One thing people always ask is “how do I get motivated to do [insert a task/project you’ve been procrastinating on]?” And the answer is quite simple. Albeit probably not what you’d like to hear: you won’t always be motivated to do something. In fact, you might never feel motivated initially at all.
Why You Lack Motivation
Here are a few different reasons for the lack of motivation:
- You don’t think you will succeed (fear of failure).
- You don’t know how to start/proceed because you’ve never done the particular task at hand before. That means that you have to figure out something new which requires time and effort.
- The task is boring and you would rather do something else.
So when you’re looking at all of these reasons that deter you from getting motivated to attack the task at hand, the solution is actually quite simple. Just waiting for motivation to strike or you waiting for “being in the mood” to start X, is not a good idea if you want to get something done.
BUT you can do something about it. You CAN get the motivation to kick in by doing this one thing: just start doing the thing. Yep, it’s that simple (or hard if you will). You JUST have to start. You’re working up your appetite for it by DOING.
How To Get Started
But getting started to actually start doing “the thing” can prove tricky. You might have trouble getting “over that hump.” Thus, here are a few tips and tricks to help you get started:
- Time blocking: purposefully block off time in your calendar to work on on something. Time blocking gives you permission to solely focus on one task and minimizes the likelihood of you getting distracted by something else.
- Set a timer: if you have trouble starting, set a timer for 30 – 60 minutes and make yourself work on the task until the timer goes off. Don’t do anything else. Just do it! Oftentimes, you’ll find yourself already in the flow once the timer goes off that you’ll want to continue working on it longer. If so, great, you’ll get even more done! If not, that’s fine too, at least you did something for 30 minutes or so and made some progress.
- Break it down: a bigger project is much more manageable if you break it down into smaller chunks or actionable steps. It makes it less intimidating and thus helps you get started more easily.
- Define the next action: this is similar to the tip mentioned above. Basically, you want to get crystal clear on what the actual next step or single task is you need to take/accomplish in order to move forward. Getting clear on that detail makes a larger project more manageable.
- Minimize distractions: once you’re in working mode, make sure you don’t get distracted. Things that can help you with that are putting your phone on airplane mode (or turn it off completely), close out of all internet browser tabs that are not important to the task, etc.
- Time chunks: this tip is helpful if you’re dealing with a boring, long or repetitive task that “only” requires you to put in time. Break it down in manageable time chunks that allow you to complete the task.
- Reward yourself: root for yourself by letting a carrot dangle in front of you after project completion. Maybe you reward yourself with a massage or dinner at your favorite Thai place after X project is successfully completed. Come up with an alluring reward for yourself and you’ll get done with it much quicker!
Do you struggle with getting motivated? What’s the most useful tip you gained from this blog post?
(Lisa Tselebidis is a professional organizer and KonMari certified consultant offering in-home services in the NYC, New York-area as well as virtual services worldwide. Get in touch with her here.)
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