"Opportunity looks a lot like hard work" Whilst I don't love this quote, it represents a problem that I see often: people are asking for tools and techniques t

"Opportunity looks a lot like hard work" Whilst I don't love this quote, it represents a problem that I see often: people are asking for tools and techniques to achieve better productivity when often, it's about discipline. I wrote more about how discipline and why it's important here[0], with a particular story about how my father's time in the British Army taught me a few things. However, there are certainly a few strategies that we can all use to combat our irrational behaviour and get things done rather that procrastinate (on hacker news all day!): Make Time Stop saying you don't have time. It's up to you to make time. If it's important enough, you can do it. Read more at 'Make Time for Your Side Project' [2]. Timeboxing This is a simple technique (similar to using a pomodoro timer) that defines a start point and a fixed time for completing a task. Often starting is the key to finishing. Mise-en-Place Prepare for success by getting the environment right and ready. Make it easy for you to jump in to a piece of work without any 'set up' time. Give yourself the chance to succeed by removing any potential distractions. Celebrate Small Victories Allow yourself a pat on the back. Completing small tasks can give you enough of an adrenaline rush to start the next task. Then you're on a roll! Stop Aiming Too High This is something I suffer from all the time. I see so much great work out there that I'm constantly embarrassed to launch. This 'fear of the launch'[3] can be dealt with. It's about overcoming your anxieties to produce something 'epic' by purposefully launching something below your comfort threshold. True success is often journey paved with small, iterative launches. For more, you might want to read the previous discussion on Good and Bad Procrastination (2005)[1] [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7864959 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7864959 [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7864525 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7864525 [2] http://www.startupclarity.com/blog/make-time-side-project/ http://www.startupclarity.com/blog/make-time-side-project/ [3] http://www.startupclarity.com/blog/fear-of-the-launch/ http://www.startupclarity.com/blog/fear-of-the-launch/