(Without Waiting for Motivation)

Quick Wins for Real Productivity: Part 4

Let’s not sugarcoat it.

There are some tasks that just loom. They sit in your brain like a weight you can’t put down. They’re not hard because they’re complicated; they’re hard because they matter. You know the ones I mean.

That uncomfortable email.

That phone call you’ve been avoiding.

That first rep at the gym after weeks (or months) away.

That creative project you’ve talked about but never started.

It’s not that we can’t do them. We just… don’t. And then we beat ourselves up for it, adding guilt on top of the pile of resistance like that’s going to help.

This post is about how I’ve learned to move, even when the task makes me want to hide under a blanket and scroll memes for an hour.

It’s not perfect. I still slip. But I’ve built a system. One that doesn’t rely on hype, hustle culture, or needing to feel like a machine. Just something that works, on real days, with a real brain that doesn’t always want to play ball.

First, Let’s Call It What It Is: Resistance

Steven Pressfield wrote a whole book about this, The War of Art, and he names it perfectly: Resistance.

It’s that invisible force that shows up every time you try to do something meaningful. It’s the voice that says:

• “You’ll screw it up anyway.”
• “It’s not the right time.”
• “You’re too tired. Too busy. Too behind.”

That voice is persuasive as hell. And subtle. It doesn’t yell — it whispers. It’ll even dress itself up like logic or kindness.

“Maybe you need to clean the kitchen first.”

“Maybe you should do some research for another week or two before starting.”

Sound familiar?

Resistance is sneaky. And if you’re not aware of it, you’ll keep following it around like it knows what’s best for you.

Motivation is Overrated (Here’s Why I Stopped Waiting for It)

The big lie we’re sold is this: wait for motivation, then act.

I used to do this all the time. I’d wait for that rare, magical burst of energy to strike before I’d start on the hard stuff. Sometimes it would show up. Most times it wouldn’t. And I’d end up feeling like a failure because I didn’t feel like doing anything.

But here’s the shift that changed everything for me:

You don’t need motivation to start. You need movement.

I started using motion as the trigger, not mood. Which brings us back to what we talked about in Part 3: the Two + Twenty method.

How I Use “Two + Twenty” to Trick Myself Into Starting

Here’s how it looks on a rough day:

1. I start with a micro-win. Something I can control.
   Drink water. Make the bed. Delete five useless emails.
2. I set a visible timer — just 20 minutes.
   No commitment beyond that. No pressure to finish the big scary thing. Just show up for twenty.
3. I pick one hard task. The one I’ve been mentally dodging.
   It could be writing one paragraph. Opening the spreadsheet. Calling the person. Hitting the gym.

And then I do it. Imperfectly. Sometimes gritting my teeth. Sometimes dragging myself into it. But I do it.

You know what happens 9 times out of 10?

Once I start, the resistance loses power. It’s like fog burning off in the sun.

Not because I suddenly feel amazing, but because motion changes emotion. And my brain shifts from avoiding mode to doing mode.

Anchoring the Hard Thing

I also started anchoring my “hard thing” to the end of my micro-routine. So it’s no longer a question of if I’ll start the deep task, it’s just the next step in the flow.

It’s like this:

• Brush teeth
• Make bed
• Water + vitamins
• Check plan for the day
• Start the hard thing (with timer running)

No fanfare. No mental debate. Just: “This is what we do now.”

Think of it like brushing your teeth before bed. You don’t have to argue with yourself every night. You just do it, because that’s what comes next.

That’s how I treat hard tasks now. Not as dragons to slay. Just as part of the rhythm.

What if the Resistance Still Wins?

Yeah, some days it still gets me. I freeze up. I bail. I scroll instead of starting. So I built a fallback rule.

It’s this:

If I can’t do the big thing, I do the smallest related action possible.

Examples:

• Can’t write the report? Open the doc and type a sentence.
• Can’t work out? Put on workout clothes and do 10 pushups.
• Can’t call the client? Write out what I would say in notes.

This keeps me from zero days. And it chips away at the fear of starting. It tells my brain, “See? You did something. Now you’re not stuck.”

And weirdly enough, those “tiny fallback actions” often turn into real work sessions. Once you’re in motion, even a little, the weight starts to lift.

My Rules for Doing the Hard Thing

1. Start before you’re ready
   Ready is a myth. You start, then you feel ready. Not the other way around.
2. Set the bar stupidly low
   Don’t aim to finish. Aim to begin. The rest usually follows.
3. Use a timer to contain the fear
   Knowing it’s only 20 minutes helps shrink the task in your mind.
4. Treat the task like part of a system, not a test
   You’re not proving anything. You’re just showing up for a rep.
5. Reward the effort, not the outcome
   You did the hard thing. Doesn’t matter if it was messy. You showed up. That’s the win.

Coming Up in Part 5: “Zero Pressure Evenings” aka How to Unwind Without Letting the Wheels Fall Off

I’ll share how I built a night routine that doesn’t feel rigid or fake, and how I protect my energy after 6 p.m. without falling into a Netflix + chips coma (at least not every night).

We’ll also talk about:

• The myth of “earning rest”
• Why your evenings shape your mornings
• How I use low-effort rituals to actually recover, not just distract myself

Want a printable of the Do the Hard Thing Flow checklist to keep near your desk or mirror? Click that link to download it.

Keep showing up.

Even when it’s uncomfortable.

Especially when it is.