June 4th 2008
Productivity Tips
3 comments
Getting stuff completed often takes hard work and effort at the best of times, and it can be harder still when you aren’t motivated, or don’t even want to work on it in the first place. Even the simple two minute task can become akin to a chore if you don’t like what it is you have to do. Often just completing it is can be be a relief. But why stop there? Really reward yourself for getting stuff done.
You may have heard of the saying “work hard, play hard.” That really sums up the whole point of this tip. Putting in the time and effort to complete something should be acknowledged (it is an integral part of the productivity cycle). Not only does it allow your mind to really gain closure on a project, but it emphasizes what you can get out of it when you put in the effort to achieve something. And it’s a great motivational tool for getting unpleasant work done.
When you plan out your projects and break work down into bitesize chunks, think about what reward you can attach to it, though make sure it is appropriate to the amount of effort you’re expected to put in. It’s self-defeating to book an expensive holiday for doing one day’s work. Don’t think that reward automatically involves spending lots of money, just make sure it’s something you can appreciate. While it would be great to buy yourself a new television or a console, you can still get a great deal of satisfaction without splashing out. If you’ve spent several days focusing on dieting and eating healthy, go out for a meal. If you’ve been spending your evenings at work and you’ve missed your favorite shows, buy them on DVD.
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Thanks for the useful post! Interestingly, token rewards work just as well, if not better, because there’s no guilt involved for actual purchases, especially when you’re trying to be frugal like me.
Before I started blogging, I dreaded the many daily, mundane tasks that my office jobs required. So, I devised a token reward system that worked for me using only pennies, nickels, quarters, and nails that I kept in my desk at work. Whenever I completed a small but dreaded task, like checking my emails, I moved a penny from my drawer into an empty jelly jar on top of my desk. As soon as I finished a bigger task, like going through my huge in-box, I put a nickel in the jar, and so on. The nails (which represented dollars, I wasn’t about to leave dollar bills out on my desk!) were for really big tasks like a report or phone calls with clients. Just watching that jar fill up every day was motivation enough to get through some of my toughest days. I’m not sure it would work for everyone, but it worked for me.
Maybe if it helps, you could buy yourself something nice if you fill up the jar with enough change to make $1, $5, or $10… whatever seems to make sense to you and is in your budget.
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Joel Falconer:
June 5th, 2008 at 12:10 am