but wanting to do it isn’t everything. Here is an article that goes into more detail about this.

#2 Think about how you would feel about the end result.

Once you begin thinking about your finished product, or finished task, you can start to feel some motivation trickle in. This shifts your thinking from “nap vs. (insert task here)” to “nap vs. look what I did!” When you do this you begin to think in terms of something to look forward to. This can be a powerful technique to help you become motivated and transform your thoughts.

#3 Divide your time.

If a nap is so important to you, perhaps you can split the time in order to allow for some rest but also some productivity. This way you can have the best of both worlds! Of course, you won’t be as productive as skipping the nap all together to have more time to work on tasks, but at least you won’t feel like you’re missing out on some good shut-eye. If you do this I would advise that you work on the task first and then take the nap. This way one of two things can happen: either you work so hard that you forget to nap or you work hard and then reward yourself by napping. Either way, you’re making some time to get things done.

#4 Take a baby step.

If you don’t feel motivated because the task is daunting just do a little bit. This may take some planning on your part such as planning where you would begin/what you would work on but starting small is much less intimidating. Once you start, everything else may seem to fall into place and you can begin to pick up steam. To motivate yourself to do this just tell yourself, “I’m only going to do this,” and then you’ll be on your way.

Every person is unique so it’s important to see what works best for you. I hope these suggestions help you avoid or at least postpone that nap in order to be more productive. It might not always be easy to get motivated, but with a few techniques and a little willpower it can be done.

If you are finding yourself constantly procrastinating or having a difficult time self-motivating then maybe it is time to seek additional assistance. Call Life Counselings Solutions today to set an appointment for coaching and motivational services with Mike at 407-622-1770. 

Michael’s goal is to assist clients in reaching their full potential by helping them explore within themselves to find their strengths. He pays special attention to building a therapeutic relationship in order to create a safe place for change and growth. Michael provides counseling services to people of many different backgrounds but specializes in helping first-time parents transition. Read more about Mike here.