Introduction
We pretty much all have one - that task that's been on the "to do" list for weeks, or even months, with absolutely no progress. Here are a few suggestions to help you finish it for good:
Ideally, Get Somebody Else to Complete It
My most hated tasks often involve activities that I am not very good at. Luckily, everyone has a different set of skills and abilities. For each activity that I do poorly, there are many other people who live in my area who excel at it, and actually enjoy doing it. I can hire somebody else to complete the hated task for me. What a relief to get the job done, and not have to do it myself!
Maybe money is an issue. If you haven't got any extra money to pay somebody else to tackle your nightmare task, you may still be able to get them to do it for you. Use the barter system. Is there something that you actually like to do, that you could do for them, in exchange for them doing your task?
Divide and Conquer
If you can't find somebody else to take on your problematic project, then you'll need to make it more manageable for yourself. Break a large task or project down into smaller sub-projects. Try to make it so that each sub-project can be completed within 30 minutes. For very big projects you may need to divide up each sub-project into even smaller tasks until you have something that can reasonably be completed in 30 minutes. Then, set a goal of completing one piece of the project each day. The whole thing will be done within a few weeks.
Sometimes there doesn't seem to be a logical way of breaking the project down into pieces. In that case, simply set a time goal. Commit to working on the project for 30 minutes each day, until it is done.
To make it easier to get started on the very first day, commit to only 7 minutes. Maybe all you need to do on that first day is decide what you will work on in the 30 minutes tomorrow.
Reward Yourself
You should reward yourself each and every time you tackle a 30-minute chunk of this particular project. Just before you start, decide what your reward will be, and reward yourself immediately after you complete the 30-minute sub-project. It could be that you get to do something fun (and perhaps not so important) from your "to do" list. It could be a chocolate chip cookie, or a small bowl of ice cream, but be careful not to reward yourself too often with food, or you could end up gaining unwanted pounds. The reward could be as simple as updating your Facebook status or sending out a Tweet saying "I did it!"
