In response to the Working Solo Minute on Self-Motivation Strategies (WSM #38), several readers wrote in about the hardest part: getting started. Here are some tactics for beating procrastination:

1. Start somewhere, anywhere.
For soloists who make their living at the computer, sometimes you just have to put your seat in chair, fingers to keyboard, and begin. (Substitute whatever the similar situation may be for your chosen solo profession.) Once you get going, the momentum builds. So just start. Anywhere.

2. Think small bites.
It's easy to get overwhelmed on big projects, which often leads to, "Oh, I can't get all this done today, so I'll tackle it tomorrow." Some soloists set a timer and convince themselves to work on a project for a brief amount of time, even as short as 10 minutes. Once begun, the timer often goes off and the work continues. Think brick by brick, not the whole wall.

3. Limit interruptions and distractions.
Unplug your phone. Turn off your cell. Disable your Internet connection. When the entire world is just a click or a speed-dial button away, it's far too easy to escape. Minutes turn into half hours, and then huge chunks of your day are gone. Self-imposed isolation can be productive.

4. Feed the psyche.
At the end of each day, jot down a few notes in your calendar, diary, or PDA of what took place, and what you accomplished during the day. It's a great way to chart your progress and to discover patterns in your productivity. Plus, at the end of the year you'll have a record of all you've achieved -- one day at a time.

-- Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com

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