Today I'll finish up our series on dealing with a large quantity of work by sharing an idea I got from a grad school classmate that I have used successfully (though in modified form) in my own life.

My classmate was in the final stages of his doctoral program. He'd finished the coursework and exams and had done his research. All that was left was writing the dissertation, and he was going nowhere. He just couldn't find the focus and discipline to sit down and crank it out. He was fortunate enough to have a family member with a beach house. The family member loaned him the beach house for one month to write his dissertation. This is how he accomplished the feat:

He decided that, to get to the desired finished product, he needed to write about 300 pages. So, he assigned himself ten pages a day. Once he'd written ten pages, the rest of the day was his to do as he wished. Those ten pages didn't need to be perfect, but they needed to be on topic, following his outline. If he was distracted and writing slowly, he might write until midnight, finishing just in time to go to bed to get up to do it again. If he was more focused, he could finish before noon and spend his afternoon on the beach or imbibing at a beachfront establishment. When he left the beach house, he had 300 pages ready for editing and an awesome tan.

I have used a similar method (though without the beach house) in dealing with big projects. When I took my comprehensive exams, I had a specific study goal each day. Once that was complete, the rest of the day was spent watching movies, going for walks, or taking a nap. When I wrote my first book, I had a specific writing goal each day. Once finished, the rest of the day was mine to do as I wished.

I'm using this method right now to continue my de-cluttering and deep-cleaning efforts. I assign a specific task for each day. Once it's done, I can spend the rest of the day watching tv, reading, having a bubble bath — whatever I'm in the mood to do. So, if I wake up extra early, by the time I get home from work, my evening may be my own — to do precisely as I please.

A variation on this is the timer method. Allot a specific amount of time each day to these work tasks — 10 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour — whatever works for you. Set a timer for that amount of time and start working diligently — no breaks — until the timer sounds. Knowing that it will sound makes the work easier somehow. This method is especially great for a daily family de-clutter. Everyone tidies as possible until the buzzer goes off. It's almost a game.