Motivation in the depths of winter is hard

January brings a feeling of energy and renewal, but by February things can feel a bit dull and heavy. Everything is more of an effort – you have to scrape the car every time you want to go anywhere, the weather can disrupt your plans, and the short days may be taking their toll on your energy.  

In my experience, it’s helpful to give yourself some grace in the dead of winter, and lean into the slowness of the season. Know that you aren’t alone if you’ve slowed down. But – you can slow down and still move things forward. 

Your tracking system is also your alarm system. When I know I’m starting to drift, I make sure that I’m actually monitoring my progress as intended. If I’ve let the tracking slide, I update it and look at what it’s telling me. Often that little task can give some motivation to get back down to business. 

When energies are lower, it’s important to focus on the things that have the highest return. Pick one thing that moves revenue and do that. Or clear one bottleneck. Then you can rest without regret. 

You probably already know what task would give you the biggest relief, but if you aren’t sure here are some things to consider:

• What task, if done today, would make the rest of the week feel lighter?
• What am I slightly avoiding?
• If I only worked 45 minutes, where would it go?
• Where is something stalled because of me?
• What metric is red or drifting?
• Which 20% of my tasks create 80% of results?
• Tomorrow morning, what will I wish I had done today?

And if you really want to get yourself moving, try eating the frog! As always, I’m here to help you with your business tasks any time you are stuck or lack motivation.

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