Photo by Pittaya Sroilong

Well, the plane trip was stressful, but sitting here in my hotel room typing while Arden naps I actually feel very peaceful. Some of this might be due to getting more sleep than normal due to happy accidents of the baby’s biorhythm. Some of my exuberant sense of well-being, though, comes from being in a place with no reminders of chores to do.

In this small room I’m far away from anything that reminds me of dishes to wash, laundry to fold, and errands to run. I have deliberately not gotten access to the hotel’s wifi for this computer and so I’m not able to do anything online as I work on this article. My vision board, project list and task list are all far away in my home office. ..no distractions from existing lightly in the moment . In this gentle state, when Arden sleeps and I have a little time to myself, the writing just wells up lightly and effortlessly.

I think that’s what I love most about vacations—the lack of distractions. Being away from your customary physical space removes you from many of the embedded environmental cues. These cues remind you of still-to-be-done Stuff and reinforce you in your day-to-day mental habits, both good and bad. I think this goes for electronic environments too—habits of using Twitter and email function almost like a virtual version of physical space and can bring you back just as quickly to your workday state of mind.

Taking a break not just from work but from your typical work cues is a crucial aspect of taking a good vacation or even just a good break. A change of scene helps you change your thinking and mood by separating you from the cues you are used to, cues that are associated with have-to-stuff and with certain moods and emotions and habits. Novel environments can free up your mind just by freeing you of your usual associations… but only if you choose not to take those associations with you.

What makes a truly effective work break or vacation for you? What kinds of cues in your physical environment embody projects, tasks and chores?

Photo by Jiun Kang Too

Change is tough, and every change is an interruption of your focus and your thought processes. Making it easy to get started can also help tremendously if you have a tendency to procrastinate on a certain kind of task, because the ritual of your smooth transition sets you up for your work to feel easy instead of difficult, and minimizes resistance that you might feel to starting.

Creating smooth, seamless habits for common transitions can save you a lot of time. It can also save you a lot of mental and emotional energy as well; making transitions effortless instead of arduous cuts down not only on time spent but on stress you might feel.

Effective transitions work like this:

• Needs are anticipated and things are set up ahead of time to meet them.
• Transitions are routines, and work very similarly, if not the same way, each time.
• Little to no thought is required to carry them out.
• Actions carried out are quick, streamlined and effortless.
• Enough flex time is worked into the routine to allow for unexpected issues to be dealt with in ways that don't disrupt the routine too much, and to allow for the routine to feel relaxed rather than rushed.

An example of a great transition structure that many people have is a workday morning routine for leaving the house. This routine transitions you in a couple of different ways; you are transitioning from asleep to awake, from in to out of bed, and from inside to out the door. I don't know about you, but I am pretty brain-dead in the morning. My morning routine is exactly the same each day; my light-based alarm clock wakes me up gently, and my CD player alarm plays music to cue me that it's time to actually get up. I get out of bed, make coffee, then spend some time at the computer to catch up on my email and do small easy tasks related to my coaching business and my personal to-do list. I get dressed, add my book and food for the day to my bag, perhaps read a little more online if I am early, then say goodbye to my husband and leave. (Your list would probably have showering on there; for me, a bath is part of my going-to-bed routine instead.)

If for some reason something unexpected comes up in the morning that needs to be taken care of, the time I like to spend in front of the computer can easily be cut out, and I can handle whatever it is effectively while still getting out the door on time for my bus. This routine happens the same way each morning, with very little deviation. No real thinking is involved to get me up and out the door.

I set myself up for this routine to be easy with another routine, done on the weekend. Over the weekend, among other things that I do, I have a list of things I go through to set myself up for easy mornings. All my work clothes get laundered and hung in one section of the closet, I make up ziploc bags of homemade instant oatmeal for my breakfasts, and I make sure that the organic frozen meals I usually eat for lunch are sufficiently stocked up in my freezer.

