Behavioral economists have shown that making good choices is easy if you don’t have to act on them now. Hyperbolic discounting — the tendency to overvalue rewards now and undervalue them later.Be faithful to your calendar; if it says I'm supposed to do something, I tend to do it. So, I look ahead to uncommitted blocks of time and plug in a commitment to focus on a particular task.

Make Appointments with Yourself

When I have long tasks to complete—ones that will require multiple work sessions—I’m careful to stop my work at a place that makes it easier (and more pleasant) for me to pick it back up later.For example, if I am in a groove and have a story going that I am enjoying writing, I intentionally stop before I finish it so I can look forward to jumping back in.

Stop Before You’re Done

One of the reasons people lose their enthusiasm for being efficient and productive is that it can feel like a relentless grind—there’s always more to doIf I have a lot to get done, I’ll make some reasonable commitments to get things done but I also allow time for renewal before diving back into workAlso, treat yourself as you would a valued employee—give lots of praise and encouragement for the great stuff you get done.

Reward and Renew Yourself

Psychologist Roy Baumeister has shown that your motivation is a finite resource. I find this to be especially true in the grind of tasks that are hard to enjoy.Think of yourself in third person. Rather than forcing Joseph into a writing death march on Monday, I focus on some amount of a task that would feel meaningful and satisfying to complete.

Create Satisfying Episodes

Develop a habit of stopping and feeling the earned satisfaction from getting a block of work finished.This creates new neural connections that associate productivity with pleasure rather than resentment.

Feel the Endorphins

Upon entering a hotel room, I grab the free pad of paper on the desk and make a list of the five things I want to get done before dinner. Then I draw a little empty box next to each.There is a satisfaction in ticking off the boxes, that motivates to get work done.

Use the Power of the Notepad

<ol><li>Make Appointments with Yourself</li><li>Stop Before You’re Done</li><li>Create Satisfying Episodes</li><li>Feel the Endorphins</li><li>Use the Power of the Notepad</li><li>Reward and Renew Yourself</li></ol>