When you’re trying to persuade someone to do something, one tactic is to make it simple. You’re not trying to change their mind, you’re making it easy for them to say ‘yes.'

Use this technique on yourself by agreeing to just do five more. For example, make five more calls, read five more pa...

Setting goals is how many of us achieve the things we desire most, but goals can also be daunting when they’re big, like writing a book. Persuade yourself to get moving by setting smaller, interim goals, such as writing a chapter every week.

Long-term goals don’t motivate. They can be too m...

Posting an intention on social media can also be motivating. This has to do with the behavioral science that watched people are nice people. A public commitment is like being watched. You don’t want to lose face or look bad.

To work, the public commitment persuasion tactic has to involve sp...

Another trick for getting more done is to take a break. The brain and body are not meant to work nonstop, says Pink.

For whatever weird reason, we have the idea that powering through is the best way to get stuff done and a sign of our own virtue. We’ve got it upside down and believe amateur...

Having a looming deadline can be a good motivator for committing to action. You can set them yourself or leverage deadlines given to you by a manager or coworker.

Deadlines help turn an abstract into something concrete, instead of a dull nagging to do something. Deadlines also provide the p...