Routines like this are enormously helpful anytime you are consistently changing locales or activities, and they are a key part of successful time management. I am trying to create a more effective "coming home" weekday ritual right now because getting in the door doesn't seem to happen nearly as smoothly as getting out in the morning. I'm developing this routine for myself by adding one or two elements at a time and seeing if I like them. I keep what works and discard what doesn't.  I'm also developing a "sit down and work on coaching business development projects" routine.   Eventually new routines will crystallize and become as consistent as my morning routine I hope... though any routine I use, of course, is subject to change as my needs change.  Routines are great at work too, to switch gears between projects, roles and tasks... though I chose a simple and specific routine that we can all relate to as an example.

What transition routines do you have that work well in your life and help you manage your time effectively? Where do you think that developing or improving a routine might increase your efficiency and decrease your stress?

Note: I'm taking the week off! Please enjoy this reprint of a blog entry I posted in August 2009.

Photo by Harry Wood

My worst energy-leaking habit is worrying. I have been a worrier for as long as I can remember. Even though I know that worrying about things I can't change does not help anyone or make me happy, I still find that in vulnerable or still moments I can become awash with fearful thoughts of might-be's and could-be's that are completely outside my control. I struggle with this habit-- and I make progress, but I still have a long way to go.

Today's Three Small Things will get you thinking about how you let energy leak away.

1. What one habit do you have that drains away energy instead of investing or enjoying energy?

2. What are three small things you can choose to do differently today to steward some of your energy more wisely?

3. Using energy wisely isn't all about getting things done-- energy can be used well in ways that yield simple happiness rather than conventionally "productive" results. How do you spend energy on things that aren't goal-oriented, but still worthwhile and delightful?

Note: As long-time readers can see, I'm bringing back my Three Small Things posts. Expect them around the third Wednesday of every month as a mid-week and mid-month reflection. Enjoy!

Photo by Jesus Solana

So here below are my tips on how to truly, fully, unambivalently say yes to something:

1. Get the details.

2. Find out what resources and help you'll have.

3. Look at the big picture

Think about your key life roles and your values. How does this fit in? Is it important to you? Does it fill you with delight? Correlate with a long-term plan? Why are you contemplating doing this, and do you think it's a good reason according to your own values?

Know what's already on your plate. If you don't know how this potential new piece fits into the rest of your life, you don't know what you're actually saying yes to because you haven't considered what the full impact will be on everything else.

Be sure to think not only about what you're doing now, but what you'll likely be doing up through the end of your potential new commitment. You can't know for sure, but try to make good educated guesses. The best way to know what's already on your plate is to make sure that your calendar and project lists are complete and up to date.

4. Know when you'll do it.

5. Consider a trial yes or a tentative yes.

I have a lot of tentative agreements on my calendar this summer because of the new baby. I've told people in advance that I expect to do something or be available for something, but that I reserve the right to change my mind at the last minute if baby stuff comes up.

Don't overuse this tip; if you make all your commitments tentative ones, people will get frustrated with you because they won't be able to effectively plan for themselves. Sometimes, however, setting this kind of expectation is absolutely appropriate.

6. Listen to your gut and do what you love.

Enjoy Saying Yes

Once you've checked out the details and thought through the implications, if you still want to move forward, then hopefully you can now say yes enthusiastically. While you can never know ahead of time what might come up to make things more challenging than you expect, being thoughtful about saying yes makes it easier to enjoy making and keeping your commitments because you made them mindfully.

]]>Six Tips on Saying Nohttp://www.theklarichter.com/blog/six-tips-on-saying-no.htmlThekla Richter2010-08-04T12:00:49ZBeing willing and able to say no is key to successful time management. If we can't say no, we lose control of our own commitments, becoming overwhelmed and having too little time to spend taking care of ourselves and our own priorities.

Remember that say yes to something you don't want to do, you're also saying no to something else more valuable to you-- you are sacrificing finite resources to someone else's demands instead of choosing mindfully for yourself where you want to invest your time and energy.

