How do you motivate yourself to start a task?

[socialgutbrain777]

Well, when I actually do something about it, I use my catastrophic anxiety to conjure up a domino effect scenario in which I indirectly cause the apocalypse or something akin to that, thus prompting me to do my task so that I don't eventually die a slow and painful death by radiation poisoning due to the apocalypse that I indirectly caused if I just sat on my arse instead. Is it healthy? Well, I'm not sure, but it usually has a good success rate.

 

[Rectify]

I use a time schedule more or less. Have to do this by 9, that by 11, etc. When I get to the time I just have to push myself to start. Its easier to do the push and stay on schedule then have things pile up and be behind.

Yeah, I work on a schedule too. I have to be careful to get the balance right - not over-scheduled or under-scheduled.

Then I also have a to do list for each day, for the week and for the month. I don't always get everything done but having it written down helps. If I don't get something done I MUST (rule made by me obviously) transfer it to the next day. So I'm not 'getting away with not doing it'. If I don't complete the task it's following me.

I don't know if this would work for you or help you @onlything but it has helped me.

 

[SolarPoweredNightOwl]

Habits are by nature automatic, and can bypass task initiation issues. It does take work and conscious effort to build them, and a bit of effort to maintain them, but routines and habits work wonders for repetitive tasks. I personally keep a list of repeated tasks (habits), because it doesn't take much for me to get derailed and "break" good habits.

I'm trying to piggyback off this by building a "habit" of attacking my to-do list at certain times of day (so I can handle non-repetitive tasks). We'll see how that goes.

 

[Bronzelincolns]

good question...