The debate about which came first the chicken or the egg can also apply to motivation and action. Do we have to be motivated before taking action or do we sometimes act, even when we don’t feel motivated to do so? Nike’s slogan, “Just do it,” encourages us to do before feeling motivated. While that may work in certain situations, there is no denying that being motivated works magic in moving us towards a desired goal.

Motivation is a personal undertaking. What works for one person, might not work for another. What works in one situation, might not work in another. In thinking about what motivates us, some themes have emerged. Do any of these resonate with you?

7 Ways to Get Motivated

1. Time Constraints – The pressure of time and imposed deadlines like friends arriving, packing for vacation or completing a report, can motivate us to reach our goals quickly and on time. The fear of not getting something done in time forces us to finish.

2. Self Development – The desire to look younger, get thinner, feel healthier, be smarter or get more organized can motivate us to make the changes needed in order to improve our self-esteem.

3. Peer Pressure – While we may not like to admit that we’re influenced by what others think or do, there are times we are motivated to act because of our peers. For example, I’ve noticed that when one friend starts getting organized it often motivates their friends to begin organizing too.

4. Extreme Pain – Being in physical or emotional distress can be one of the strongest motivators for change. Not all motivation stems from positive feelings. Sometimes, the negative ones force us over the edge to action because we just don’t want to be in pain any longer.

5. Life Changes – Significant life events such as marriage, births, deaths, divorce, illness and children leaving the nest or coming back home are huge catalysts for introspection and change. Their dramatic nature can cause us to make other big changes.

6. Simple Rewards – Sometimes a plain reward is enough to motivate us. I know we’re humans and not animals, but I remember how food played a huge role in motivating our dog, Norton. His love of food was so intense that he’d do almost anything for a “treat.” Sometimes food motivates me too. In the summer especially, the thought of a delicious ice cream cone from our local shop, The Blue Pig can motivate me to complete a project. Using other rewards like taking a bike ride, walking by the river, enjoying coffee with a friend or getting a massage can motivate us to complete our goals too.

7. Love Driven – Sometimes we are motivated because of our loved ones. Perhaps we want to get our affairs in order to make things easier for our family when we’re gone. Maybe we want to declutter our homes to create less stress and more harmony at home. Doing things for the people we love can be a strong motivator.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about what motivates you. When you get stuck, what propels you forward?

Before me, sparkles of light reflect on the Hudson River. Sounds of birds conversing and the hum of cars passing in the distance and an occasional train whistle punctuate the quiet. The sun is hot, but there's enough of a breeze to act as a natural fan. The day has been filled with a mixture of writing, coaching preparation, radio interviewing, bill paying and phone calling.

When it came time for a lunch break, I opted to combine eating and writing with enjoying this gorgeous summer day. The day has been my own because I set aside the time. So often, we have to plan our to dos around all our other responsibilities. I like having days when my time is more intentional and I don't have to negotiate with other obligations and appointments.

How do we view our time? I like to build in stopgaps where we carve out time to focus on specific things. This prevents us running from appointment to appointment, putting out fires, feeling overwhelmed and never getting to do what we most enjoy.

Slowing down a little and being intentional, gives us the time to breathe, think and plan. It affords us the time to implement the plans without the panic. Then we can enjoy the process and our time even more. Carving out a "desk" or "personal" day every so often, helps keep us focused and better balanced.

Ironically, I did have a moment of panic today. I was about to prepare for an upcoming mentoring session, which involved reviewing and updating a computer document. To my horror, not only was the document missing, but also was the entire electronic file folder containing one hundred documents. After searching my computer, I realized that I must have accidentally deleted the folder when I was cleaning up my computer's desktop the night before.

Fortunately, the potential catastrophe was avoided. I regularly back-up my files using Carbonite and Time Machine. I immediately contacted Carbonite to see if my files could be retrieved. Within fifteen minutes, the files were found and restored onto my desktop. Can you hear my big sigh of relief?

Having a back-up system in place is very much like building stopgaps into your schedule. It helps keep panic to a minimum. Emergencies and the unexpected will happen. When you are reviewing your calendar, consider reserving time just for you to stop, regroup and refresh.  

How do you create time to rejuvenate and refocus?

Summer is here. Its arrival brings longer days and hopefully more time for relaxation and fun. Summer is the season for graduations, weddings, vacations, camp and special projects. For many of us, it’s a much-anticipated season because it signals a break from our more intense schedule.

I feel encouraged to enjoy the gorgeous, warm days even more. There are many opportunities to embrace summer’s energy. Here is a list of things that make me appreciate this wonderful season:

• Wiggling my toes in the grass

• Walking along the river

• Cooking outdoors with family & friends

• Reading in the hammock

• Slurping down a slice of watermelon

• Smelling the scent of the freshly cut lawn

• Taking a day trip

• Drinking an iced tea with lemon and extra ice

• Wearing less clothes

• Visiting the ocean

• Indulging in a lazy feeling that a hot day brings

• Going to Boscobel for a picnic and Shakespeare play

• Watching fireflies light up the evening

We often feel like there is never enough time to enjoy our lives and accomplish our goals. The key is finding a balance between doing, being and appreciating. Summer is a great time to do some shifting and experimenting to find your right balance.

What lets you know that summer has arrived?

With all the things that make it seem like there’s never enough time, it’s amazing any of us get things done. So how is it that between carpooling kids, working with clients, keeping in touch with our friends, eating, sleeping and relaxing are we able to manage this dance of life? When we add extra projects or responsibilities, the dance becomes even more frenetic.

My spring business goal was to redesign my Oh, So Organized! logo and website. I began my organizing company almost 20 years ago when our daughters were babies. I’ve had the same logo since 1993 and website since 2001. It was definitely time for a change.

Working on this redesign has been exciting and at times frustrating. Mostly, though, it was an opportunity to step back, take a fresh look and work on this long-term goal. I assembled a wonderful design team. My heartfelt gratitude goes to logo designer Ron Romain of Ron and Joe and web designer Betsy Cohen of Positive Element. They brainstormed, discussed, worked and reworked until we got the right look and feel. I am grateful for their enthusiasm, creativity, expertise and humor. I couldn’t have accomplished this without them.

What struck me, though, was that during the project, all of us were juggling our time. We each have our own businesses, children, spouses, friends, daily responsibilities, monkey wrenches that throw us off track and an unending host of interruptions, emergencies and serendipities. So how did we do it? There were some common threads we all used to manage the project and our time.

• Parameters – We defined the scope, timeframe, budget and expectations. When things strayed off course, we brought things back on track through reminders about the parameters.

• Focus – We each had many other responsibilities and distractions, but when we put on our “project hats” we focused only on that. We gave each other the gift of 100% attention.

• Flexibility – This was key for all of us. Between working in different time zones, client meetings and juggling kids, flexibility was essential. That translated into some unusual working hours and negotiations for times to check in with one another.

• Communication – Thank goodness for email. While some work was done on the actual telephone, the bulk of our communication happened through email. It allowed for clear and direct communication of images and ideas. It also helped each of us better manage our time by being able to respond and work around our other responsibilities.

• Patience – We allowed each other enough time and patience to let Linda “experiment” with just one more color, font or layout. I slowed myself down enough to realize that the waiting and developing was well worth the outcome. While you always want things done yesterday, the snags or delays that happen during any project are part of the process.

• Reason – Knowing when to get some sleep. Knowing when to say no. Knowing when to stop for the night. While we all worked hard, we also knew when enough was enough.

I’d love to hear from you. What is essential for your time management juggle?