10 Mind Hacks to Trick Yourself Into Being Productive

There are days when all I want to do is watch sports.  Not write, read, or think about how to further the reach and engagement of my blog, increase my CCM & Homie G YT Channel subscribers, or likes on my FB Fan Page.  Whatever you need to do on a daily basis to further your own brand or business will always have the laws of physics standing in the way.  In particular, Newton's first law, the law of inertia.


Basically, this law states that everything in the universe is lazy; things want to keep doing what they're already doing.  If you're in bed at rest, you want to remain in bed at rest.  But if you're in motion, you also want to remain in motion.  And that is the key to productivity, just getting into motion.  The following 10 mind hacks will trick you into being productive and defeating inertia.



1.  Pretend a million dollars are at stake if you can be productive for the day.  A productivity auditor will follow you around noting the things you get done and at the end of the day, will hand you a check if you were productive.  I learned this trick from the great Brian Tracy.

2.  If I do one thing I can go back to being lazy.  This is where you commit to doing just one thing on your priority list.  Sometimes what happens is you feel great about that accomplishment and decide to keep going.  Or you simply get in a groove and move to item 2 or 3 on your priority list without being conscious of your permission to quit after getting number one done.

3.  Read the most inspirational book you have in your personal library for 20 minutes, even if you've already read this book several times.  Go to the section that was the most emotive for you and pretend you're reading it for the very first time.  This should charge your productivity battery by inspiring you.

4.  Get up and clean.  Sometimes to get myself into productive mood, I get on a 20-30 minute cleaning spree.  The activity is light enough where you won't be sweating profusely, but brisk enough to warm-up your muscles and get the blood circulating, especially to your brain.

5.  Eat a protein heavy breakfast.  We all know the effects of sugar.  Your blood glucose spikes up and down like a roller coaster, affecting your body's rhythm.  Protein keeps you blood sugar nice and level, meaning you won't feel that euphoria or subsequent crash.  Simple carbohydrates, likes fruits and vegetables, are oaky to eat.  Who know's, after changing your breakfast routine to this on the day you feel lethargic, you may just get in the mood to work.

6.  Do something fun first.  Let's face it, sometimes being productive means doing boring things.  Treat yourself to a fun activity like playing a game on your phone.  A challenge game where your competitive spirit is brought out may get you in a killer mood to conquer the world.  You obviously can't conquer the world without being productive so put the game down and get busy.

7.  Get your laptop, put it in a bag, and drive to a local coffee shop.  You'll not only get a jolt from the great coffee, and the aroma, but you'll also see other people working around you.  This will inspire you to open you bag and bust out your laptop...but don't just surf the Internet...work!

8.  Listen to a kick-ass tune.  My personal favorites: Bon Jovi's, Livin' On A Prayer, Journey's, Don't Stop Believin', and Survivor's, Eye of the Tiger.  C'mon, how can you not get off your behind and start being productive after listening to these classics?


9.  Meditate.  Sit cross-legged (if you can), close your eyes, slow your breathing and try to think about nothing.  A good half-hour of meditation will be enough nuisance on your mind to make you beg to do something productive.

10.  Make a date or an appointment for a meal with someone you like hanging out with.  Tell them that you first must get something done (insert your top priority item here) and that you will pay for the entire meal if you don't get this thing done.  Otherwise you'll split the bill as usual.

Well, there is no guarantee that any of these mind hacks will work on you.  Like all people, you must be open to trying new things and seeing if they work or not.  Being productive on an otherwise "lazy day" may result in an unexpected breakthrough and fast-forward your journey to success.  You never know, right?

Thanks for reading.  If you want to get more articles like this, and my personal email to ask me financial or success questions, please subscribe below.

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner