Everyone enjoys completing activities and crossing off items on their to-do lists. When you're working on a larger project or a longer-term assignment, that check mark can feel impossibly far away. So, what's the best way to go to the finish line?
There are a few tactics that work regardless of what you're trying to do. Most essential, create goals, keep yourself on track, and find the drive to overcome whatever is holding you back.
Here are some particular ideas and strategies for getting through the difficult part and completing certain jobs.
A book is being read.
What happens: You've read a few pages and are enjoying it so far. But then there's life. TV, Facebook, a new app, or actual employment could all be part of life. Whatever the case may be, the book will soon be resting on your bedside table for weeks. It just has a large number of pages.
Try this: Get out of the habit of counting down the number of pages you have left. Concentrate on the aspects of the book that you enjoy: what in the plot or the argument drew you to it in the first place? Try reading five or ten pages per day—even better if you get into it and read more than you planned. You'll be wondering how all those pages flew by before you realize it.
Putting together a book
What happens is that you have a brilliant idea, a beautiful outline, and a few pages. Some writers become stuck on page 10, while others become trapped on page a hundred. It's easy to become discouraged when writing a book. "I'll complete one day..." you say, but "one day" never seems to arrive.
Try this: Pick a specific date for your "one day," and set modest goals building up to it. Set a target for how many pages you'll write each day if you don't have many yet. Create a strategy for how you'll edit and arrange what you have if you have a lot of pages. Make a plan, give yourself deadlines, get the help of friends and editors, and keep working.
Writing assignments that are shorter
What happpen is that you are required to create a tale, an essay, a report, or whatever else you can think of. It isn't a novel, but it may be just as intimidating. There are pages of notes on your desk, but no introduction or conclusion. The argument isn't coming together, or you simply don't feel like writing a single phrase right now is too much for your brain to handle, so you'll do it later.
Try this: Breaking down your project into smaller tasks, setting deadlines for each mini-task, filling out an outline section by section, and so on will assist you out.
In addition to those tried-and-true methods, changing your mentality can help you get the thoughts down on paper. Choose a different location than where you usually work, for example. It may be a coffee shop, your office's common area, or your favorite easy chair—just make sure it's not too comfy that you fall asleep in it. A change of location can often be all it takes to turn the hazy ideas in your head into beautiful text.
Projects at work
What happens is that you join up for a project that sounds fascinating, but a higher-priority project comes along, and this one gets pushed to the side. Alternatively, you have a major task to complete, but it's one of those projects with "too many moving parts." In any case, it's lurking in the back of your mind, periodically causing guilt and asking to be moved to the forefront.
Try this: Set aside some time on your calendar to work on the problem project. Allow no one or nothing to steal that time away from you. During that time, consider the following questions: what is at the heart of the problem you're seeking to address, and what measures can you take to get there? To divide down your project into manageable components, write down those stages. Take each component one at a time, but keep the entire problem in mind while you work. The various processes will both arrange your work process and assure an organized final product that solves the problem directly and accurately.
Podcasts, shows, and other forms of entertainment
What happens: That true-crime podcast episode was a lot of fun to listen to...
However, your commute ceased halfway through, and finding time to do the remainder would be too difficult. Maybe you started watching a TV show with a promising first few episodes... Who has time for seven seasons, though?
Try this: The issue is once again being intimidated by what appears to be too much to handle. It is the purpose of entertainment to entertain. Let yourself off the hook if you're just not into it. Some tasks do not require completion.
If you do want to devote attention to a piece of media, set aside time for it. On your way home or at the gym, listen to the second half of your podcast. Watch one episode of that show your boss raves about once a week—after all, "catching up" is half the battle.
New pastimes
What happens: When it comes to hobbies like learning a new language or instrument, you frequently reach a stalemate. You were inundated with fresh information at first, and the patterns appeared to make sense, but then you come across a new set of laws, and the amount of effort required to figure them out begins to feel overwhelming.
Reduce your expectations, as harsh as that may sound. It takes more time and effort to master the violin than it does to solve a sudoku puzzle. Stick with it if you have that dedication. Make minor goals, such as learning to read music or playing a basic piece on the violin. Reward yourself for your accomplishments, and remind yourself why you were interested in your pastime in the first place when the task becomes too difficult.
Finish whatever you're working on.
The following are the primary takeaways that you can use to almost any project you desire to complete:
To keep on track, set goals.
To make your goals more manageable, break them down into smaller chunks.
Make a conscious effort to keep moving forward and avoid procrastination.
Recognize and reward yourself for your accomplishments.
Setting goals hold us accountable and motivate us to do be more productive. True