NFIB

Get Motivated!
04/ 03/ 2002


Ernest Hemingway once said that the best way to get started with his writing in the morning was by ending the previous day when he still had something definite to say. In that way, he reasoned, he would be excited to begin again -- and would know exactly what needed to be done without having to think about it too much. The same principle can help anyone get started in the morning. Find something of interest the day before, and leave it undone so you can continue it when you start work the next morning. In today's Workshop, Jeff Moses offers a few other vital tips for revving yourself up on those mornings the coffee doesn't seem to take effect.

Momentum gives energy to a project. That's why the above tip works. Of course, the beginning of any undertaking is the most difficult because one is starting from a dead stop. Pick a point, almost any point, and jump in. Once you get the ball rolling, momentum kicks in.

Write up a to-do list and rearrange it so that the most urgent (and ideally the most interesting) thing is at the top. Once you get started, you're off and running.

Avoid letting your lethargy get the best of you. Tackle a simple task just to get moving. Straighten your desk, answer a letter that is fairly routine, make a phone call that you've been putting off, etc.

If you have a project that you've been avoiding, seta firm deadline for finishing it. Then immediately start dividing the project into stages so that you'll know exactly what should be done first. Ideally, the first stage should be completed by noon.

If you have a long to-do list and can't decide which project or activity to start, consult with a friend or supervisor to see which is most urgent or important. It's good to touch base with other motivated people. Working too much on your own can lead to indecisiveness.

Sometimes a little physical exercise works wonders. If you're in an office, get up from your desk and step outside into the fresh air, or take a short, brisk walk around the block.

If all else fails, do something totally out of the ordinary. Call an associate and volunteer to do some work for them. Or gather your mental energy and begin the hardest, most unpleasant task facing you. Remember, your attitude is in your own control. Conquering or giving into lethargy are both habits. Successful individuals choose the former, and it serves them well throughout their working careers.

workshop.microbusiness.fri
11.19.99

Small Business Sound Off
Does this story hit home?  Share your story with us