In Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns writes about turning rules around “musts,” “shoulds,” and “coulds” into “wants” to get and stay motivated:
“A possible source of your procrastination is an inappropriate system for self-motivation. You may inadvertently undermine what you attempt by flagellating yourself with so many “oughts,” “shoulds,” and “musts” that you end up drained of any desire to get moving. You are defeating yourself by the way you kill yourself to get moving! Dr. Albert Ellis describes this mental trap as “musterbation.”
Reformulate the …

In Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns writes about Little Steps for Little Feet, which is a technique for breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable parts.
Housework Example
Burns includes an example applying Little Steps for Little Feet to housework:
“The wife of a political VIP spent years harboring resentment toward her husband for his successful, glamorous life. She felt her life consisted of an oppressive load of child-rearing and housecleaning. Because she was compulsive, she never felt she had enough time to complete her dreary chores. …

In Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy Revised and Updated, David Burns writes about Little Steps for Little Feet. You can use this technique in meetings to beat the boredom, defeat the distraction, and increase your ability to concentrate.
Meeting Example
Burns writes about how to apply Little Steps for Little Feet to meetings:
“Suppose your job involves attending lots of meetings, but you find it difficult to concentrate due to anxiety, depression, or daydreaming. You can’t concentrate effectively because you think, “I don’t understand this as I should. Gosh this is boring. …