But all of us run into situations where we want to say no, but we're scared to actually do it. Here are some tips for handling those situations effectively and with grace:

1. Keep your no simple.

Plan to say no very simply when you need to do it, in a sentence or two. Offer a minimum of explanation, and don't get caught up in too much discussion. While you might sometimes choose to soften the blow with a lot of tact and helpful suggestions, remember that you are not obligated to explain why you can't do something, justify your choice, or help the other person find another way to get what they need. Often the best way is just to say no-- then if pressured, repeat yourself or change the subject.

2. Don't take on someone else's emotions or consequences.

If someone else is in a jam because of their own choices, you are not obligated to help. Everyone bears responsibility for their own choices. Don't let people push you into feeling guilty or taking on obligations that aren't yours.

3. Practice and plan ahead.

If you know ahead of time that you're going to need to say no and you're feeling like you might not be able to do it, practice. Find a partner to role-play the situation with you so that you can practice being on the spot and formulating a variety of ways that you can say what you need to say.

4. Get moral support.

Another tip for saying no when you have time to plan ahead-- find a friend or family member that you know will be supportive, and tell them about the conversation you're planning. Knowing that you committed to the no ahead of time can make it easier to stick to your intentions during a challenging conversation.

5. Don't assume saying no will be a big deal.

Plan for confrontation as a possibility if it helps you feel confident, but try to go into the conversation open to the idea that it might actually go well. Sometimes saying no seems like a far bigger deal to the speaker than to the other person.

It might turn out that the conversation you're dreading will be a total non-event. If you assume the conversation will go badly, that assumption shapes how you speak and carry yourself and can become a self-fullfilling prophecy. Ditto if you try to be confident that it can go well.

6. Stall.

If you feel like you're about to cave in, or if a request comes out of the blue and takes you by surprise, don't say yes-- say that you'll think about it. Then decide in a non-pressured environment exactly how you want to handle the situation and get back to the other person.

How Do You Say No?

Got any more tips to help people say no? Share them in the comments!

]]>Enough or Too Much: Are You Too Busy?http://www.theklarichter.com/blog/enough-or-too-much-are-you-too-busy.htmlThekla Richter2010-07-28T12:00:51Z"You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough." --William Blake

How do we know when we are busy enough rather than too busy or able to do more? Is there such a thing as an ideally busy life? And why is it so tempting to pile on so many commitments that life becomes unhappy and stressed?

Enough or Too Much?

No matter how efficient I might be, my hours on this earth are finite. I know from experience that I will wear myself down if I do not have a certain number of hours to devote to my family, my friends, sleep/exercise/food/hygiene, creative and spiritual work, and quiet unstructured time alone.

Now, I am fine if there are days and weeks or even an occasional month where that balance shifts quite far from the center. However, if that state continues week after week, I become sad and tense. I start to suffer-- so too do my loved ones and the quality of my work. I still end up in this overly busy place sometimes these days, but in the past I chose to dwell there for long periods of time by majorly overcommitting myself and not knowing when to call a halt.

Those times were awful, and I moved on and grew wiser. After repeated lessons, I finally got it through my head that I do not want to do that again-- balance and happiness are too important to me. In the long run, I get more done when I'm not stressed out anyhow and I am a happier, more loving person. So now I've become very careful about taking on new stuff, and rarely find myself over-committed for more than a brief interlude.

However, I had to go through all those mistakes and a lot of stressed-out suffering first to get here. The problem is that only by experiencing too much do we know what enough looks like for each of us. Even knowing what it looks like for me, I notice that some people rush to pile more stuff onto themselves anytime they are in the happy-just-busy-enough zone instead of the stressed-out-doing-too-much zone. It makes me wonder if they find something scary about the idea of not being too busy.

