The Entrepreneur’s Guide to No Motivation Days
At least, this is how I handled ‘em.
Some days, it’s hard to get started working. No matter what you do, you just can’t seem to get anything done. As a business owner, this can be pretty fatal to your business if you let it continue.
After years of this, I’ve slowly found some strategies that have helped me get past them. Everyone works differently, so these might not work for you — but, give them a try and at least see if you see any improvement.
#1. No Zero Days
This is something I picked up from Reddit, and it’s helped me tremendously. The concept is pretty simple.
Rule numero uno — There are no more zero days. What’s a zero day? A zero day is when you don’t do a single fucking thing towards whatever dream or goal or want or whatever that you got going on. No more zeros. I’m not saying you gotta bust an essay out everyday, that’s not the point. The point I’m trying to make is that you have to make yourself, promise yourself, that the new SYSTEM you live in is a NON-ZERO system. Didnt’ do anything all fucking day and it’s 11:58 PM? Write one sentence. One pushup. Read one page of that chapter. One. Because one is non zero. You feel me? When you’re in the super vortex of being bummed your pattern of behaviour is keeping the vortex goin, that’s what you’re used to. Turning into productivity ultimate master of the universe doesn’t happen from the vortex. It happens from a massive string of CONSISTENT NON ZEROS. That’s rule number one. Do not forget.
Normally, once I get started I start to get into a rhythm. Which leads me to my next technique.
#2. Pomodoros
In the 1980s, Francesco Cirillo developed a new time management technique using a timer he had in his kitchen, which was shaped like a tomato (or, Pomodoro if you’re Italian like him).
The technique is simple. Start the timer for 25 minutes, and work. After the 25 minutes are up, take a 5 minute break and repeat. During your 25 minutes, don’t get off task and try and accomplish as much as possible.
After a few pomodoros of time go past, take a little bit longer of a break. Eventually, you won’t even need the timer.
I’ve been using this technique for a little over a year now, and it’s really helped with my productivity. When I know I’m going to have a bad day, and lose focus frequently I start the timer and force a couple tasks out. After a while, the work comes more naturally.
If you’re more visual, like me, try the Forest App. Instead of tomato timers, for every 25 minutes you work you plant a tree in a little garden on your screen. They even work on planting trees in the real world for certain milestones. It tracks your phone as well, so if you get off task — the tree dies.
Whatever way you do it, just make sure you’re keeping track and staying focused. It’ll all work out.
#3. Mental Health Days
There’s this idea out there that if you aren’t “hustling 24/7”, you’re never going to get anywhere.
This is false.
In fact, taking regular days to relax and reflect on your progress can help you take the step back necessary to see where you can improve.
Here’s the hard part…
Procrastinate on taking those mental health days. When you’re feeling pretty down, and you think you might need a break tell yourself “Tomorrow, I can take the day off if I still need it”.
If you feel like you need it two days in a row, go ahead and take it. Most times though, you’re going to feel much better the next day where you take it or not.
#4. Better Diet and Exercise
I feel like I’m beating a dead horse with this one, but it really does help. Every since I’ve started working out and doing the keto diet, my energy levels have really spiked.
In a matter of two months, I was down 20 pounds and that added self-esteem boost gave me even more courage to do some of the things I had been resenting (things like public speaking).
It doesn’t hurt to start small, but I really recommend 20–30 minutes of moderate exercise every day at a minimum. As someone who sits in a chair all day for work, it’s basically a requirement for me now.
What have you done to get past those bad days? Leave a comment below, I’d love to read it.
This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by 320,924+ people.
Subscribe to receive our top stories here.
