5 Ways to Find Simple Motivation

I've realized that I am not the most self-motivated person ever. But I've also realized that there are things I can do to work with the little bits of motivation that I do have once in a while.
Here are some simple ways find some motivation (I'm referring mostly to house work/projects, but could be for anything):
1. Set a Deadline. Maybe it's today, or tomorrow, or next week, but it's a deadline and it will help to know when it has to be finished.
2. Set Goals. Make them SMART Goals, but make them none the less. This will help to make sure it really can happen.
3. Use high energy times. I have been finding that if I make myself get up earlier than everyone else, I can use this time to get a lot done. It's quiet and I have energy and excitement for the new day, so it's a great time for me to get things done.
4. Have people over. Whether it's for a meal or a night, this helps me to be more motivated to keep the house cleaned and finish projects we are working on around the house (like the kitchen right now).
5. Make a plan. Just like making a meal plan helps me to stay motivated to make healthy meals for my family, so does making any other plan. It helps to know what I want to do and how I want to do it (could be a to do list or a chore chart, for example).
Bonus. Don't get discouraged. This only leads to feeling less motivated to keep going, even (and especially) when you feel as though you haven't been doing well. There are always rough days, or days when it feels like nothing gets done, but there is always usually tomorrow (if you start the day right!).
This might be more of a reminder for me today than for you, but either way, I am going to go follow some of my own advice...
This is what Works For Me.

Meal Update

I did find a little motivation tucked down deep the other day. I picked some recipes, made sure of what we have going on in the next couple of weeks, planned my trip and even took my 8 month old with me. The one thing I would change about taking him with me? I would make a cart that allows him to sit facing where I am going. He doesn't want to look at ME while I am shopping! He is constantly trying to turn around and look at where we are going and what I am doing when I am getting stuff off the shelves. Why don't they make legs holes going the other direction...at least as an option??

Yesterday I thawed out some chicken I had in the freezer and cooked it in the slow cooker with a bbq mixture. When it was done, I shredded the meat and we now have chicken bbq for sandwiches for lunch for a few days.

For a breakfast meeting this morning I made Sausage and Cheese Crescent Squares. Simple and delicious!

Tonight for dinner we are going to have this Oh-So-Easy Tomato Cream Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. The weather has cooled off a little here, very much on the way to truly being Fall, and I am very excited to start making more soups again!

Tomorrow I am going to make these Apple, Cheddar and Turkey Meatballs (I have made them before and they were great!) to have a few but mostly add to my freezer stockpile that has been depleting lately.

If I stay ambitious tomorrow, I am also going to make these Flaxseed Morning Glory Muffins to have in the freezer. They are really healthy, but they are really good too!

Hopefully this new motivation sticks for a few days so I can get all this made like I have planned. And with the holiday weekend I don't need meals planned as we will be away. Yay!