Signs of Too Much

Here are some signs that you may have strayed from busy enough over into too busy:

• Irritability
• Drowsiness/exhaustion
• Trouble sleeping
• Worrying a lot
• Feeling drained
• Becoming forgetful
• Missing deadlines, appointments and commitments
• No longer able to find enough time for sleep, exercise, healthy eating, small personal pleasures and other self-care
• Complaints from family and friends that you are not available to them
• Depression, anxiety or other mental health issues arising

Cutting Back

If you are ready to recover from being habitually too busy, you will need to seriously assess your life and decide how to cut back. If you do that, you may even find that, paradoxically, you get more done because you are more relaxed and focused. There is a fine line between overly busy but still coping, and doing yourself or your loved ones harm from neglect. Only you can find this line for yourself

Putting off Balance

Beware of the trap of putting off this reckoning and deciding to seek balance later. It's all too easy to think that as soon as you hit the next milestone, you'll change. There is always another milestone ahead if you want there to be one. Only you can say whether your overly busy state is truly temporary in nature, or if it's become a lifestyle.

Pondering Enough

Do you know what busy enough vs. too busy look like for you? If you know what "enough" looks like, but are struggling to get there, what keeps you staying in an overcommitted space?

]]>Stop Pretending to Work: Overcome Resistance by Identifying Core Tasks and Feel-Good Taskshttp://www.theklarichter.com/blog/stop-pretending-to-work-overcome-resistance-by-identifying-c.htmlThekla Richter2010-07-21T12:00:40ZI'm sitting at my desk, brainstorming new ideas for my next blog post since my ongoing list of ideas isn't inspiring me today. I keep coming up with lots of great ideas, yet somehow none of them feel right for the next post. After far too long, I realize that I'm not truly working on my next post right now; I'm pretending to work. Come on, Thekla, pick a topic and write a draft!

Photo by Brian Lane Winfield Moore

Doing challenging work can be inspiring and rewarding, but it can also bring up a lot of emotional resistance. For projects that feel challenging, I'll often suggest getting very clear about what your next step looks like. However, resistance can sometimes turn what sounds simple-- deciding what to work on-- into a confusing trick question.

When resistance is present, it becomes important to make sure that your next step is real productive work, not feel-good steps that don't accomplish much. The challenge here is that resistance can tempt you to give the wrong answer to the simple question of what to do next.

It's all too easy to focus on next steps that make you feel better about the project instead of really moving it forward. This kind of avoidance lulls you into feeling like you are working, when in fact you are making little or no real progress.

Feel-Good Tasks

Certain types of tasks are especially easy to abuse and use as a distraction from truly working. Here are some examples of feel-good tasks that can sometimes be legitimate, important work-- or, they may be a slippery slope to avoidance instead:

• Planning
• Brainstorming
• Making or revising lists and timelines
• Cleaning up or organizing anything
• Obtaining supplies
• Proofreading
• Improving or re-doing something already completed
• Taking care of other work first to eliminate distractions

I'm not saying these steps are always bad. When done at the right stage and in the right amount, sometimes these actions are crucial parts of your project. However, working on these tasks can sometimes feel less stressful than other work that's more key to your project.

If you find that you are consistently spending a lot of time in these kinds of tasks and your project is moving along slowly, it can be worthwhile to examine whether some fear, frustration or other resistance might be lurking behind your desire to work on non-core tasks.

Core Tasks

First, though, identify what the heart of your work really is for a given project-- your primary core task. What is the essence of your work? What is the key activity that produces the tangible results that make up your goal? Spend at least 50% (preferably more like 80% or more) of any session of work time for a project engaging in the core activity. For example:

• If you are trying to write something, writing is the core task. Don't get distracted by spending too much time researching, outlining, brainstorming or rewriting sections.


• If you are configuring software or a website, spend most of your time actually working in the guts of your system. Be wary of spending too much time reading books and hanging out on online help forums.


