The motivation to get things done

[ViceVirtue]

It's 5pm saturday afternoon here, and my day has been almost a complete waste. There are numerous things, big and small, that I could have been doing, but I've spent most of my time avoiding them. Instead I've been "relaxing" with some tv, the internet, taking a nap, etc. I did manage to do the dishes and laundry, but I could probably name off 10 more tasks that would be benefitial to do from exercising to selling some things on eBay - things I decided to sell a year ago. Probably only 20 minutes of my day have been spent doing something productive and worthwhile! Help!

I think this all comes down to motivation/procrastination and I'm really struggling in this department. It frustrates me at times because I know I'm wasting so much of my day, but when it comes to the choice of doing something productive vs. unproductive, I usually find myself on the unproductive side.

Anyone have any tips or recommendations on how I can become motivated to make use of my day by accomplishing various tasks that need to be done rather than just wasting it away?

Side-question: There's a lot of talk about the book "Getting Things Done" on this forum. I get the sense that it's really designed for the person who has an overwhelming amount of things to do and needs a system to help organize the chaos - not for someone like me who really has a low-moderate amount of things to do and just needs the motivation to actually do them. Is this a fair assessment? Is GTD a book that could help me?

Thanks!

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by ViceVirtue

It's 5pm saturday afternoon here, and my day has been almost a complete waste. There are numerous things, big and small, that I could have been doing, but I've spent most of my time avoiding them. Instead I've been "relaxing" with some tv, the internet, taking a nap, etc. I did manage to do the dishes and laundry, but I could probably name off 10 more tasks that would be benefitial to do from exercising to selling some things on eBay - things I decided to sell a year ago. Probably only 20 minutes of my day have been spent doing something productive and worthwhile! Help!

I think this all comes down to motivation/procrastination and I'm really struggling in this department. It frustrates me at times because I know I'm wasting so much of my day, but when it comes to the choice of doing something productive vs. unproductive, I usually find myself on the unproductive side.

Anyone have any tips or recommendations on how I can become motivated to make use of my day by accomplishing various tasks that need to be done rather than just wasting it away?

Side-question: There's a lot of talk about the book "Getting Things Done" on this forum. I get the sense that it's really designed for the person who has an overwhelming amount of things to do and needs a system to help organize the chaos - not for someone like me who really has a low-moderate amount of things to do and just needs the motivation to actually do them. Is this a fair assessment? Is GTD a book that could help me?

Thanks!

Hi ViceVirtue (Interesting choice of usid )

I think GTD would help you.

I am reading it at the moment and I am already seeing how much of an idiot I have been by doing the unproductive things to 'feel' as if I'm doing productive, when in fact I'm not.

Also, have you tried Steve Pavlina's concept of time boxing? With this you are only commiting a small time segment to a task. However as is often the case, the motivation, once you have started, is self-generating and you might be amazed at what you can achieve.

Try this with something you have REALLY been putting off. Say to yourself that you will give it 15 mins (set a clock) and if after 15 mins at it you want to quit...then quit. But you might find that you will wonder what the fuss was all about!

[RT Wolf]

That's sorta the marketting of GTD. I find GTD to be an incredibly flexible system in terms of the amount of things to do. It carries me from times I don't have a lot to do to times when I'm being flooded. Definitely read it.

[Cron]

Originally Posted by ViceVirtue

Anyone have any tips or recommendations on how I can become motivated to make use of my day by accomplishing various tasks that need to be done rather than just wasting it away?

Yes. Recognize that question as being part of the problem.

I've worked on my procrastination issues over the last year. I've read a number of books, listened to a number of talks and I tried various things out.
Procrastination is the result of way people think about, percieve, or what they believe about a situation.

One of the most frequent beliefs that cause people to procrastinate is the belief that they have to feel motivated to do something before they do something.

They are a sail boat which has to wait for a gust of wind to blow into their sails before they can move.

Truthfully, inspiration like that does happen, but only in the rare minority of instances.

Most of the time motivation works more like a dynamo. You start off with nothing, but once the wheels start to turn electricity ( motivation, momentum, fun ) gets generated.

Doing makes motivation.

Not the other way around.

Think about how many tasks you do every day, where you are not even conscious as to whether or not you "feel motivated" to do them. You don't need to "feel motivated" to get something done or to enjoy it.

Think about all of the times you have procrastinated on something and have noticed that it is not that bad, or even fun, once you got going.

Remind yourself of this everyday. Also, notice it everyday.

Sometimes people get out of bed knowing that once they have a cup of coffee they will feel okay. I frequently get started on various tasks, knowing that once I get started motivation will come afterwards.

It is like a cup of my magic motivation coffee

If you practice noticing these reactions in your daily life over time your thinking will shift and you will have fewer problems getting going.

[Milo Riano]

Don't say your day was a waste. Once every quarter I would always treat myself to 1 to 3 days of bumming around.

On the part of being productive, a lot of people on this thread have suggested tips and things to get you organized. As for the motivation part, I'd just tell myself that laziness is all in the mind. Just do it man...

[ViceVirtue]

Thanks all!

