How do we get started on those huge task and how do we keep going? - Part 4

As we get closer to finishing the task and seeing the reward for our effort on the horizon we work faster and more accurately. The runners final burst of energy when he sees the finish line. How do we motivate ourselves and say motivated to at least get to that point?

Chunking the task into smaller sizes often helps but something that can help even more is setting a timer for a few minutes during which to work. Often once we start and keep our promise to work on it for 6 to 10 minutes and only 6 to 10-minute we get so involved we want to keep going. Getting the Just do it feeling. One important consideration about using this technique is you must stop and wait at least a minute before continuing. You made a promise and you must keep it. Breaking that promise will stop you from using it again. After stopping set the timer again and say I can stop then if I want, otherwise I’ll keep going and see how much I manage to do or finish this.

This is one way to get into the ‘just do it’ state of mind.

Rewarding yourself along the way can help too. Saying something like when I finish this… I will go to the movies or party on Saturday. It needs to be something that you don’t normally do and were not planning to do anyway. This is a challenging one. Using visualisation, seeing yourself enjoying this reward because you finished a task you set yourself can help you to motivate yourself into action. Still go easy on yourself because the reward just may not swing it.

We will work on even the most difficult task when we are almost out of time. For many people knowing a task can only take x hours or x minutes before it must be finished, is enough of a motivator. When the reward is a paycheque or the difference between outright failure and possible success (exams looming or handing in a report) we will wait till the last hours to get the task done. Whether we realise it or not it is because we shortened the time necessary and available for the task and the reward an acceptable distance from our effort.

So if possible, assign less time to the task than ancipated. As I’ve already mentioned completing a task is often a reward in itself. Having finished it sooner rather than later can be doublely rewarding.

Since large tasks and delaying gratification for later rewards is a battle between the emotional mind and the logical mind. There will never be one fixed strategy for all our human projects.