6 Stupid-Yet-Effective Ways I Stay Motivated While Working All My Jobs
I have like, 12 clients. I should be burnt out. But I'm not. Here's how I do it.
“You’re always working these days,” my mom said. “It’s kind of alarming. Don’t you ever take a break?”
It’s a comment I hear almost daily from people around me. I don’t really party these days anymore unless I’m partying with fellow creatives so that I can get—you guessed it—writing ideas. Almost any time I’m going out to eat, it’s a matter of chowing down while I work or talk ideas, marketing, or other trends.
It’s the way I live. I’m what people call hyper-motivated. I eat, sleep, and breathe work because I like doing work. It’s how I like to be. And even then, there are times I don’t want to do it.
Most people wonder how I stay motivated with the crazy workload I handle. You might laugh when you find out. These six methods have a lot of value to me because they keep me on track.
1. Have a ritual for your work.
When I’m working, I always have a candle lit by my desk—usually a scented candle. Why? Aromatherapy helps me focus and I’ve trained my brain to assume that good smells in the home are linked with work.
Any time we have meetups with other creatives, I light a candle before we talk business. That’s just how it is. It sounds silly, but after a while, your brain will register, “Candle’s on, time to work.”
2. Stickers aren’t just for kids.
I reward myself with stickers whenever I do work that I’ve been dreading. It sounds weird, but I got this idea from Metalocalypse with the banana sticker sketch. I try to buy stickers that are cute, featuring my favorite pop culture icons.
As of right now, I earned three Lisa Frank stickers. I will probably reward myself with a Lofi Girl sticker after this. It’s a small token, but it gives me a dopamine rush.
3. I choose fun assignments or try to find something interesting in the boring assignments.
Believe it or not, you can find almost anything interesting. You just have to look at it the right way. As a writer, I try to learn at least three new things per assignment. Trying to find those things can be difficult, which makes that discovery all the better.
When I worked for Upgraded Home, I learned about mascerating toilets and tried to find them interesting. The fact that a toilet can be made to chop up poop was, weirdly, something I found interesting. (I mean why? And why don’t most toilets do that?)
Of course, I always try to stick to projects and assignments that speak to me. That’s a no-brained. Like most normal human beings, I like fun projects. That’s why I often do them at a discount compared to the “dry and starchy.”
4. I track my daily progress.
Writers, I have a genuine question: do you track how much you write per day? Or who/what you write for or about? I do. And sometimes, it reveals a lot about how much I can do—and how much I work.
I do dot journaling to categorize everything and track writing, though my methods vary. There’s something incredibly satisfying about seeing all those dots and stickers. It makes me proud of my work capacity, you know?
5. When I’m very shaky, I read about others who succeeded or watch videos about them.
I’ve spent hours on YouTube watching videos about artists who manage to make a living through their artwork. I’ve also read books like The $100 Startup and Launch. They inspire me.
While there is a risk to getting euphoria addiction from self-help, I’ll be the first to admit that there’s a legit reason why people like them. They can be beneficial, provided that you either use their advice or get into a better mindset from them.
6. I hang out with content creators who are just as passionate as I am about their industries.
Content creators, be they musicians, artists, porn stars, or writers, all have one thing in common: they like to create things in a world that often pits them against one another. You simply cannot hang out with demotivated people if you want to stay motivated.
People who drain your energy are a dime a dozen. They also are the most common reason people give up on their dreams and the most likely to “down-talk” you into feeling guilty for trying to achieve your goals.
Avoid energy vampires who demotivate you. Embrace others who are as fiery as you are. You’ll be surprised how natural work will come to you.