I like the idea of anti-goals, will have to try that. So far I've had a lot of luck with the following: - Recognizing "anti-matter-blocks" on my calendar: Lett

I like the idea of anti-goals, will have to try that. So far I've had a lot of luck with the following: - Recognizing "anti-matter-blocks" on my calendar: Letting go of blocks of time in which I _should_ be productive and constructive, but am not. I kept a log and found that the 1-3:30 p.m. time block was ridiculously unproductive and typically filled with high self-pressure, so I decided to completely let it go. Now I use that block as a rest period and do whatever I want. Watch a movie? Great. Two-hour hike? Done, many times. This is still an experiment to which I make little tweaks (going on about 3 years now) but it taught me to accept my roadblocks for what they are and use them to some other advantage (in this case, mental health / recuperation). To top it off, as a stress response I was feeding a bad habit during that block of time for about 10 years, and as of two years ago, it's completely gone. - Intuitive task priority. I fill my to-do list with fun things and not-so-fun things, and start with whatever "speaks to me." If nothing on the list speaks to me, chances are I have neglected to add fun things. And if my work items do not seem fun _ever_, I need to alter my work and seek out different forms of work or set firmer boundaries. This latter fact is difficult but worth facing up to. - Verbalizing my problems with the day to other people. This is hard for me because I don't want to sound like I'm whining, but has worked surprisingly well. Sometimes I get feedback like, "well, why don't you just do X instead," where X is an idea I hadn't considered. Other times there's no one around so I consult with a person I deeply respect as if they're present & ready to help me (the cabinet of invisible counselors idea) or even say a prayer. I've had amazing results with these last methods, somehow even better if I'm typing them out as I experience them. - Blocking in things I really look forward to. This is mentioned in the article. I enjoy achievement and find that it helps reverse feelings of exhaustion. For me, little achievements peppered in here and there throughout the year are where it's at. I blocked in the ARRL amateur radio licensing exams as a personal challenge and downloaded an app to help study. I blocked in a couple of conferences that are outside of my field but very interesting. I block in webinars in various fields and even ended up pursuing and earning certificates in those fields. I built a new website to help those who are interested in one of those fields and challenged myself to add 1,000 new items of content before the end of the year. I'm at 250 so far after 2 weeks (I count links! The currency of the web...but it's a niche field so it's still hard). Well, this went longer than I thought. But with some serious achievements finally under my belt, with bad habits conquered and work going better than ever, I figured it might help someone to share.