Motivating Yourself

Mark Silber Associates in Poway, California, gives these tips for motivating yourself to start and complete projects. Most of them are also appropriate when setting financial and spending goals, and managing your money.

Put plans on paper. Spell out goals and specific ways to reach them.

Break the job down into small pieces so that you have no excuse for not starting it.

Establish checkpoints so you can check on your progress.

Remind yourself of the benefits you expect from completion of the job.

Avoid temptation by deliberately avoiding circumstances that might sidetrack you (GET STARTED, don’t stall.)

Get an early start.

Take advantage of energy peaks, those periods of the day when you are habitually in top form.

Take risks. Don’t be afraid to try new methods.

Keep time control by comparing the priorities of various projects in progress.

Set deadlines and hold yourself to them.

Make an honest distinction between "I can’t" and "I don’t want to."

Decide how you want to start. What needs to be done first?

Use self-signaling devices . . . notes, cues, reminders.

Recognize conflicts and make a choice. Don’t let inertial set it.

Give yourself the right to make mistakes. No one’s perfect.

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