7 tips on how to finish the job and not lose motivation

Big project - working, creative or personal - that more testing. Not so important what you do: create websites, you write a book, learn the language, to introduce changes in the company. The longer the process goes, the harder it is to stay motivated and to finish the job with a good result and mood. Here are a few ideas on how not to lose enthusiasm while working on a large project.

1. To adequately assess their capabilities and move toward the goal in small steps

When we turn over a new business, we feel the rise and enthusiasm. We are full of energy, ideas and enthusiasm, so can not always adequately estimate how long it will take for the project. There is a risk to forget about such annoying obstacles such as fatigue, illness, family and personal problems, bad mood and low efficiency, and put themselves completely unrealistic deadlines.

For example, you learn English and want to raise their knowledge on one level. It takesGuided learning hours an average of 200 hours. At first, when you are enthusiastic, you might feel that you are ready to learn to 3 hours a day and will be able to achieve the goal of a half or two months.

In reality, so, most likely, it will not work.

You're upset, lose motivation, and learning becomes much more difficult. And that did not happen, divide the work into several stages and set a reasonable time for each of them. It is better to take the time to reserve and get to your destination sooner.

2. Assign yourself a deadline and an award

Tim Urban, author of a blog about procrastination in his sensational speech at TED I have suggested that there are two types of procrastination. The first activated during work projects that have a clear deadline. We can postpone the case for a long time, but at the last moment after all the work we undertake and bring it to the end - if only because we are afraid of losing money or respect.

The second type concerns mainly personal projects for which there is no deadline. Get a second degree, change jobs, learn the language, lose weight - to these and other great goals we can not reach the hands. This type of procrastination more insidious, because without a deadline, we will not turn fear and finish the job (and sometimes even just to start) can be very difficult.

Therefore, if you are doing a personal project, and do not promise to spur earnings or the fear of losing their jobs, be sure to set yourself a deadline.

according to the theoryINTEGRATING THEORIES OF MOTIVATION temporary motivation psychologist Piers Steel, deadlines - one of the four whales that help us stay motivated (the other three - confidence in, and sensitivity to reward deadline).

Dan Ariely, a professor of psychology and economics, such as spentProcrastination, deadlines and perfomance experiment. He divided the students into groups and asked them to deduct the essay. The first group is given the task a week, the second - three weeks, and students from the third set yourself a deadline. Participants in the second group have coped with the problem worse than the others and does not meet the deadline, although the time they had enough. But the third group showed good results and passed the work before the appointed time.

Anastasia Ivanova, teacher of English, in his book "How to stop learning foreign language and begin to live on it, "advises necessarily establish yourself deadlines, and formulate objectives properly. For example: "After two months, I want to expand your vocabulary to 5000 words, and for this I will read two articles a week, write down new words and write sentences with them." The same principle can be used with any other occupation.

Surely you've read a lot of dopamineDopamine: not just a neurotransmitter and that it forces us to give up the important and difficult cases in favor of short-term pleasures. To deceive the dopamine system, you need to make the brain believe that the work, study, sport or creativity bring you no less joy than the video with seals.

And for this it is necessary to appoint a reward for each execution phase of the project. It may just be a check mark in the diary, a series favorite series, a chocolate bar or a small pleasant shopping. You can also to keep a diary success and tell yourself what you have done.

3. Look for inspiration, and go to the "creative Goodbye"

Motivation and willingness to work you need to feed. One way - to immerse themselves in an inspiring atmosphere, surround themselves with movies, books and ideas that are pushing the imagination and whet cause a burning desire to take immediate for work.

If you think through a plan to promote a product or service, look, as do the competitors, read books about advertising, study successful cases. If you are writing a fantasy novel, look for books and movies with the same setting. If you learn a foreign language, read the blogs of other students, inspire positive examples, join in chats, and language groups.

Julia Cameron in the book "the artist's path"I advise to go to the so-called creative visits. This is the time that you devote to myself, doing something that fills you with strength, inspirationAnd ideas. It can be a trip to the museum, clay modeling or doing embroidery, outings.

4. Get rid of time wasters and take breaks

Spraying attention and distraction, we spend a lot more time and effort than if the work is concentrated. During the experiment,Even Small Distractions Derail Productivity Students were divided into two groups and asked to write an essay. Participants in the first group is constantly distracted, and as a result of a mission they have coped much worse than the subjects of the second group, who worked quietly. scientists have found outThis Is Nuts: It Takes Nearly 30 Minutes to Refocus After You Get DistractedThat the average person needs 23 minutes to concentrate on his work after he was distracted or interrupted.

Therefore it is important from the outset to identify the triggers that take your attention: social networks, games and endless smoke breaks or tea.

Take advantage of services that block distracting applications or websites. And to focus, set the timer and promise yourself not to break away from work until he had the bell.

There are several techniques that help to focus on tasks. For example, Pomodoro technique: 25 minutes of work alternate with five minutes rest. Or method 90/30: 30 minutes rest after 90 minutes of work.

Regular breaks allowHow Do Work Breaks Help Your Brain? 5 Surprising Answers avoid burnout. increase motivation and productivity. Only now during the holidays better do without smartphones and social networks - because of them you will get tired more.

5. Begin with the end

You certainly have divided the project into phases. If at some point you will come to a standstill, try to execute them are not consistent, and mixed. To organize an event, you need a script, premise, artists and decorators. If work on the script does not go, you can break off and start searching the premises and contractors. And then go back to the script.

However, not every business can be such liberties. Thesis have to write in order: not yet completed the study, it is impossible to analyze and draw conclusions.

6. Do not attempt to evaluate the result, until the project is completed

There is a saying: "Fool polraboty do not show." Sometimes we act as those fools when we try to take stock of their work and compare yourself with successful people more directly in the process. As a result, irritated, lose faith in yourself, and bring project until the end becomes more difficult.

There is a saying, "Write drunk, edit sober" it still is credited with Hemingway.

Spoke as a writer or not, it is not so important: the idea is still good - do most of the work vzapoy, not looking at the result. A criticism to include only at the stage "of editing." And this, incidentally, applies not only to create, but also to almost any activity.

7. Get support

When working on a large and long-term projects is very important for someone to support you. Social approval, not only improves productivity, but also has a positive effect on health, for example, reduces theSocial and Emotional Support and its Implication for Health the risk of premature death.

Very good if you have a team friendly and supportive atmosphere. Or do you have a partner, friend or relative who is willing to listen and help. If neither one nor the other you do not, do not hesitate to seek support from outside: from psychotherapists, Coaches in professional societies.