Fighting the Battle Against Inactivity

I didn’t plan on writing about this topic today, but life sometimes gets in the way of the best laid-out plans.  So, I digress and have decided to write about where I’ve been residing lately.  As of the last week or so, I’ve been in an intense battle with inactivity.  As a matter of fact, it’s been incredibly difficult to get this blog post out.  Usually, I don’t have a problem with the next topic I’d like to share with all of you; things just flow.  But inactivity (or maybe the lack of motivation) has really hit me like a firing artillery of bricks.  I can only begin to infer why this, why now, and where in the world did it come from.

Inactivity doesn’t have to have a rhyme or reason for its onslaught, but I’ve personally attributed its aggressive offense being the result of several apparent factors.  It could be due to the untimely lack of energy experienced as a result of the impending winter season where the temps drop, the daytime illumination wanes earlier, and my innate instinct to hibernate kicks into full gear.  Or, it may be this whirlwind-like time of year that occurs like clockwork and seems to zap what energy reserves I have remaining after the aforementioned cold front offers its initial blow.  And the third and final instigator could be the uniquely designed obstacles that have recently caused a certain level of progress to be disrupted in my personal as well as professional endeavors.  At this point in time, I can only surmise that I am under full blown attack.  So, how do I defend myself or begin to fight back?

I’ve contemplated my options and decided to break down my overall defensive strategy against inactivity into three manageable maneuvers:

1. Work first, play later.
2. Work the less desirable tasks first.
3. Seek motivational sources to help discourage inactivity.

Work first, play later – Hubby touts this mantra around our house as a constant reminder that possessing a strong work ethic is vital to productivity and progress in one’s life.  For me personally, I have to forcibly recite this truism to myself when I get into an inactivity rut where I have zero motivation to get tasks accomplished.  It requires that I draw from a strength of inner will deep within to wake up out of the impenetrable snoozefest I can sometimes find myself in.  But once I wake up, I mentally challenge myself to get to working so that I can reward myself later with some playtime (recreational or relaxation) once I get my work done.

Work the less desirable tasks first – Have you ever had a daily list of tasks to do, where absolutely all of the tasks are at the priority level (to where you’re basically prioritizing the priorities)?  In other words, everything on your list needs to get done that day and there’s no putting things off until tomorrow?  Well, I’ve had many of these scenarios; and within the list of priorities, there are always those tasks that are less desirable than others. Ughh!  And when finally arriving at the point where I’ve put the less desirables off as long as I could, it’s now time to face them head on.  Here’s what I’ve learned during those moments: the dreaded tasks are not going away and have to be dealt with, or else they’ll hang on my shoulders like unrelenting weights that won’t alleviate their pressure until I’ve actively removed (handled) them.  I’m learning that I’m going to have these kinds of tasks on a daily basis, so why put them off to another time that’s going to be just as inopportune.  I’d better go ahead and address them, preferably first thing before all others.  I have personally noticed that I’m more energetic, mentally sharp, and focused early in the mornings; so, it would be to my advantage to tackle the less desirables during my optimal time of productivity.  Then, I could get them out of the way, relieving their stress on my shoulders, and proceed with the rest of my list in a more relaxed manner.

Seek motivational sources – Here’s where one draws strength from other sources to help jump start that motivational motor that is idling.  For me, it’s those times reading and meditating on God’s Word, praying, or observing others triumphing during times of adversity that wake and shake me out of an inactivity deep sleep.  My Dad has always taught me the importance of using readily-accessible resources in order to achieve progress in my life.  So, I’ll forward the saying: USE YOUR RESOURCES! If you find yourself in this similar predicament, use whatever sources get you over the hump (inspirational books, tv shows and movies, motivational speeches/presentations, real-life documentaries of victory, music, encouragement from family and friends) and get back to your active self!