Here are some tricks to getting yourself into a kind of task you often find yourself avoiding and even finding ways to feel righteous as you savor completion.
Vividly Specific Contrasting Scenarios
Picture the worst and best case situations—in all their emotional details—for not starting an important task now. How bad could the consequences be if you don’t get it done or done right？ How exciting could it be if you did it on time and superbly？ What if you intend to start it later today？ How many things “beyond your control” can prevent you from getting started？ If you did， in fact， start it right now， when is the soonest you might be done if you get clear and focused， and allow no other interruptions until you get to a crucial state of completion or actually finish it？
What small indulgence could you give yourself when you’re done？ Take a break to savor time with a colleague who makes you laugh？ Get a surprise gift for a friend who’s been especially thoughtful recently？ Dive into another， slightly less pressing task and actually get ahead of the curve for once？
See Your Success Again and Again
Since most nurses have time-pressed lives， allowing yourself to savor each success is akin to imprinting on your psyche the experience of satisfaction with a task completed. Just as athletes learn new habits to improve performance by watching videos of master athletes， then store up memories of those images of successful work-outs for their constant internal play-back， your stored-up memories of ease in task completion can motivate you to have those satisfying experiences more often. You are literally seeing yourself repeat your performance. That’s new habit-forming. You will become more naturally inclined to dive in early and get more tasks completed in a state of inward and outward grace.
Take on a Big Task， a Bite at a Time
Large or unfamiliar tasks where you don’t feel especially confident about your future performance are the ones you’re most likely to avoid. Write down the steps to completion.