The motivation hacker

Increasing Expectancy:

• Success spirals: win at something small then keep leveling it up
• Vicarious victory: hang out with motivated people
• Mental contrasting: visualize the success you want to have and then contrast it with where you are now
• Guarding against excessive optimism: don’t get trapped by the planning fallacy

Increasing Value:

• Find flow
• Find meaning: look for ways to connect tasks to major life goals
• Optimize your energy
• Productive procrastination: if you can’t do your main work, get other little tasks out of the way
• Create rewards: when you succeed, celebrate it, by congratulating yourself or giving yourself a treat
• Focus on passion: know what you’re passionate about and steer your life towards those passions
• Task trading: If you don’t want to do something find someone who will trade that task with you

Reducing Impulsiveness:

• Make a recommitment
• Burn your ships
• Set goal reminders
• Timebox your tasks
• Build useful habits
• Schedule play before work, so you know when you’re taking a break

Reducing Delay:

• Break your goals down so the ends feel nearer
• Let yourself plan fallaciously so you’re more motivated