I find that when I first start something new and exciting, my passion and enthusiasm for it are through the roof.
So for the first few days my excitement and quest to get stuck-in levels, if they could be measured, are on an all new high. After these first initial days have passed though, I find that I start to plateau and then soon become bored.
This is common for many, and is a problem for me personally. I always find that I do this, I find something that I want to do, stick at it for a few days or a week and then never come back to it, or maybe come back to it a year later.
Even long-term commitments I have trouble with (not talking relationship-wise), for example this blog, there have been some weeks when I've spent hours each day on different posts, and then not blog for a week or so.
This is where motivational practices and techniques come in, and there are really a whole host of different ones to choose from. One that I've recently come across and I think is really simple and effective, is called 'Don't Break the Chain'.
It's a productivity/motivational technique publicised by Jerry Seinfield. Seinfield came up with the technique when he was trying to come up with better jokes for his career as a comic. He noted that spending time each day writing a joke was more beneficial than spending hours one day a week writing many jokes.
The key is consistency. 'Consistency breeds momentum' and is a great tactic to implement into your life.
I personally love this motivational gem. Basically what you do is, pick a task or something that you want to start doing. For example: start a blog, start exercising, start learning a musical instrument, start whatever you want, but with the intention of wanting to stick at it.
Next, print out or draw out a calendar year onto one piece of paper. Make sure it's a grid calendar, or even in fact just a grid of 365 squares. Then write at the top of the piece of paper: 'Don't Break the Chain' and your task next to it. Also write down the minimum amount of time you think you can handle to do daily.
So for example, I have one for blogging. I have set myself a goal of spending at minimum half an hour a day writing a blog post, so nothing extra I do with the blog counts, but just specifically for writing posts for you guys and girls to read.
Now I know half an hour a day doesn't sound like a lot, but remember that's a minimum level of time, and I'd much rather spend 30 minutes a day blogging for a week, than spending 3.5 hours one day a week.
Not only am I more alert by doing this, but the overall quality is improved and because it's only half an hour, I feel compelled to run over time (which I know I wouldn't do after 3.5 hours,).
Not only that, but my concentration is in a much healthier state doing these short sessions every day, rather than one long session a week.
If you achieve your goal, then put a big coloured cross on that day, so you know that you accomplished what you've set out to do. After a few days of doing this you'll notice a chain of crosses start to build up, and like a snowball, it will build up and up, helping you to cement this practice into your life.
Since starting this, I've already noticed a difference in my personal productivity.
Another thing you'll notice is that as you're chain builds up, you'll desire to keep it going without breaking will remain strong. I'm not saying that there won't be days when you really don't care, but stick at it and you won't regret it.
If you do happen to miss a day, don't stress, just get right back to it the next day. I should point out however, that once you miss a day, it can easily cause you to miss another day, then another and so on. So just be persistent.
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