It’s that time of the week again – Monday Morning Motivation.

Today, I want to chat about why you may not be motivated.  What stops you from getting on with the things you need to do.

I have realised a few times that I get demotivated when what I am doing does not reflect my values.

Does what you do reflect your Values?

By values, I mean the things that are important to you.  The values that make you do things because it’s the right thing to do, not because it pays the bills.

I value making a difference.  If you can make a living doing that, then fab but making a living is not a value.

I value authentic people and posts.  I don’t want to hear about your perfect social-media-primed lifestyle.  I want the reality of “reverse burlesque” practising children on a morning or the despair of fighting yet another battle in the SEND Arena.

I value fun.  If you can find laughter in the darkest of places, I want to follow you on social media and laugh with you.

I have found, over the years, that once I am trying to do something that doesn’t fit with my values, then it becomes a chore and moves down my to do list – forever.

If I am trying to write something that feels more like a report than a fun, no holds barred, piece which makes a difference, I lose the will to get on with it.

I don’t expect everything I do to make a difference to everyone.  I want it to make a difference to one person.  That person can be me.  Writing about a situation can feel like therapy and helps me to move on.

On my pc I have a sticker saying “Does it make a difference / Does it make me happy?”.  If I am struggling with motivation because I am sat looking at a list of things I don’t want to do, I ask myself these questions.

I know there are some boring adult things I need to do which will not make me happy – ironing for example – but I have to assure myself that it will make a difference.  I also choose one or two items from the list that make me happy to counterbalance completing the boring grown up chores.

So this week, think about your values.  Then look at your to do list and think “which of these reflect my values?”    If none of them do, then how can you change that?  Is it time to revisit what you are doing?  Is it time to approach what you are doing in a different way?

I would love to hear from you about your values and how you use them to motivate yourself.