How to Trick Yourself Into Getting Stuff Done

1. Temptation Bundling

Behavioral economist Katherine Milkman recently conducted a study on the effectiveness of temptation building. The concept is simple: combine one thing you don't want to do with something you actually enjoy doing. That means imposing a couple restrictions, such as only listening to your favorite music while washing dishes or only watching your favorite TV show while you're at the gym.

And the research shows that temptation bundling really does work! By combining our "wants" and our "shoulds," you'll actually stay on top of chores and exercise regularly (rather than relying on willpower alone). 

2. Take a Nap

Wanna get stuff done? Take a break - a nap break, that is. As a culture, we are chronically sleep deprived. Coffee can only take you so far, and the inability to focus can cut down your productivity by quite a bit! Many health studies have found that even napping for just 20 minutes can increase your alertness and processing speed.

3. Create Prioritized Lists

Dividing all the tasks into different levels of priorities (Must Get Done, Should Get Done, and Wanna Get Done) will help you get things done faster. When you break up your To-do list into smaller tasks, you'll feel less overwhelmed and way more motivated!

4. Just Start

Don't forget: inertia is your biggest enemy. Once you stop thinking about all thing things you have to do and actually start doing them, you'll find that you're more likely to finish. You just have to give yourself the first big push.

5. Unplug

That's right. Log off Facebook and stop checking Instagram. Turn off all notifications. When you're constantly distracted by newsbites and messages, it will take you longer to re-focus on the task at hand. How often have you wound up in an endless loop of cat videos, only to resurface three hours later? Just do yourself a favor and shut it all off. The Internet will still be there when you come back.