how to keep motivated at work when on count down?!

[Pagetta]

i'm 30 weeks, on 7 week countdown to finishing work.
Am in the middle of a huge project launch nation wide at the company - a project i have pushed for, own and am entirely responsible for. I have been planning it and co-ordinating it and promoting it for months - and I specifically timed it so that i could oversee the rollout before mat leave started...
problem is i'm now 30 weeks, with a 3 YO DS, and i'm quite frankly shattered and losing the will a little.
I really want to stay motivated - but equally i just want to go home and snooze!
I've got 7 more weeks, and four of those i'll be travelling a lot.
After having DS1 i had a year off, went back to work, and me and another mum got made redundant, so i really want to leave here on a high and feel confident in returning to my job - but my energy levels are really waning. It doesn't help my mat cover has started, as i'm at risk of early delivery so they wanted her in early!
AGH!

Also 30 weeks and on the 7 week countdown! I'm starting to struggle with motivation too as I'm so tired and I don't have another do at home as this is my first!

Use your mat cover as an excuse to start handing over the project and winding down if you can? My mat cover hasn't started yet but I'm starting handover documents which are reminding me that I don't have long left :-)

I agree though.....I'd much rather be laying on my sofa napping and watching rubbish TV!!

It's a huge nationwide product launch and there's only you responsible for it? In the nicest possible way, what would happen if you were hit by a bus tomorrow? How would your employer cope? It seems like poor planning on their part knowing you are pregnant especially. I know they have brought in your cover early just in case but it doesn't sound like they are really being used. I think it's reasonable for your workload to ease a little towards the end and I think the cover should be beginning to shoulder a bit more responsibility. If you are struggling now, what's it going to be like in another 5 or 6 weeks?

It's very difficult to stay focused as your date approaches, and I think it's entirely normal. I felt my body slowing in the last couple of months last time, and my mind definitely began it's switchover to new priorities in the last few weeks. This time my body has given up already at 28wks, mostly I suspect due to our non-sleeping toddler. I think the best you can do is accept your new limitations and request some small adjustments are made so you are able to reach the (work) finish line in one piece. If you aren't taking the piss, I can't imagine your employer can complain too much.

Not so much poor planning as an under resourced department. I'm hoping to wind down as I train up my cover more, just need to try to stay focused for a few more weeks during project launch! Hopefully can really back off in 2-3 weeks, just have my name all over this software launch so need to make sure it goes well!

If it's just a couple more weeks (although you said you had 4 weeks left of 'travelling a lot' in your OP?), then I'd throw every labour-saving option I had at it: ready meals, cleaner, additional childcare. Anything that could be outsourced, would be to give more time to rest up. Do you have a DP? Can they step up for this period as it's such an important few weeks for you at a difficult time?

I felt exactly as you do Pagetta

Similarly to you, I have a demanding job with a lot of 'sole' responsibility, and around the 30 week mark, I hit a wall and started to feel really overwhelmed by how far I had to go before finishing up, and constantly aware of how tired and demotivated I felt.

I actually took two days of leave at short notice - a Thursday and Friday, which gave me a long weekend - even though I was absolutely swamped at work. I took one of the days as a complete sleep late/chill out day and the other as a day to get organised for the new baby. Then I had the weekend also.

I just felt a lot better starting into work the following week. Better rested, and more able to plan and cope. I was far more productive the following week than I had been in the preceding two and it really boosted me up for a tough five weeks.

I'm not sure if this is practical for you, but I would say that taking a break - whether it's actual leave/sick leave/late starts/early leaving - in whatever form you can will leave you feeling better able to prioritise and manage what's to come. As you say, you've put a huge amount into this project already, and it would be great to head out on leave knowing you've done everything you can to make it a success.

Good luck. It's going to be a tough few weeks, but I'm sure it'll be worth it.