When you don't feel like going to work, or cleaning the house, or mowing the lawn, or whatever?

Question

How do you convince yourself to do it?

(How do you get past that initial (mental or physical) threshhold?)

I obviously have that problem lately, and you folks have helped me - I will try all the approaches you have recommended. ----- Thanks

(I have been working 15 months laying blocks on a castle wall (sound barrier wall), and recently every morning I dread working another 8 hours on it.)

Answer 1

I have several different approaches that have served me well throughout the years. The first is to set small goals, since nearly everything can be broken down into steps. Cleaning the house is easier, for example, if you do one room every day. For me, that time is usually right after I come home from work and haven't had a chance to relax yet. So I'll clean the bathroom--then STOP. Or clean up the kitchen--then STOP. I find it easier to set aside five or ten minutes and stick with it than I do in devoting the entire day to it.

Mowing the lawn? Since I have both a front and back yard, I'll only do one. If I feel up to it later that day, I'll do the other. If not, I'll do it the next day.

Major things that can't be broken down, I try to keep my eye on the prize. Why do I need to do it? Going to work, I'll focus on why I need the paycheck. I'll also plan on using some of the money to do something fun--no matter how small that something is. Then I'll think about how I'll use the money, and view the day at work as a necessary evil toward that goal.

Working out? I'll remind myself of whatever my physical fitness goal is, and also remind myself that this goal won't happen unless I put some heart and soul into it. Of course, I actually enjoy working out... but some days the energy just isn't there, you know? On those days I need to think of something that makes me now want to do what I didn't want to do before.

If all else fails, I'll tell myself that getting started on something is always the toughest part (which it usually is!)--and once started, I'm as good as finished with it. Or I'll think about how I won't have to worry about whatever the task is later if I just do it now.

It always helps to focus on rewards. If you don't HAVE any rewards... well, that's where the problem is, isn't it?

Answer 2

Well, if you really did decide not to get up and work on it, it wouldn't get finished. You had a tremendous goal in mind when you began and were determined to get it done. How far along are you, how long do you predict until you are finished? I'll have to check out the pictures again. The wall is pretty amazing!

I would just try to remind myself of the end result and convince myself it's worth it to finish it. I would probably set a goal each day to complete and by finishing those smaller goals, I would achieve the larger goal in the end.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Well it just happens that I am sick right now, I really don't feel like working at all or doing any thing but staying in bed. As long as I am not running a fever I am going to go on to work. I know what it is like when some one from the job is gone, it throws your work load on the rest of the people. Once your work is done (for the day) you can set back and admire what you have done even though you didn't feel like doing it.

Answer 4

i am more like in the 20 and 30;s range i would provably not run to walmart but i would run to a smaller store if the carried what i needed to run in for 5 minutes i am also a cashier at a grocery store and i see a lot of people come in with pants ripped paint and they always pay in cash which is also covered in paint or grime yuck ;P

Answer 5

Crow has the right idea, break it up into it's parts and concentrate on each step. Pretty soon the job's done and you don't even realize that you've gotten into the swing of the work.

BB,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 6

I get all my man slaves to do it, while I lounge on silken pillows enjoying peeled grapes and a nice glass of wine...yeah right. I just do it, thinking positive that the quicker I do it, the quicker I can sit down at the computer and dispense valuable knowledge to you dolts. :)

Answer 7

Well I've been known to pray for inspiration to get out of bed. And to pray for the inspiration to get my work done.
"Whatever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord".
I think you can apply that to anything you do, even washing dishes.
Oh, the inspiration comes.

Answer 8

I break the task down into small steps and concentrate on doing the first little step... then the next... then the next.

Answer 9

Just remind myself that the sooner that I get off my fat @$$ and get moving, the sooner that it gets done, and the sooner that I can get back to what I really want to do.

Answer 10

i normally tell that part of my brain that doesn,t want to , that the other part wants to and guess what that side won ... silly i know but hey its mind over matter , just got to find the part sometimes that matters