“Finish an incomplete project”
Once again we come back to the very simple things that change us. Many of us have a lot of unfinished projects or tasks that need to get done, but the very fact that they are undone demotivates us.
For most things in life, finishing requires more motivation than starting. The degree of effort required to finish the last 10% of a project may be as much as 100 times the effort and motivation that was required to start the same project.
Take for instance a couple who is building a house for themselves. They work hard on the initial structure by hiring the appropriate carpenters and other tradespeople. As they near completion of the house, they decide they will do some of the finishing work themselves. The trim and a bit of the painting, maybe even some of the lighting fixtures in the basement is an easy job as far as they are concerned. When does the last baseboard get put up, or the last permanent light fixture get installed? Usually several years later just before the house is put on the market to sell. Even though there are only a few things left to finish, it tends to require more motivation than the perceived rewards merit.
The upside to this tendency is that completing a project, especially one that has been on the back burner for quite a while, gives you a motivation burst. So rather than sitting down and chilling after you finish a project, start finishing another. You can leverage your sudden motivation into greater productivity.
Here’s a couple of blogs that can help you get that motivational inspiration:
- LifeCoachesBlog is a good place to start.
- Craig Harper offers excellent advice as one of Australia’s foremost motivational speakers.
What tricks do you use to leverage your motivation? Let me know in the comments.
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