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When you are accountable only to yourself...

bizlady08bizlady08 subscriber Posts: 1
edited July 2008 in Thought Leadership
Help! I`m sitting at my desk, knowing I need to finish Projects A & B before I can call it a day, BUT I don`t wanna! It`s a beautiful day outside; I`d rather be in my garden. Or, I need to do the dishes (this comes up especially when I`m writing).
 
I`d love to hear what you guys do to motivate yourselves to get the less-than glamorous work done--especially when you don`t feel like doing it!
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  • AaronSAaronS subscriber Posts: 1

    Help! I`m sitting at my desk, knowing I need to finish Projects A & B before I can call it a day, BUT I don`t wanna! It`s a beautiful day outside; I`d rather be in my garden. Or, I need to do the dishes (this comes up especially when I`m writing). I`d love to hear what you guys do to motivate yourselves to get the less-than glamorous work done--especially when you don`t feel like doing it!

    I have to fight with this feeling just about every day; I work in beautiful San Diego, California and every day is a nice day.
    Here are a couple of things I do to pull through:Keep my head down and just DO IT; it`s easy to get distracted and it`s easy to try to put stuff off, but when I start getting distracted I grit my teeth and try my best to get it done.If I really can`t do it, and sometimes I can`t, I will try to work on something else for a little while just to change up pace, then I`ll get back to the important projects.The best thing you can do for yourself is to ask yourself: is it REALLY critically that I get this done now? I`m really hard on myself and sometimes I need to take a step back and realize "you know, I`ve actually been really, really productive today and my ROI is diminishing with every additional minute I spend sitting at my desk being frustrated at my own lack of focus. I think I deserve to take a few hours off and cool my jets." Sometimes, when you`re feeling worn out or distracted it`s because your body is telling you that YOU NEED A BREAK.
    Hope that helps!
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  • bluebonbonbluebonbon subscriber Posts: 0
    I promise myself a treat when I have completed the dreaded task. I also have learned to delegate the `unnecessary for me personally to do"  stuff. Example: I have a mobile pet grooming business. I need to design flyers, advertising, AND I need to clean the van to get it ready for the next client. I could choose to delegate either one or both. I hired a neighbor`s teenager to clean the van while I tend to the design of the flyers. Then I have someone do the addressing. If it was just me by myself, I have to look at which one is time critical. That would be the van so that has to come first. I can take the completed flyers and address them while I sit at the park.  When those things are done, I get to choose what activity I would like the best to do, whether internet surfing, going out to dinner, or maybe going to the beach.
    Also it is important to know your own "best times of day" to help you focus. I am NOT a morning person so as much as possible I plan easy tasks when I am still waking up.  When fully awake and full of energy I plan phone calls, writing  and  other heavy thinking work  or the actual grooming of pets. Know yourself and do what feels right at certain times of the day. Don`t expect to be able to go full blast all the time. Break your day into "work or relax chunks" so you have balance.
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