March is tough. The end of the year is still far, far away. That mid-year winter break isn’t arriving anytime soon and the calm, slow start to 2014 that you may have been enjoying is well and truly over.
The third month of the year is when the exhaustion really begins to hit. That’s why it’s a month that needs its own special set of survival tips in order to stay motivated for the rest of the year.
- Check in with your routines. Sit down with your ‘team’ — whether that’s you, your partner and you, your flat mates and you, or your entire family — and see how everyone’s coping with the morning routine. Could somebody shift their shower time? Is it time to give the kids some tuckshop money and quit making their lunches? Should certain activities be shifted to the afternoon? A rethink on this could solve some issues that might be bubbling under the surface, prevent future conflicts and make morning life a little easier for all involved.
- How are those 2014 goals going? Now’s the time to check back in on them to determine if they should be adjusted or what else you can change or do to make them occur. Find an hour to yourself this week to give those goals some consideration, determine how you’re tracking and if you need to completely overhaul the list to find some 2014 work/life satisfaction.
- And how about those 2014 resolutions? Most of these probably flew out the window by the end of January and far, far away in February. Now’s the opportunity to either pull them back in or get over that desire to be 5kg lighter and consume nothing raw food.
- Plan that mid-year break. It’s still months away but the very act of planning mid-year break will give you that little bit of added motivation you need to get through the next few months. And if you haven’t thought about taking a Winter trip, now’s the time to check in with the savings and the calendar and schedule something in.
- Schedule some ‘me time’. There are 31 days in March and, this year at least, five weekends. It’s the perfect month to take a day out for yourself. Schedule it in, let those who rely on you know that it’s coming up, and get out for a few hours to do something that’s all about you. If the kids play Winter sports March could also be your last opportunity to find such a day so make the most of it.