photo: Polienne
Finding motivation for Monday morning can be more difficult than avoiding carbs at the weekend or remembering to use heat protection spray before blow-drying your hair, but these tasks have benefits. Once you’ve found morning motivation, your productivity will soar.
The first fifteen minutes of your morning can usually forecast how the rest of your day will pan out. Don’t spend those crucial few minutes in bed snoozing your alarm getting more and more worked up, instead spend them watching a motivational video and getting yourself inspired for a productive day ahead.
This particular video is a TED talk from Harvard graduate Shawn Anchor. Titled ‘The Happy Secret to Better Work’, the clip reinforces how a positive mind can make you more productive. “Only 25% of job interview successes are determined by IQ, 75% are down to optimism, social support and your ability to see stress as a challenge.” Shocking figures like this one really bring home how much impact positivity can have on your life.
Shawn recalls an incident from his childhood where he prevented his sister from telling on him, by telling her she was a unicorn. This humorous story is the perfect analogy to explain positive psychology: by thinking positively, you’ll feel happier.
Shawn states “Every time your brain has a success, you just change the goalpost to what success looked like.” And he’s completely right. Every time we reach a goal, we set a new, more challenging goal: We get good grades, we need better grades, then get a new job, then want a better job, we meet a sales target, we get new targets. “If happiness is on the opposite side to success, your brain never gets there.”
So the next time you’ve got the Monday blues set your alarm fifteen minutes earlier and watch a motivational video. You’ll feel more empowered and ready to take on the day ahead. Be positive, be productive and smash it!
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