I haven’t always been a self-starter. Getting motivated and knocking out my to-do list doesn’t always come naturally to me. But I knew when I got serious about launching my consulting company, and becoming a full-time small business owner, that I would end up back in an office from 8-5, working for someone else again if I didn’t train myself to show up ready to work everyday. I’m not saying there aren’t days where I don’t want to start on a daunting project, or push a little too close to a deadline, but over time, it’s getting easier to get started as I rewire my brain for productivity.

Whether you work from home and need to figure out how to kick laziness out the front door, or you’re a student who just can’t seem to nail down studying, here is my process in hopes that you can also train your brain to love being productive.

Train Your Subconscious to Work for You

There is a reason Pavlov’s dog began to salivate each time the bell rang. Pavlov is most commonly known for his iconic experiment in classical conditioning in which a dog would be given treats each time a bell would ring. After doing this for a period of time, the dog began to salivate at the mere sound of the bell, even without the treat present. We can train our brains the same way.

In college, I created a ritual to train my brain to enjoy studying. Before each lengthy study session, I would buy myself my favorite drink, and compile a playlist of my favorite songs to listen to as I studied. Over time, my brain began to associate the reward with the act of studying, and as soon as I would taste the drink, and hear the music I would be in the mood to study.

Train your subconscious to work for you, and rewire your brain from laziness to productivity.

Fake it Till You Become it

Sometimes you do “Fake it till you make it”, and sometimes you “Fake it till you become it”. It’s a common belief that you have to “feel” something to really be it, but that isn’t the case at all. The simple act of doing something, even if we aren’t really “feeling” it, can make our minds start to believe it.

When I’m struggling to get serious about the items on my business docket for the day, and I’m just “not feeling it”, I like to change into a professional outfit, put on some makeup and do my hair. I know it may seem silly since I’m sitting at home, but just the act of becoming more professional looking makes me feel more professional, and prompts me to get down to business.

Disconnect

This may be the most crucial step to maximizing your productivity- put down your phone. Let me say it again for the people in the back, put down your phone. We all look at our phones much more than we realize. The average adult checks their phone about 76 times per day. When I begin work, especially on days when I am not in a working mood, I put my phone in another room, and only set it to ring for a call.

I hope my process will help you achieve your goals, and kick laziness in the rump. Let me know what you think, and how you get motivated!