• If you are coordinating a work project, it might be a bit more nebulous. Track deliverables and progress, and reach out to people to make sure that things are happening when and as they should, or whatever are the core steps you take to move your project forward, track it and present information about it to stakeholders. However, be careful of any temptation to overdo it with unnecessary graphs and charts if what you really need to be doing is make some difficult phone calls or sort out the key points from a complex meeting or email thread.


• If you are processing a pile of paperwork that's gotten out of control, use the system you already have set up or create a new system that's very simple. Don't spend endless time tinkering to make the perfect complex system, and be wary of the urge to go out and buy new office supplies every time you say you are going to sit down and work on your filing backlog.


• And so on. I'm sure you can think of more examples.

Overcome the Temptation

I know I'm guilty of this sometimes... this trap can be subtle and sneaky. Usually, noticing what I'm doing is enough to help me overcome the temptation to do pretend-work instead of the real thing.

Do you know what the core activity is for each of your projects? How can you help yourself stick to the core task most of the time instead of getting distracted by tempting feel-good tasks?

]]>Evolving: Parental Time Managementhttp://www.theklarichter.com/blog/evolving-parental-time-management.htmlThekla Richter2010-07-14T12:00:36ZI'm starting this blog entry sitting in a coffee shop, positively reveling in the familiar coffee shop sounds: the whir of the espresso machine, the clank and jingle of the cash register, and the chatter of other customers at nearby tables. Before I had my baby, soaking up this atmosphere while reading or working was part of my life several times a week, any time I wanted.

Now, however, having this time is rare and an absolute indulgence and delight. This hot sunny afternoon is the first time I've been away from the baby for more than an hour since he was born. I'll probably be away for a whole two hours today which feels like a grand adventure. The rest of the time, I'm with my baby... mostly loving it, but sometimes longing for the ability to get more non-baby stuff done.

Many people told me that my time management and organization would fly out the window after the baby came. So far, that hasn't been the case. But life has certainly changed a lot since Arden arrived to brighten, deepen and complicate my world.

The challenges:

Greater demands on my time.

Nearly all of my waking hours are dedicated to baby feeding and care, and basic self-care like sleep, eating and the occasional shower. There isn't a whole lot left, so I have to be even more efficient about how I use what little time there is. I also have to be even more relentless about what I prioritize and what I choose to let go.

Less social time, less sleep and less time to myself.

All of these are tough for me, as to function best I previously was very careful each week to schedule some social time, some peaceful creative time, and some mellow alone down time. I still try to get a bit of each of these, but they are available in much smaller quantities because of the other demands on my time and energy. Between that and the lack of sleep, I feel like a well within me is running close to dry. I am still trying to figure out how to balance all this. Other parents keep telling me that this will remain a challenge but get easier as time goes on.

Energy use.

Because I am getting less sleep than I am used to, and getting my sleep in 1-4 hour increments, I'm constantly exhausted. I'm still getting used to the new normal and am hoping my energy level will improve in the future. Once again, this new constraint makes it imperative for me to make good choices about how to use my energy, including being sure to invest in myself wisely and make sure that I get as much sleep as I can, enough food, some exercise, and my one self-indulgent bit of self-care, my nightly bath.

Interruptions and unpredictability.

Starting things can feel unsatisfying because I never have any sense of how long I will have to work before the baby needs me again. The nearest equivalent in my pre-baby life was feeling at the mercy of my phone at most of my corporate jobs, but since I care so much about meeting Arden's needs, the feelings involved are more primal. Also, I don't have as many ways to manage these interruptions, and they are 24/7.

The joys

My baby, of course.

It's all worth it and then some. I am so happy with my life right now even when it's hard. I'm head over in heels in love with Arden and delighted by him every day. Gazing into his eyes or seeing smile makes me melt in a way that's so intense I don't know how to properly describe it. I thought I knew what it would be like to love your child, but it's more intense and amazing than I ever could have envisioned without living it. And I adore co-parenting with my husband and feeling our loving relationship continue to grow, too. Worth it. Totally worth it.

Living in the moment.

