About being productive when that's the last thing I feel like doing

[Lucky Kiona]

(x posted from blog)

There are times when I get up and I just KNOW that this day is going to be a struggle as far as doing all the things I need to get done that day. Whether it's because I am tired, or I'm in a bad mood, or I an uninspired, unmotivated, aunt Flo is visiting, I just had a bad show the day before, or my to-do list is so extensive I keel over by intimidation, I feel the need for a motivation intervention. Now I have developed a trick for days like these that I am willing to share with you on the internets, you may thank me later. If you get to it on your to-do list that is.

I start off making a to-do list that includes absolutely everything that is on my mind and needs to be accomplished that day. Big and small, important and trivial, work related and personal, it all goes on the list. Then I pick something that makes me happy that I can do in short intervals. Maybe that means a book with short chapters, or a computer game with quick tasks (I am a geek after all), reading up on your favorite blogs news paper or magazine, knitting, sewing, you get where I am going. These are a few of my examples but I am sure you can think of something that suits you best.

Then you get to it. You do the thing that makes you happy (read that book, play that game, read that blog/news post etc) until you get to a stopping point. This could mean the end of a chapter, a post, a game level, article, knitting row, etc. Or if you can't find something that easily works with short intervals, pick something like a time limit or page limit.
Then at that stopping point, put it down and pick a random item from your to-do list. And do it. When you get done with that one item from your to-do list, pick up the thing that makes you happy again and go for it until your next stopping point. Do this over and over until you get through either all or a large part of the items on your list.

I have done this many times and boy does it work. I think it actually makes me more productive compared to days where I don't feel the need to motivate and distract myself. I believe one of the reasons is because it makes me super efficient at the tasks on my to-do list as I want to get them each done as soon as possible so I can get back to the fun part. Secondly it keeps me from getting distracted by all those other things that get me every day, such as checking your email fifty times, checking my friends updated on facebook or twitter, googling that recipe I am dying to try and then finding 50 others, adding new songs to my playlist, and so on. It keeps me on task. To-do list, fun, to-do list, fun ... And done!

Give it a shot sometime, and let me know how it works for you!