See How Easily You Can Get Motivated

Procrastination is odd. You are aware of how it does nothing but come between you and your goals, and yet you willingly partake in procrastinating activities.

What is it that makes procrastination such an attractive alternative to motivation? What causes you to choose to watch television when there’s nothing on, play games when you should be working, consume food when you’re not hungry, or sleep when you’re not tired, if you know that you’re only wasting your time?

The answer is simple: When you dare to procrastinate, you experience an immediate (albeit temporary) feeling of delight. Distracting yourself from the more daunting tasks that cause you anxiety is seemingly enjoyable, but comes at the cost of lost productivity. The worst part is how it’s only after you’ve finished procrastinating that you recognize the true value in the time you wasted.

If you are frequently angry with yourself for participating in this self-defeating behavior, read on — this article will provide you with some motivational tips that can help you win the battle against procrastination.

Have clear goals.

This point cannot be stressed enough. Having clear goals prevents you from “sleepwalking” through life without an intended destination. Viewed in their entirety though, any goal can be intimidating. That’s why it’s important to:

Break goals down into smaller steps.

Imagine your goal is to become a concert pianist. If you never break that goal down into a series of smaller tasks, it will always remain a fantasy — it is necessary to get access to a piano, find a piano teacher, learn the basics of reading music, and to practice regularly.

Work in an area designated for working.

Creating a work area has two benefits:

  1. It limits the amount of “pre-work.” For instance, if you intend to practice piano on an electronic keyboard every day, it would be silly to keep that keyboard in storage. You will be less likely to practice every day if you have to assemble your work area every time you want to practice.
  2. Eliminating the steps involved for “pre-work” significantly reduces the total number of steps that remain in achieving your goals. Consequently, you’ll be able to achieve your goals faster.

Let go of perfectionism.

Perhaps the biggest contributor to procrastination is the feeling that you need to do something perfectly. When you set the bar at the height of perfection, you’ll end up intimidating yourself so much that you’ll never even start. Don’t dwell on every detail involved when breaking down your goals. Focus on what you should do first, decide how you can get started with that first step today, and let the details fall into place on their own.

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7 Responses to “See How Easily You Can Get Motivated”

#1 Rhea Calvello on 26, Apr, 2007 at 3:37 pm

Hi:

Just found out that this is where I can reach you, and wanted to say hello. If you get a moment, please respond and let me know how you are. We all miss you and speak of you often.

Warm Regards,
Rhea

#2 Keara on 28, Apr, 2007 at 2:51 pm

so what about procrastinating by reading about how to not procrastinate?????

#3 Shaun Boyd on 28, Apr, 2007 at 9:11 pm

@Keara

Stop creating a paradox as a means of procrastination and get back to work!

#4 Helen on 06, May, 2007 at 9:36 pm

There is one other reason that may encourage procrastination. Mental illness.

A person with depression. for instance, will feel a definite lack of motivation to do very much, and when nothing gets done…well, your previous article about the hoarder may happen. It’s a vicious cycle. And one with OCD, like Monk, may very well get trapped in the “perfection” of things and get absolutely nowhere.

Lack of focus, that is..setting clear goals, is likely number one though.

#5 nimbus on 22, Jul, 2007 at 8:10 pm

Just had to say, this is a great site. Thanks for existing.

#6 Reboot » Sam’s Place on 10, Sep, 2007 at 8:46 pm

[…] people are depressed for a very good reason Don’t die with your music still on See how easily you can get motivated   « La magia de la solidaridad | […]

#7 Jaela on 01, Apr, 2009 at 12:23 am

I agree whole-heartedly with nimbus, I don’t know where you came from, or how I found this site, but thank you! 🙂

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