Just Start

Self motivation is essential in life. Creating energy to move from a stationary state is critical - the first step.  So what techniques do you use to act?

My favorite technique to combat inaction is the calendar.  I learned this in my work at Accenture.  In order to motivate activity, I would draw a calendar on the white board (usually three months) then place a marker on the project (or milestone) end date.  Then working backward, I would begin to schedule meetings on dates prior to this date and ask the participants if their calendar's worked.  Invariably everyone would pull out their personal calendar to check dates.   Someone might have a conflict but immediately everyone began to look for a common date vs argue about whether we should do the task. 

It was magic.  Before long the calendar was full of scheduled meetings and everyone was "bought in" to the project dates.  Energy was "created" just by getting on people's calendars.  Even if this exercise of "calendaring" yielded a push back of the initial end date, I had accomplished my objective - the work program was established - people were tentatively "bought in" and "motivated" to activity.

Putting an activity on a future date is a perfect compromise for the procrastinator, non-committed, or even actively opposed individual (since a future date can always be cancelled). 

A future date is the equivalent of ====>  Just Start.  Try it on yourself.