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A Super Easy Way to Make Tasks You Normally Avoid More Fun
When rewards don’t work, try pairing
I’ve often had trouble getting myself to do things that need to be done when I don’t really want to do them.
But recently I stumbled upon the best way I’ve ever found for getting myself to do tasks I normally dread. Now instead of avoiding certain tasks, I look forward to doing them and even actively look for the time to get them done as soon as possible.
It’s so simple I can’t believe I never consciously used this technique before.
I’m calling it pairing.
For me, it works much better than bribing myself with rewards.
In the past, I had often tried to motivate myself to do tasks I dislike by offering myself a reward after I completed them.
After I did the laundry, I could read a book. After I cleaned the house, I could watch TV. After I did the dishes, I could eat a piece of candy. For small tasks like this, it sometimes worked, but I still didn’t enjoy the tasks themselves.
Other times it didn’t work at all.
And when it came to bigger tasks I really didn’t want to do, even the offer of a reward often didn’t help. Sometimes I couldn’t think of a reward that was…
