4 easy tricks that will make you more productive

4 easy tricks that will make you mora productive4 easy tricks that will make you more productiveEver needed to be productive but you just dont feel like it? And you literally end up negotiating with yourself in order to get things done?I end up thereall the time. So I wondered whats the best way for me to convince me to be more productive? Whats the best wayto use the science of persuasion on myself?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreTalking yourself into doing anything can be tricky.Iknew the answer welches a bit beyond my pay grade, so I called an expertRobert Cialdini isthe Undisputed Heavyweight Championofpersuasion. Hes a professor of psychology at Arizona State University and author of the 1 book on influence - aptly titledInfluence The Psychology of Persuasion.When we want to get others to see things our way we spend the majority of time crafting logicalarguments and colle cting convincing evidence to present to them and Bob says thats dead wrong.In his new bookPre-Suasion, Bob explains thatwe need to take a 2500-year-old tip from good ol Sun TzuEvery battle is won before it is fought.What we dobefore we try to persuade is often more critical towhether or not we are successful.From Pre-Suasion A Revolutionary Way to Influence and PersuadeThe best persuaders become the best through pre-suasion - the process of arranging for recipients to be receptive to a message before they encounter it.So if youre going to persuade yourselfto get more done, youneed to think about what youdo in advance of starting the task.Talking yourself into doing anything can be tricky because, well, you know what youre planning. So perhaps we should get started by convincing your unconscious mind to help you out When The Going Gets Good, The Good Stop GoingSo youre actually getting some solid work done. Youre pleased with yourself. But youre also a little afraid that tomorrow yo ull start procrastinating all over again. Theres a good way to make sure thatdoesnt happenLeverage the Zeigarnik effect. (Luckily, you dont have to be able to pronounce it in order to do that.) The Zeigarnik effect is a psychological principle that says our brains seek closure.Your unconscious mind wants to feel like you finished something - otherwise it will keep thinking about that task long after youve left the office.Well,Bob told mea story about a colleague of his whouses those nagging thoughts to her advantage - to prevent procrastination.When shes writing and the end of the workday approaches, she stops mid-sentence.That way her brain is dying to finish that thought. And when she gets to her desk the next day shes thankful to be able to complete what she started. Heres BobThe next day, she cant wait to get back to her chair and begin writing again so that she can complete the thought. Now shes in the flow again of writing, and she winds up being especially productive.So tak e a lesson from thosecliffhangers at the end of television episodes. They keep you tuned in for a reason. Your brain wants closure. Dont let it have it.(To learn the 7-step morning ritual that will keep you happy all day, click here.)So you know how to turn one productive day into a productive week. Buthow do you get goingin the first place? All it takes is a few magic words If, When, ThenEver wish you could just program yourself like a computer to do the right thing? Well, we cant upload Kung fu into your brain, Neo, but weve got the next best thing Before its time to accomplish something, create a clear goal statement that includes the place or time something needs to be doneand the thing you have to do. Just use the magic words If/When and Then.WhenI first sit at my desk in the morning,thenI will begin the report I have to write.Ifmy uncle starts another political argument,thenI will hide in the bathroom.Sound too simple to work? Wrong. Heres BobTheres a study ofepilepsy sufferer s who were having trouble being regular with their medication regimen. They were given an if, when, then statement to make, such as, If its eight oclock in the morning and Ive finished brushing my teeth, then I will take my prescribed medication. That statement increased compliance with the regimen from 55 percent to 79 percent. The key is to be specific about the place and time that serves as a cue for you to take the step that you want to take.So keep in mindIfEric writes a blog post,thenI will read it to the very end and thank him profusely.(To learn how to stop being lazy, clickhere.)So youve got an if/then and youre not giving yourself closure. Youre programmed to get to work and your unconscious mind will make sure you pick up where you left off tomorrow. But what if you still just aint feelin it?Then youre going to need the inspiration that can only come from bright yellow squares Sticky NotesMake You GrittyEverseen a poster like thisbefore?Of course you have. Ever scoffed at one? Probably. (Ever viciously mocked one then set it on fire? Oooookay, maybe thats just me then)Well, those trite displays of utter tastelessness actuallywork. When yousee inspirational pictureslike thatbeforeyou get cranking, you really are more productive. Heres BobTheres a lovely study that showed that if call center workerswere shown a picture of a runner winning a race, they collected 60 percent more donations because the concept of achievement was in their attentional environment. They would see it constantly while they were doing this task.No, I am not here to ruin your office decor. You can get the same effect by scribbling ACHIEVE on a post-it note and putting it where you can see it.FromPre-Suasion A Revolutionary Way to Influence and PersuadeMultiple studies have shown that subtly exposing individuals to words that connote achievement (win, attain, succeed, master) increases their performance on an assigned task and more than doubles their willingness to keep working a t it.(To learn how 5 post-it notes can make you happy, confident and successful, clickhere.)So apost-it note can inspire you to get those tough tasks done and help us all win the war against bad art. But what ifthatisnt enough? Want inspiration thats personalizedfor you and is proven to bring out your best work?Alright then lets talk about Purell Remind Yourself Of Your CommitmentsDoctors dont always wash their hands before they see patients. Hospitals tried to get them to be better about it. Signs were put upsaying, Hand hygiene protects you from catching diseases.Annnnnnd that didnt work at all. Whatdidwork?Reminding them of their duty to help those they care for. A sign that read,Washing your hands reduces your patients chance of infection produced a 45% boost. Heres BobAstudy that was done by Adam Grant and his associates puta little sign under the soap dispensers that said, Washing your hands reduces your patients chance of infection. Thatproduced a 45 percent increase simply by reminding the doctors of a commitment that they had made long ago when they began their careers.I know, I know - maybe you havent taken the Hippocratic Oath lately. And you dont live by the Bushido Code either. Doesnt matter. If you dont have a commitment to remind yourself of, justmake one. But make it somethingyoull take seriously.Need an example? Bob has a personal commitmenthe used to make sure his bookPre-Suasionwas something hed be proud of. Ill let Bob tell the storyI dedicated Pre-Suasion to my grandchildren. Then I toldtheir parents, When each of them is old enough to read this book, show them the dedication and say, Your grandfather wrote this book for you. Well, Eric, it hadbetterbe a good book. It had better be a book that would holdup 15 years later. And heres what I did next - and Im looking at it right now I put a picture of my grandkids next to my computer. I made it visible while I was writing the book.Wanting to be a good Grandpa might be theultimateproductivi ty tool.(To hear Bobs 6 groundbreaking secrets for how to persuade others, clickhere.)Okay, weve learned a lot. Lets round it up Sum UpHeres how Robert Cialdini says you can trick yourself into being more productiveUse the Zeignarik effect To make sure you dont procrastinate tomorrow, dont give yourself closure today.If you stop mid-sentence youllIf, When, Then Program yourself like a computer. For instance, IfI see an opportunity for a lame joke related to psychology,thenI will fontit.Sticky notes make you gritty You dont need to punish your walls with bad art. Just write ACHIEVE on a post-it note.Remind yourself of your commitments And if you dont have one, make one. Wanting to be a great grandpa creates great books.Avoiding procrastination and being productive isnt always easy. Sometimes toughing it out with willpower doesnt work.But thats okay. Anything that you know will getyou going is fair game. Give some of Bobs tips a shot.You may need to trick yourself, fool yourself or pe rsuade yourself in order to get those tough tasks finished.As screenwriter Terry Rossio once said,My lousy way of getting it done is better than your great way of not doing it.Join over 320,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Thisarticleoriginally appeared atBarking Up the Wrong Tree.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people