Motivating Yourself to do Work You Don’t Like

I have found that writing is the most difficult part of my job. I don’t like writing. I’d rather clean the bathrooms and watch chick flicks all day than write. Writing is such a crucial part of my business, though. I write blog posts, I write scripts for videos and e-courses and I write emails. Some days, I do nothing but write! It’s the main form of communication with my clients and followers.

Back when I operated my technology company, the only writing I had to do was a few emails a day. Laying out website pages was my enemy, though. I objected to doing that almost as much as I do writing now. Do you see a pattern?

I bet there’s some part of your business that you extremely dislike to a point where you put it off as long as you can. No matter what business or career you’re in, there’s always going to be work that doesn’t fancy your excitement. Often, it’s work that is crucial to the success of your business.

Why do we dislike doing certain types of work so much? I’ve found in most cases there’s only two reasons:

1. We aren’t very good at it.
2. It’s tedious or requires a lot of time.

Does that sound right? Putting off the work we don’t like brings about anxiety and keeps us from moving forward in our business. It’s best to “take the bull by the horns” and get these things done. But, how do we get motivated to do the work we don’t like and stop putting it off? I’ve got a few suggestions for you to try.

Focus on the Process.

This seems counterintuitive. Most people will tell you to focus on the result. I’ve found, though, that by focusing on the process of getting things done actually helps us see that “it’s not so bad after all.” Plus, the more we focus on the process of how we’re going to do a task, the more apt we are to find ways of doing that work better and more efficiently. Over time, you’ll get better at doing that type of work, making it more enjoyable and less strenuous.

Do the tasks you hate first.

Generally, the worst part of anything we don’t like doing is the “waiting.” It’s not the task itself that will kill us; it’s the anxiety leading up to the big moment.

Calling on a customer made me incredibly nervous when I first started my own company. I’d always put it on my calendar for mid-afternoon, “that way I wasn’t bothering them first thing in the morning and so that I’d have more time to prepare what I was going to say.” What a load of crap! It was so I could put it off a little bit longer.

Begin your day by handling the work you don’t like to do. You won’t have time to build up that anxiety and it will clear your mind to focus on being more productive the rest of the day.

Get an accountability partner.

Whenever I have a deadline that involves work I don’t want to do, I tell my wife about it. She works from home with me all day and consequently, knows what I’m working on most of the time. If she knows that I’m putting off work that I don’t like doing, I’ll get some friendly reminders throughout the day that help me get back on track.

Tell a coworker, friend or family member what you need to accomplish and when you’re going to accomplish it. You’ll feel more accountable yourself for getting it done and you’ll also have an accountability partner to remind you!

This Friday, February 17th, I will be starting a weekly “Friday Hustle” challenge. Follow me on Instagram or Facebook for a chance to win a Starbucks gift card each Friday for the next month! This “Friday Hustle” challenge will be:

What’s one thing you’ve accomplished this week that you’ve been putting off for a long time?

My top 2 favorite responses will win Starbucks gift cards! Don’t miss it this Friday on my Instagram and Facebook!