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The other night, while driving in the rain, I had an inspiration. I was
thinking about my tendency to waste time when I could be doing something
productive. I can remember times when I've played Minesweeper for hours
while mulling over things that I knew I needed to get done. I usually
keep a big list of things I need to do, and often I find it ignored,
pushed back by my psyche while I spend time idly in simple tasks.
Number 1:
While driving along in the rain, contemplating this phenomenon, a flash
of inspiration came upon me. I suddenly discovered that the reason why
I tolerate this conflict is fear. It's fear of failure, or fear
of not being good or smart enough to reach my goal. That's why I have
spent so much time in useless activities, unable to begin a daunting
task. But understanding the reason for this behavior is the key to
triumphing over it and becoming a better person. The path to
productivity and, in fact, empowerment, is now visible before me.
Simply believing that I can make it to my goal, and that I am good
enough and smart enough, gives the motivation necessary to make it
through the long journey. It's exactly like Henry Ford said, "Whether
you believe you can or believe you can not, you are right."
Number 2:
And the logical conclusion here also shows the reason why I choose to
waste time with Minesweeper - I'm good at it. I know I can kick the
crap out of that game any time, night or day. And I feel a wonderful
sense of accomplishment when I beat the game, so it gives me what I need.
It's much harder to feel this sense of accomplishment from 3 hours spent
working on a project which will take 5000 hours to complete. But I
believe if one keeps the goal in mind, and works earnestly toward it,
he will find in the end that the final thrill of completion and subsequent
rewards reaped will outweigh the necessary hours of labor.
Number 3:
I have also discovered an important trick for gaining motivation to
start a project. I have often noticed that, when I write a new computer
program, the hardest part is writing the first few lines. The task
always seems so daunting when one only has an idea, and a big blank
sheet (or screen) with no work. I think that when one is in this
situation, it is often useful to begin by developing a plan of action,
with a level of detail and complexity which is proportionate to
the length of the project. This follows the advice of my mentor Tom,
who once told me to "Plan the work, then work the plan." Occasionally
the scope of an enormous project may require planning for months or
even years. But if one spends time planning at the beginning of a large
project, it not only gives a sense of movement towards a goal, but also
may seriously cut down on development time by discovering problems
before a large amount of work is done and re-working is necessary. I
have found that once the plan is in place, it's much easier to work
efficiently and consistently towards the final goal.
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