I have a new relationship with time. I do plan ahead, but usually loosely and tentatively. A huge amount of my time is structured only by what happens moment to moment. It gives me the opportunity to intensely tune into the present moment and be very zen about life.

Gratitude.

I take joy in the small things I love about my time with Arden. I also more fully appreciate the other aspects of my life, such as getting to sit in this coffee shop and soak up the ambiance and write about my life, something I previously took for granted.

And more

I'll write more about how my time management systems and tools are evolving post-baby, but I will probably save those thoughts for my other blog, since I know many of my readers here are not parents.

Other blog? Yes, I'm brewing up a new blog which will focus on parenting, productivity and life balance. I'm drafting some early entries and trying to think of a name for it right now - any ideas for me, readers?

So anyway, in closing, the value of a minute may have have changed, but the same basic tools and ideas still drive how I manage my time and energy. Ideally, a good system and set of principles can weather these kinds of big life changes and evolve to match changing needs. In your own life, how has your productivity weathered major new demands on your time and energy, when big changes make their way into your world?

]]>Finding Flowhttp://www.theklarichter.com/blog/finding-flow.htmlThekla Richter2010-07-07T11:00:15ZMost of us have a natural flow and rhythm to the way we work best. Often, it's easy to drift away from that pattern into a way of working that is dictated by temporary circumstances and becomes habit, or we just get so busy that we stop consciously paying attention to how we shape our day.

Photo by Ulisse Albiati

What, When

Under what conditions do you work best at what kinds of tasks? Think about how you work most effectively on a) creative projects, b) projects involving people interaction, and c) projects that require intense attention to detail. Plan your days accordingly whenever possible.

If you are not sure, experiment for a while and notice whether there's any correlation between the type of task and how easily you are working. Pay attention also to the circumstances around you: time of day, setting, sounds, how often you take breaks, how often you eat and so on.

My Flow: An Example

For me, I know that I do my best creative work in the mid-morning and the late afternoon, with occasional intense bursts of inspiration that happen once in a while late at night. I tend to be kind of hazy for the first three hours I'm awake, and a bit restless in the late morning and early afternoon.

I also know that it's important for me to take short breaks to stretch at least every hour, and a 10-30 minutes break every couple of hours. If I'm having trouble concentrating or feeling stressed, choosing calming or energizing music to play in the background helps.

I work best if I get outside at least once a day, if I chat with someone I like during the course of a workday, and if I get to do at least one creative project such as writing and help at least one person with a problem.

Meshing Flow with External Structure

Based on my own natural flow, when I have work to do that I can choose the timing for, I plan to do routine easy tasks in the morning and creative or challenging work in the mid-morning or early afternoon. I spend time before and after lunch organizing things, doing chores around the house if I'm home, processing email and so on. I try to make sure I get outside a bit around lunchtime as it helps me concentrate a lot better. And so on.

Of course, in most jobs or other life circumstances, we can't control every aspect of our work style all the time. In some highly structured settings very little of it can be changed to suit us. In this case, it becomes a matter of being flexible, creatively working within the existing structures, negotiating changes to them, or in some cases changing work environments.

Most of the time, though, even small incremental changes to make a work environment closer to your ideal flow can make you hugely more productive. And if you're lucky enough to have a lot of control over when and how you work, it's important to take full advantage of that and consciously design your work structures around your natural flow.

Ebbing and Changing

Now that I'm a new mom doing full-time infant care for these first month of my baby's life instead of working in the corporate world or focusing primarily on my own business, I'm having to learn how I flow best in this new type of life... as well as how my son's rhythm looks (though that changes rapidly).

As I pick up work again and take on new coaching clients once more this fall, I'll have to learn myself anew yet again. This kind of introspection into what works best is an ongoing process as life evolves, and every one must find unique, ever-changing answers for themselves.