I did pick up GTD over the weekend and read the first part of it. Seems like a great methodology, but I don't think it will address my core problem. I did find the idea of "open loops" of tasks/projects causing anxiety to hit home. I think in my case I'm loosely aware of various open loops I should accomplish and when I don't make progress towards them I get frustrated with myself. Perhaps if I define them and table them in a similar system I could at least rid some of the anxiety that comes when I don't accomplish some of them.

Originally Posted by Cron

Doing makes motivation.

Not the other way around.

Cron, you hit the nail on the head!! I know exactly what you are saying and I've lost sight of that. Guess I was just too frustrated with myself for "wasting" a significant part of a weekend again and wanted an easy answer or solution in a book. I know better. You are right. Thanks for reminding me!

[Gautam]

Give Time-Boxing a shot! Look at one thing that needs to be done and allot exactly 30 mintues to get it done (or any other time limit that makes sense). Even if you don't finish the task you set out to, its ok! Just work all the alloted time (30-mins) on it.

This way you will see that you have made some progress and that in turn will be a great motivation. Most times I personally find myself going over my alloted time and continuing till I finish the entire task!

I once set out to read the book "Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" for an hour and instead finished the book in about three. See the motivation here?

On a side-note, I highly recommend that book. Its very inspirational and motivating to a large extent.

All the best!

[Lonewolf]

This is actually absurdly difficult and ViceVirtues issues are the crux of the whole self development thing. I think the key is make the transition from a passive person to being an active person. It's mostly just about habits....

[JeffS]

Originally Posted by Milo Riano

Don't say your day was a waste. Once every quarter I would always treat myself to 1 to 3 days of bumming around.

Well...the key there (to me, anyway) is to decide ahead of time that you're going to get that day off. Obviously there's nothing you can do about a lost day--beating yourself up about it after the fact doesn't do any good--but ideally, you bum around for a day or three when you've decided you're going to.

My current strategy for a big project I'm working on is to work a certain amount per day, every day (luckily the project is easily broken down into measurable segments). If I get ahead by a full day, I'm going to take a full day off--no thinking about this enormous project. That way I can actually enjoy it, rather than deciding one morning that I feel crappy and I'm going to get myself behind.

On a related note, I totally, completely agree about the wonderfulness of time-boxing. Really, anything you can do to get started--just a little teeny bit--is huge. I've had days where I bummed around for hours, then I forced myself to work for five minutes...and I kept working for ten more hours. That's rare, but momentum is everything.

[Andrew Lwe]

Originally Posted by ViceVirtue

It's 5pm saturday afternoon here, and my day has been almost a complete waste.
....
Anyone have any tips or recommendations on how I can become motivated to make use of my day by accomplishing various tasks that need to be done rather than just wasting it away?

Some time ago I suffered from the same problem because I'm such a lazy guy. Then I realized that if I don't have motivation to do something, this means that I don't believe that this something is truly beneficial to me.
e.g. I don't have motivation to get up early - this means I don't believe it is useful for me.
So, if you don't want to waste your day, think of a bold and hairy goal you would really like to achieve. You will be automatically motivated to do everything that you believe brings you closer to your goal. All the other things won't matter much anymore.

[Snason]

Wow, 2 years later and here I am replying better late then never.

To do lists help the motivational process here is what I do.

For every 1 thing I accomplish I get 1kr (sweden) however I can't cash in until I have atleast reached 50 things accomplished. ( this is for my chores)

- I use my money to save for things I really need ( ie. freezer, new bed etc) which gives me a satisfaction that I have actually earned the right to posses these material things.

- Money is a motivator especially when used right if used wrong it can de-motivate one

For every 25 things I accomplish personally ( personal development, bath, read, meditate, brush teeth etc) I get a foot massage from my partner
For every 35 things accomplished personally I get a neck massage
For every 45 things I accomplish I get a back massage
For every 55 things I accomplish I get a whole body massage

- this helps me spiritually, this is my rewarded rejuvination, some people go to the spa or do things that they love, I chose it this way based on me.

[jbsmith]

Even though this is an old thread - it brings out the difference between tactics and underlying Purpose. When you don't understand or organize your thoughts, behaviors and actions around an inner purpose, then it doesn't matter what tactic you use, it will fail.

Ever wonder why some people seem to have very little trouble being highly productive - and they don't deploy any substantial techniques or tactics?

It's because they...

1. Have established some fundamental desires, goals in line with a deeply helpd purpose in their life. Those goals may be to be the best parent they can be, achieve a certain weight and body fat percentage, attain certain financial goals, attract a certain type of person or people into their lives, devote their life to helping people through the arts...etc.

2. Link their activities and their consequences toward achieving (pleasure) or NOT achieving (pain) these goals.

It's a chain reaction...when you are driven by underlying purpose that you truly believe you can't live without AND you derive an action plan based on achieving this purpose, you are much more likely to live an action-oriented, productive and directed life.

Without purpose, you have a set of loosly held, short-term objectives which are often set or influenced by others in which you don't believe in - no wonder we can't stay motivated under these circumstances.

Jeff