How you organize your to do list can make a big difference to your motivation and your sense of accomplishment. Putting “write article” or “finish book” on your to do list is a really bad idea. Too abstract. Motivation is mostly about taking action, so you need specific action items on your to do list to get you started. Once you get started, action motivates further action. That momentum should carry you along. A sense of accomplishment is more about your memory and connecting the action you take to the larger process. Making a "ta-da" list at the end of your session can be really helpful here.Read this post in the Library: jovanevery.co.uk/motivation-accomplishmentRelated tracks: • You need a writing practice• Using all 3 types of writing timeRelated posts & articles: • Optimizing Focus: Choose the task to suit how you are feeling (JoVanEvery.co.uk/optimizing-focus-choose-the-task-to-suit-how-you-are-feeling)• Optimizing Focus: Choose the task to suit the context context (JoVanEvery.co.uk/optimizing-focus-choose-the-task-to-suit-the-context)• Is number of hours the right measure? (Includes discussion of meaninglessness) (JoVanEvery.co.uk/is-number-of-hours-the-right-measure• A Meeting with Your Writing: how it works AcademicWritingstudio.co.uk/meeting-writing-works/• The dangers of counting words (JoVanEvery.co.uk/the-dangers-of-counting-words)Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/JoVanEveryFind my Facebook Page here: facebook.com/JoVEAcademicCareerCoachJoin the Academic Writing Studio: academicwritingstudio.co.uk
For more advice, support and perspectives like this, sign up to my free monthly newsletter: https://jovanevery.co.uk/newsletter
To find out how short chunks of time can revolutionise your writing, take the FREE 15 Minute Writing Challenge course: https://jovanevery.co.uk/15-min-writing-challenge/
Or join the Academic Writing Studio community: https://academicwritingstudio.co.uk
Support me on KoFi here: https://ko-fi.com/jovanevery
I'm no longer on Twitter, but I'm on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/jovanevery.bsky.social
Find me on Linked In here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jovanevery/
Or follow along on Facebook here: https://facebook.com/JoVEAcademicCareerCoach
