How To Build Discipline For Increased Productivity and Motivation

A practical guide to getting things done.

Not feeling motivated?

You’re not alone.

You might feel a lack of motivation regarding your job — either traditional or freelance — or perhaps a side gig. You might have another necessary but unpleasant task, such as getting your taxes done or paying that month’s bills.

The worst feeling is when you’re not feeling motivated to create when you usually would be. That lack can lead to you feeling unproductive, which in turn makes you feel bad about yourself, which can then lead you down a deeper spiral.

Who needs that?

What if I were to suggest “motivation” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?

It’s more about discipline than inspiration.

The thing is, if you want to be productive, you need to build a sense of discipline.

You accomplish this by creating a habit.

In my own case, whether I want to or not, I sit down, scan my to-do list, and get to work. Sometimes the work is engaging. Sometimes it’s horribly tedious.

Welcome to the glamorous life of a freelance writer.

That said, each day, without fail, I open my laptop and get to work. I may not be excited about some of the work I’m doing, but I have bills to pay, and I need to get it done. Today, for example, I had an article on contesting wills to finish and an article on HOA budgets to begin.

These aren’t exciting topics. I don’t feel a “rush” when writing them as I might with a short story, a poem, or movie review.

But, as I’ve mentioned, I have bills to pay. And it’s my job and, overall, I enjoy it — especially compared my some of my old jobs. So, I make a pot of coffee and get to work. Even when my daily routine has been disrupted by travel or family obligations, I still manage to get in a few hours’ worth of work on a laptop or tablet.

By the end of the day, I have tasks checked off. I’ve been productive.

You might respond, “Huzzah, but what does that have to do with me? I need to feel motivated to be productive. What if I’m not motivated enough to build a discipline or habit?”

Good question. Here’s what to do.

Here’s how you can build the discipline to help you create and be productive even when you’re not feeling it.

Start building a little at a time.

Most experts on positive habits often say the same thing — starting big will fail more often than not. Habits that start small and grow over time have a much better chance of success.

So in applying it to you — set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes, and start with some small tasks. Respond to an email. Do you work-related social media posts. Update your calendar or schedule.

Once your 10 or 15 minutes are up, if you can’t stand being at your desk (or wherever you work), then get up and do something else for a short bit.

Once you get to the point when doing 10 or 15 minutes worth of work becomes easy, start adding more time and more significant projects. Go slow, and build.

Optimize your workspace.

Messy desk? Tidy it. Cluttered and chaotic workbench? Get things cleared and squared off.

It may seem like busy work or avoidance, but most people find a clean, organized space easier to work at.

Is the TV or radio on?

Turn ’em off.

Try some quiet background music. Nothing loud, but nothing too quiet either. Just enough to fill the void of silence.

And if that turns out to be distracting, then shut it off as well. You might be one of those who works, creates, and concentrates best in total silence.

Go ahead and have favorites.

Some productivity gurus promote the idea of doing the unpleasant tasks on your list first in order to get them out of the way.

I respectfully disagree.

If I’m feeling discouraged because of a project I don’t find any joy or interest in, I will avoid the whole thing and watch football instead.

Instead, consider your to-do list and pick what you want to work on next. After taking on (and completing) your feel-good tasks, you’re in a much better position to look the ugly, tedious jobs in the eye and say, “You’re next.”

You’ve earned a reward. Truly.

I’m all for any strategy that works — even if it’s something as blatant as bribing oneself.

If there’s a task you’re not into doing but need to finish nonetheless, it’s okay to reward yourself.

Recently, I had to put together a 500-page book on a minor TV and movie actor from the 60s. Some of you may have heard of him. Most of you probably haven’t. But a job’s a job, right?

I had a lot of trouble feeling motivated to do this particular project. It wasn’t one of my freelance writing gigs but a book design job for one of my last book design clients. I got pretty well paid for it, but it just wasn’t very inspiring.

What did I do? I told myself that if I finish the job, I can order the newest Dungeons and Dragons sourcebook Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.

I’m a huge nerd, and the book arrives tomorrow.

People nurture positive habits with rewards all the time. It seems to work. Eventually, you’ll feel silly rewarding yourself for doing things you should be doing anyway. By that time, however, you’ll have built a productivity discipline that exists outside of the need for constant motivation or inspiration.

But a little reward now and then is always a good thing.

Motivation, inspiration, and productivity

I love being inspired. I love being motivated. And I love feeling productive.

But I’m a busy fellow. I can’t wait for the perfect moment of inspiration to strike or to feel motivated for a dull job. I’ve got bills to pay.

So, of the three, I’ll settle for building a solid discipline habit so I can be productive — regardless of whether or not I feel particularly motivated or inspired.

Now… all of that said, my last bit of advice is to never stop looking for motivation and inspiration. Those are fantastic things to have. But don’t let their absence stop you from creating or working. Discipline is the foundation the rest of it is built on.

Building discipline is the thing to focus on.

Once you have that, everything else falls into place.

Thank you for reading. I’d love to share more with you via my Bi-Weekly Word Roundup newsletter sent to subscribers every other Sunday. It will feature news, productivity tips, life hacks, and links to top stories making the rounds on the Internet. You can unsubscribe at any time.