January is a funny month. Whilst the festive period of 2020 may have been a little different, there is no doubt that after all the excitement of December, January can feel very grey and a time when we want to hibernate. Even if we have committed to New Year’s resolutions or goals, the sudden greyness of January can make us feel in a bit of a slump and a slow down is inevitable.
Much like a computer. My husband is currently having difficultly with his laptop taking an absolute age to start up. As I am the designated IT support in my house, I’ve attempted to resolve this with my go to tool, that is to say, I had a quick look around the web for solutions.
It occurred to me as I was looking that so many of the solutions could be applied to us humans, too, so I thought I would give you a two-for-one as my substitution for the January sales that we won’t be able to indulge in this year.
Read on if either you, or your laptop, are struggling to get started.
4 Tips to Get Over a Slow Start
Clear Your Start Up Menu
You may have a lot of software that is set to automatically run at start up. If you have a number of apps loading as soon as you log in, this can slow your system down right away. Delete any non essential programs set to automatically start when you hit the start button and this should speed up your computer.
Translate as: Declutter
Spend some time this month decluttering, working out what you really need to be able to get on with your day and to be able to start your goals.
Look at decluttering your house, your mind and your schedule – what is holding your back?
You may also consider that your morning may need to be cleared up – what are you doing that will stop you from getting the start that you want to have.
Defragment
Defragmentation of your hard drive will ensure that your computer is not looking for files it requires for start up that should be next to each other.
Translate as: Get Organised
January is Get Organised Month. It was introduced in 2005 by the Association of Professional Coordinators to raise awareness of the amount of time that could be saved by organising (and of course hiring a professional organiser).
Take part in Get Organised Month by:
- Giving everything a home – gathering like items together and putting them in the most appropriate place. After decluttering, this will be easier!
- Firming up your schedule – work out what you will now have time for
- Gather together the things you will be needing to get started on your goals or help you to be more productive
- Plan an evening routine to be ready for your next day
Adjust Virtual Memory Settings
The more RAM you have the more tasks your system can handle at once. So if Windows is close to maxing out true RAM, it dips into virtual memory.
Translate as: Get a clear mind
If you’ve got lots of things in your head you are heading for overload. Starting the day, the year or your goals with everything still floating around your brain will cause you to feel overwhelm and make getting started difficult.
Start the week with a weekly review and get straight on what needs to be done. Find out what is distracting you and adopt techniques to prevent distractions.
Reset
If you’ve tried every other solution and still can’t speed up your boot time, it might be best to reinstall a fresh copy of your operating system.
Translate as: Take time out
Although at the time of writing we are still only in January, following a period during which we may naturally have taken a break, we can face time during the year when we start finding it hard to get started.
At this point, it may be time to take a break. Rest and recuperation are vital to being able to keep going and continue in having success. Have you booked any time out of your schedule to assess where you are?
Slow Down, Feel Groovy
Sometimes, a slow start is what you need to get out of a funk, assess where you are and find a way to move on. After all, the tortoise won the race.
Of course, maybe you want to start slow and if so, embrace it and be intentional about it rather than let it take you places that you don’t want to be. Find time to muse on the little pleasures and simplicities in life and then take a breath before going for the next step.
Are you embracing a slow start or attempting to get over it? Share your experiences in the comments below.
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Until next time, remember, if the excess baggage is weighing you down, you can always leave it in lost luggage.
Best wishes,
Ear Worm: Feelin’ Groovy, Simon and Garfunkel
I can’t take credit for the laptop boot up suggestions so for more information these were taken from:
6 Ways to Fix Slow Boot Times in Windows 10 (makeuseof.com)
and
The Redhead Resolve 