I am a complainer. When I complain, I don't think I'm doing it for attention, but I really am. Without thinking about it, I'm really just asking for people to listen and help. Complaining doesn't accomplish anything, but motivation will.
What is complaining? Well, it's really just a list of grievances. What's worse is they're usually solvable issues, such as not getting enough sleep at night - just go to bed earlier or plan your time more efficiently. It's really as simple as that. Of course, if it's a medical issue, you need to seek advice from a doctor.
Complaining, making excuses and generally procrastinating are my biggest hurdles when it comes to completing tasks. A lot of items on my lists will linger while I complain about them or just ignore them. I'll say things like, "I have to do the laundry, but I don't want to/ can't because [insert excuse here]." I'll say it so much that eventually I believe it. It's much easier to do this for home tasks than work tasks because there is more motivation at work.
So how do you motivate yourself and avoid becoming a complainer? It sounds corny, but baby steps. For me, the fastest way I complete a task is by turning that daunting task into a list of mini-tasks, even if it's a mental list. I tackle those mini-tasks without expectations of finishing the entire task, but sometimes I surprise myself.
One day, I wanted to clean the kitchen. I had been complaining about the mess and procrastinating for weeks. It was starting to smell and look disgusting. I decided to just clean the sink area. I made a list to clean the sink, counter and take out the trash below the sink. As I checked off each task, I found my confidence and motivation increase because I saw results. Over the course of the next few hours, I not only cleaned the sink area, but the rest of the counters, the oven, the island, cleaned the fridge, the floors, the living room, and before I knew it, I was doing all the windows in our home! It was so exhilarating!
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