Uptree

Hiya guys! My name is Sarah and I am in Year 13 studying maths, physics and economics as well an ambassador for Uptree.

This is my little guide on how to stay motivated after being in lockdown. Whether or not you are a student, in full time employment or on a gap year, this lockdown has affected us all in numerous ways – here is my advice on how to get out of the slump!

Step 1: Acknowledge that we are all in the same boat!

Almost everybody I have spoken to has felt or is feeling lethargic after being cooped up for so long. It is a real struggle to ease back into ‘normality’.

My best advice is to ask others around you how they are really feeling so you can confirm that you are not the only one and also support others in the same boat

It will make you feel less guilty and bad for slugging around so cut yourself some slack – we have practically been in hibernation for the year (on and off).

Long story short, if you feel like you are behind then…it’s probably true! LOL. But we are all behind the curve in one way or another as an entire planet – don’t beat yourself up over it.

Let’s talk future.

Step 2: Embrace the boredom of consistency.

Embrace the boredom of consistency, you say? Well, yes. The process is long, tiring and a lot of time very monotonous but if you want to be great at what you do (or what you plan to do), you must embrace the boredom of consistency.

Write down your bigger goals. Split them up into monthly goals. Now split them up into weekly goals.

At the beginning of the week, set yourself a small list of goals that you want to achieve by the time it reaches Sunday. It could be to go on a walk at least 3 times during the week to establish that bigger goal of getting that hot girl summer bod or to learn 3 new words in Spanish to reach the wider ambition of becoming fluent in another language.

Keep them attainable. Keep them realistic.

Each week, tick each goal that you have reached off your list and plan again for the next week.

The key is to set small, incremental steps to get to wherever it is you envision your future self. Don’t focus on going from 0 to 100, instead focus on 0 to 10. Then 10 to 20 and so on until you reach 100!

A sneak peek into my weekly list of goals:

1. Learn how to cook a new meal.

2. Go to the gym at least twice a week.

3. Clean out my wardrobe.

I promise you, writing your goals down really does help structure your day and week. If the past year has taught us anything it is that without a routine, the days very quickly merge into weeks, months and before you know it, we are celebrating the one-year Quarantinaversary!

Start small – it is all about taking that first step and not a leap! You want to establish a pace that you can maintain rather than embark on a short-lived sprint.

Step 3: What others think of you is none of your business.

The physicists amongst you may recognise the person behind this quote – Richard Feynmann (who was a very fine man). Who cares what other people think of you? You are on your own path. You have a unique set of skills that are tailored specifically for your path.

Since you are one of a kind, you cannot expect your path to be the same as everybody else’s

Don’t look to others to seek validation – look to yourself. You should constantly strive to be better than everyone else. FALSE. You should constantly strive to be better than the person you were yesterday.

Example: If yesterday, you only managed to walk for 10 mins around your block, today try walking for 15 minutes! If you only managed to work through 2 tasks yesterday, work through 3 tasks today!

Side note: ‘Comparison is the thief of all joys’ – remember that. You must remember everybody has their OWN path and yours is being paved daily whether you like it or not, so you better pick up a shovel and some bricks because nobody else is going to do it for you. As Kevin Hart says, ‘the sun don’t stop for nobody.’

It is on you to decide how you make the most out of all the opportunities afforded to you.

Last but nowhere least: stay curious and do what interests you the most

Before we finish, let us all remember and pray for those who were unable to make it through the pandemic and to count our blessings to still be able to see the sun rise.