Motivating Accountability

How do you motivate yourself to get things done?

Me...I'm not so good at that, hence what I want to do gets done and what I don't gets put off until it cannot be put off anymore. Honestly, there isn't a time I can remember when I haven't functioned in this way, but clearly I need to develop a different work habit. Well, really it needs to be a different life habit, because my approach to scrubbing the kitchen floor is about the same as my approach to exercising and my approach to writing a dissertation. You get the idea. It usually doesn't help when I check Profgrrrrl's page and she's managed to accomplish almost everything she's set out to do...and then some. I marvel at (and aspire to) her determination and focus. I have no idea how she does it. Since I am too afraid to ask, it's fortunate that we have our own mistress of accomplishment in the department, Dr. Helpful.

Dr. Helpful is a great professor, an amazing administrator, and a tireless advocate for graduate students. She has accomplished more in the last two years as our DGS than anyone would have thought possible; and, this summer, instead of taking a much needed break from it all, she's been working closely with at least three students helping them prepare for their comprehensive exams. Yes, she is on their committees, but I'm pretty sure she is not the chair of any of them. The Cajun Princess has been working with her since January and they are still reading through her special topics list together. Dr. H showed CP one way she motivates herself to get things done. Well, motivates might not be the right word...maybe rewards. Dr. H has a sticker system.
The sticker system is pretty much how it sounds. When you do something during the day you get a sticker. Now, I know several people who have tried to create a list everyday and then give themselves a gold or silver star when they get the whole list done, but that isn't how this sticker system works. This system requires stickers for different kinds of activities. A gold star for writing a blog entry, a turtle sticker for getting outside (taking a walk, gardening, etc), a martini sticker for making time for friends, a heart sticker for crocheting, it can be anything. The point is that when you place your stickers on your calendar you see that you have done a variety of things throughout the day. More importantly, the sticker system incorporates rewards for the things you like to do. It makes the enjoyable things you do visible so when you look back at your calendar it's not just a list of exam readings or writings you were supposed to do (but probably didn't get all of them done), but a variety of things you really accomplished.

Yesterday, I bought stickers and made a little key in the back of my calendar (an idea stolen from CP). I put in my first sticker for administrative work. Looking at my calendar for today, I think that one sticker looks awfully lonely and I will do my best to make sure I get more than one sticker for today. I am notorious for starting these kinds of programs and lasting about three days with them. We'll see how long the sticker system can last.