Get Into the Game

It often happens that we know the tasks in front, we are aware of the goals we set or set by others, and we are fully concious of the huge benefits of reaching the goals, as well as the big penalties if we miss the goals, but we just don't have the mood to do it, we conciously or subconciously searching for excuses to procastinate.

Here is a tip I often used to spice up the game: set a record and try to break it.

Say I have a project to finish, and subconciously I felt the project boring. "OK, " I say to myself, "rather than doodling my morning off, I am gonna set a record on this type of project. I will finish it in HALF hour." Well, I know half hour is not possilble to finish the project as my experience tells, but for a "boring project", half an hour is about the optimum time (for me) to engage.

Next step is very important, plan. The more impossible the task appears, the more important it is to analyze and make strategies. Well, of course don't spend the whole half hour planning, just look at the project, and say "here is 1-2-3 to finish the project, and I know just what to do to finish it". Off I go.

Important: Keep timing every now and then, and trying very hard to beat the clock, as if it is the deadline of your life.

Sometime I do finish the project. "Wow, How amazing!". Most time, I couldn't finish it. "Good game. I will beat it next time. But I did well this time." Most of the time, I will be set into such a good track and keep on going overtime -- If the project ever got finished, I may just start another one. But if the project is really boring, I procastinate it to the next deadline and went on browsing popurls.com, with a much comfortable feeling that I had made significant effort on the task and nobody, not anyone, even my concious, should blame me." :)