Knowing, Remembering and Doing

It's important not just to become self-aware about how you work best, but to remain mindful of that awareness, notice if your ideal work style changes, and actually put what you know about yourself into practice. Check in with yourself periodically to see whether you are optimizing how you work, especially during and just after a particularly busy or stressful time.

What does your optimal workflow look like? How do you stay mindful of it and how do you implement it into your life?

]]>Eight Ways to Work When Motivation Fails Youhttp://www.theklarichter.com/blog/eight-ways-to-work-when-motivation-fails-you.htmlThekla Richter2010-06-30T12:00:08ZMost of us have projects or items on our to-do list for which we lack a sense of motivation. I know that sometimes I've even felt anti-motivated!

Photo by Keirsten Balukas

Here are some things to think about when struggling with a project when the energy just isn't flowing:

1. Make it easier and more fun.

Take ten minutes to brainstorm: write down everything that would make the project easier, more fun, less terrible, etc. Come up with a game or a challenge that you could use to make the project more fun-- even something really silly can sometimes be surprisingly motivating.

For example, as a college student I used to buy a chocolate bar if I was having a really difficult time writing a paper, and break it into pieces-- one piece for every page I was going to write. As I finished the page, I'd eat a piece of chocolate. You can also play games with timers. Any playful element you add can help make a task more approachable and less tedious.

2. Clarify milestones, desired end results and next steps.

Sometimes a project seems terrible only because you aren't sure where to start, where it's going, or what to do next. Get as concrete as possible about the very next step if you're not sure what it is-- buying supplies, making a specific phone call, writing the first sentence, or spending an hour brainstorming.

3. Remind yourself why.

Again, brainstorm for ten minutes, and write down all the reasons why it's important to you to do this project. From your brainstorm ideas, create a list of the biggest reasons or an inspiring mantra to read about why the project matters to you. Post your reminder somewhere you will see it, and read it every time you intend to work on your project.

4. Schedule time on your calendar and create the right working environment.

Dedicate time; create the right physical space. It's never going to feel like the right time to do a task that you're not feeling motivated to start. Commit yourself ahead of time by blocking out time on your calendar and follow through on your commitment. Sometimes knowing that now, rather than later, is the time to do your task is enough to make it less daunting.

Sometimes having a clean, clear desk or room or filing bin is enough to unblock the energy. Caveat: don't spend so long making the space right that you use it as an excuse to avoid working! This kind of preparation should be quick and to the point, not a new project to distract you.

5. Just do it!

Explore what happens if you simply work despite the resistance. Make a firm date to work on the project for a solid chunk of time, with a few scheduled five-minute breaks-- two to four hours is good as it allows enough time to fully experience and hopefully break through your wall, but isn't so long as to seem interminable.

Don't allow yourself to put off this time, distract yourself during this time, or extend your breaks-- just summon up some major will power, work on your project, doing one thing after another to move it forward.

Afterwards, think about how the experience made you feel. What did you learn about your resistance, your motivation and your process? Sometimes, working for a few hours like this helps the resistance just melt away. Other times, it yields insights into why you're finding it so hard to get started or keep at it. Either way, you'll feel better about yourself for having worked instead of just thinking about working.

6. Put it on the back burner for a while.

If your time constraints allow, delay your work on the project for a while-- an afternoon, a week, a month, three months or six. During whatever time period you decide, don't fret about the project or feel guilty for not doing it during this time. Do something else that's productive or fun, then see if returning to the unmotivated project with a fresh perspective helps inject some new life into it.

7. Outsource.

Consider whether you really need to do the project personally; perhaps someone else can take on part or all of the work. Maybe you can call in a favor, trade work or pay someone to take work you don't like off your hands.

8. Still not feeling it? Take a second look.

Examine whether the project is really worth it to you in the first place. What are the rewards of doing it? What are the likely consequences of leaving it undone? What secret message from your gut is the resistance telling you? If this is the wrong project or the wrong time, perhaps you need to let it go instead of trying to force yourself to work on it.

How do you get things done when you're committed to them but don't feel motivated?

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