Sometimes, no matter what you do, there are days when it is nearly impossible to get motivated. This time of year is particularly difficult for me:
- financially it’s rough recovering from the Christmas extravaganza and paying higher heating bills
- being a warm-weather-lover, it’s hard just to get moving in the cold mornings
- the house is messier because the dogs and people are inside more often
- there’s a ton more laundry to do in the winter
- my skin is all dry and I have to wear layers of clothes (unattractive!)
I could go on, but you get the idea. From January to the end of February is probably the hardest time of the year for me. Partly because it’s just so cold, and not forgetting that it’s dark and gloomy everyday. It really affects my mood, you know? I always seem to be stressed as well, due to the fact that I’m constantly worrying that something bad will happen to our HVAC, which would be unimaginable in the winter. My friend told me that if this ever happened, that she would recommend that I redirect to Castle Home Comfort Heating & Cooling, or a similar company in my area, who would be able to sort out the problem for me. Maybe there was no need for me to be stressed after all; everything always works out in the end. But this is what January and February do to me. I can’t imagine being in a situation where my heating just gives up the ghost at the exact moment I need it most, but this actually happened to a friend of mine. She was able to replace her faulty furnace (using services like this – bouldenbrothers.com/furnace-replacement/) but I can’t help but think that if she’d had regular maintenance check-ups then perhaps she wouldn’t have had to replace it.
It’s all worse because I’m supposed to be planning and beginning to implement that plan and feeling the slate is wiped clean for a new year and blah, blah, blah. Resolutions and plans usually leave me feeling overwhelmed and inadequate, which is quite the opposite of what they are supposed to do.
So, most years, I spend the first couple of weeks of January worrying myself into an itchy, hivey, stressed-out frenzy. Such has been the case so far in 2010, too.
Once the terrible hives make their appearance, I am forced to calm down and figure out how to handle all the problems. For the last few days, I’ve been wondering what is the best way to get motivated when you just feel totally freaked out?
The best answer I’ve come up with is:
Just suck it up.
Quit sniveling, quit worrying, quit whining and get busy!
Write the blog post you’ve been putting off, do 100 squats, take a walk (even though it’s cold out), make the call you’re dreading, send the email you are feeling guilty for not sending. Better yet, call two or three prospective clients or send out a couple of queries everyday.
Just make something happen.
In the spring, when the world thaws, things will get easier. The day when I feel the first warm breeze, or see the first blooming flower will help erase all this winter angst. Until then, it’s going to take sheer force of will.
Am I the only one who finds this time of year especially daunting? What do people in really cold places do?