How to get things done is actually quite a difficult thing to do. Many productivity systems tell you about how to organize things in a todo list, but don’t tell anything about when you don’t feel like doing them.
There are many reasons why people don’t like get things done:
Resistance to start work on something
First of all, it’s important to analyze the reason for the resistance. Identifying the problem can help lead to a solution.
There are a few suggestions which could help with the resistance:
- Break down the work into tuny chunks. Start with 5 minutes of work on it. That will feel less intimidating.
- Just start with something, rather than thinking about the whole thing. Sometimes just getting out the door, is better than thinking about the whole 10 mile run. YOu will eventually get there, but no need tot hink about it fromt he start. take one step at a time.
- Reward yourself after every chunk of work. 20-25 minutes of focused work, followed by 5-10 minutes of reward time.
- Being excited about the work will also help in reducing the hesitation associated with the work. Try to ding something that excited you related to the work, and yoyu should feel less hesistant to start work on it.
Terrified of certain tasks
There can be a few reasons why a certain task or project might terrify you:
- It’s possible that the task is too intimidating due to it’s size or scope. To combat this, simply break the task down to smaller chunks which is doable.
- You don’t know how to do it, and this lack of familiarity is always terrifying. To deal with this, start researching on the task at hand. The more familiar you get with it, the les terrifying it will be.
- There is also a possibility that you might be focusing on the negative aspects, and looking at the obstacles only. Rather, look at the positives, like the opportunities it’s going to open up, or the opportunity to learn something new. If you look at the opportunities, and not at the problems, then there is a high chance that you will less terrified about it.
Get distracted far too often
If you are able to start, then you have already taken a big step towards your goal. Now you just need to make sure to work on the distractions. Following are a few suggestions:
- Focus on doing smaller tasks. If anything is longer, break it down to small chunks of 15-20 minutes. Working on smaller tasks will make sure that you remain focused.
- Do only one task at a time. Do not try to multitask. If you try to multitask, then you are surely to get distracted from the task at hand. If you feel that you are getting pulled away from the task at hand, take control and bring yourself back at that instant.
- Unplug from distractive elements. With the whole world available at the tip of the hand, it’s better to turn everything off and do the task at hand. It’s a guarantee that you will get more done when you are disconnected from the internet.
- Clear your desk of distractions. Items on the desk can create a visual distraction, and clearing it off including the items on the wall is going to be worth it. Also make sure to only have the one/required program(s) open if working on any device.
- Take breaks on completing a smaller task. The small breaks will allow the brain to reboot and help focus on the next task.
Don’t feel like doing anything at all
This thought has plagued everyone a lot of times, and there is no one-answer-fits-all. You can try to follow any of the steps, whichever works.
- Make sure to groom yourself and get ready for work. Grooming will make us feel better.
- Take a walk to boost mood. Exercise is also great. A simple walk or a jog is going to get the blood pumping and make you feel happy and productive.
- Think about the future, and contemplate how the work you are going to do or avoid today is going to affect your future tomorrow. With this you would be more willing to do the task at hand.
- Rather than taking a large task at hand, take baby steps. And if it’s small, fun and rewarding, then you might be motivated to do the next task.
- Try to find tasks that are fun, and inches you towards your goals too. Don’t just play useless games for fun.
Waking up with a bad mood
There us a very high chance that you might have made a list of tasks to complete the next day, but when you wake up, you realise that you have a bad mood, and not feeling to do anything.
- If you are waking up with a bad mood on multiple days, then there is a high chance that you are overloading yourself with work. People have a habit of putting off a lot of tasks for a single day, by overestimating their capability. This can lead to burnout. Choose at a maximum of 3 important tasks for a day. And if you still have time, then batch multiple small tasks and complete them in one go.
- Have fun at work. If you are loading yourself with multiple unpleasant tasks, then you probably aren’t going to feel like working. Try to create an exciting to-do list for tomorrow. If you have nothing important that is enjoyable, then you are probably doing the wrong job, and you should be looking for work that you can enjoy.