Well, it’s been almost 2 weeks since I last posted…I had to get motivated to do this! I like to “have blogged” much better than I do blogging, I suppose.
Another way to motivate yourself to do tasks that you don’t want to do is to reward yourself for doing those undesired tasks. As adults, we tend to buy things we desire when we want to or can afford them. Find something that is of particular interest to you…a hobby or an indulgence. Identify a particularly onerous task and assign a reward value to it that is tied to your hobby/indulgence. For instance, if you like music and have difficulty paying your bills on time, reward yourself with buying a CD when you do. For a more immediate payoff, download some iTunes songs. Or, if you like golf, you could finally buy that new driver that you’ve had your eye on if you do something like…clean that garage that you’ve had on your “To Do” list for ages.
If you like video or computer games, reward yourself with an hour of gaming time if you do that undesired task. Another person might choose to reward themselves with a manicure or a massage.
If you really want to be bold, “tether” an activity that you already like…maybe something you take for granted…to completing the undesired task. For example, no glass of wine at night UNTIL you’ve cleaned your living room. You can have that morning cup of coffee but only AFTER you have walked the dogs. So, you can choose to not walk the dogs…but then you don’t get your coffee. I’ve tethered cleaning the kitchen at night with watching TV. I can’t watch any television unless I’ve thoroughly cleaned the kitchen. It works in that I’m definitely cleaning the kitchen more. Admittedly, I’m also watching less TV too! Still, rewarding yourself and tethering can help light a fire so that you can conquer some of those…”resistant” challenges.