This will probably be long…
Well you could first figure out what changed and use that as a starting point but it probably isn’t worth the exercise.
The problem is comfortable is a bad place to be as there is little incentive to move forward. It’s why many people spend their whole lives working in an average job doing average things when greatness was easily within their grasp. Much better to be broke or seriously in debt and about to lose everything. There is nothing like impending doom to create forward motion.
It’s because you are thinking of this as a sprint rather than a marathon. All these quick fixes work like a watch with a broken main spring. You can wind it up and it might run for 30 seconds but if the core mechanics that keep it running day after day are broken then you will tire of constantly having to turn that winder. You will eventually give up and so don’t stand a chance. So, you either fix the broken parts or you create a new set of mechanics that will replace the old broken ones.
To move forward you need some form of incentive. You need to figure out if that incentive needs to be in the form of a push or a pull (or both). A push for example is having a peer group around you that are focused and doing great things. People who will inspire you and push you forward. Accountability partners, people who are a couple of years ahead of where you want to be. People who won’t accept excuses and will give you some tough love.
Pull comes in the form of what rewards will come from your efforts. A new home, a better life, travel, more free time, less stress, (fast cars, loose women).
Whatever you see as a strong, positive motivator.
Both the push or pull (or combination) need to be in the real world. The internet is great but it’s just a screen at the end of the day. Turn it off and it’s gone. Out of sight, out of mind. So your peer group should predominantly exist in the real world. People you can meet up with once, twice or three times a week. Spend time with and help motivate each other.
For a pull buy yourself a cork board, stick it somewhere you will see it every morning and fill it with pictures of the things you desire or motivate you. Create a bread crumb list. Get to A give yourself a reward. Get to B get a bigger reward and work your way up.
What did you do instead during those two hours?
Understand that to move forward successfully you need to plan successfully. ALWAYS make a ToDo list the day/night before. Plan your day from start to finish.
Think about your most important task and what you are going to do to fulfil it before going to sleep then get up and attack it first thing whilst your willpower and motivation is high. If you screw up and do nothing else towards your goals for the rest of the day you have still achieved something solid. But don’t forget to do your list again that evening. Rinse and repeat.
If you are still struggling, then change your environment. This is the #1 issue most of the time but often gets overlooked. If you are not productive in your current environment it is very difficult to force yourself into productivity no matter how hard you try or how many tricks you employ.
I’m just getting back to the grind myself after having to concentrate on other matters. On days I want to work on my business I get up and drive 12 miles to a local town, sit in a café and work until noon. Then I go to the library and work from there until they close. No distractions save for breaks when the clock says its time (Pomodoro).
I could write chapters on this subject. The most important thing for you is creating a consistent habit of productivity rather than procrastination (which is your current habit).
You can’t rely solely on motivation, and willpower is totally overrated. Willpower depletes like sand in an hour glass. Make the most of it first thing in the morning and then rely on strong processes to see you through the rest of the day. Environment is everything. If you are in a productive environment that will carry you forward. A non-productive environment (the one you currently procrastinate in) will pretty much guarantee failure.
So plan your whole day out in advance. Tweak where needed. Once you get into a daily routine that works don’t deviate from it, keep doing exactly the same thing day in day out until it becomes a habit. The first week is the hardest but stick with it. Get three weeks under your belt and there will be no stopping you.
This post is money, theres a great series of videos out there called productivity unleased. Heres a few notes I took on one of the 4 modules
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