Motivation Monday – I sorta took February off – but I have a plan!

Hello fellow bloggers! Remember way back in January when Stephanie over at Corn and Cotton invited us to join her Motivation Monday group? Genea-bloggers were encouraged to outline their monthly goals the first Monday of each month and then take Fridays to update and share their accomplishments. It was the choice of each individual to update weekly or monthly. The purpose of the group still is to encourage each other as we pursue our goals and cheer accomplishments.

Guess what? I pretty much took February off. Now I got stuff done, but it was random. A hit or miss in getting research or organizing stuff done. You know what I mean? No real plan, so some stuff happened but a lot didn’t.

I can see flitting from one thing to another just isn’t going to work. So with some real thought and a true desire to accomplish things in my genealogy research – I have a plan! I work part-time, so I have the luxury of a couple of days a week where I should be compiling loads ancestor data. With my plan I will!

As hard as this is for me to admit, I accomplish so much more in the morning. I’d rather sleep in and roll out of bed about 9ish (wouldn’t we all?) but I’ve come to realize too, my most productive hours are in the a.m. Once 3pm rolls around I’m no good at concentrating, writing, etc. So those tasks that need me to “focus” need to be put in the morning hours and the “lighter thinking” jobs can be left for the afternoon.

*So starting this very morning I’m getting up at 5am daily. I will read/answer my email, exercise, get my bundle of joy off to school, play with twitter, eat, shower and start my workday by 8:30am.
*Then to my desk where I won’t check Facebook, but will do actual work. First putting together a research strategy for the day, that idea came from Tonia’s blog here. Then I’m thinking two hours research without self-induced interruptions. Real research! No sneak peeks of twitter or my email. Just work!

*Next a break for lunch, followed by education. I’ll put aside an hour to watch a webinar, read a couple of chapters in a book, etc.

*Finally before my bundle of joys arrives home from school, I’ll take a half-hour to organize the days research, putting papers away, clearing my desk and having a clean slate for my next off day.

I admit this schedule is just for two days a week but ohh how those days could be profitable if I only put my mind to it and stick to my plan. Wish me luck! I’m gonna need it! My next post will have this month’s specific research topics that will be worked on in the above time slots!

How about you? Do you have a schedule? Tell me how yours works and give me some tips. I’m all ears!