Seeing the Task List Shrink

As you scroll through social media, there is a non-zero probability that you will come across some motivational content. Sharing the message of "just start". If you are anything like me, you find those posts wholly annoying. Everyone knows to make progress you need to do something. Melting into the couch to binge-watch a show will only get you closer to bedtime.

The other night, I was not feeling it. I was not motivated to make any progress on my goals. You could say the couch was calling my name. After a day of problem-solving, there was no desire to do anymore. After watching a quick show, I thought about completing the easiest item on my task list. It was the short and simple task of typing up a post and then editing it, twenty minutes of work at the most.

Once at my desk, the post started to flow, bringing excitement that I had another great piece of content and the thought out of my brain. With the post staged for publishing, I had lost my desire to move back to the couch. I was more excited to move on to the next task.

Before too long, five tasks were completed. What started as an evening with little prospect of progress, turned into a much shorter task list. The small change to tackle the easiest item on the list cracked the door open to a substantial amount of progress. In all this work, I nearly lost track of time and shot past my normal bedtime. Leaving me motivated to get a decent night's rest and excitement to make more progress again tomorrow night.

Even though I loathe seeing the generic content to start making progress. There is a good message to build momentum slowly. Next time you are on the couch, thinking that there are better things you could be doing, all you have to do is stand up and move to the place of work. The rest will happen naturally.