How do you get in your "productive" mode?
jsz0: I like to complete one small task to break the ice and remind myself there is a little intellectual reward waiting at the end of every completed task. If you string together a few small successes you can build some momentum. It's important to be realistic about how much time you spend working in a day to avoid burn out. Personally I think 10-12 hours is probably a natural limitation most people face. You can't neglect other parts of your life and stay productive. Gotta find the right balance or you'll burn out.If I really have trouble getting motivated about a project I will try to find a better or easier solution. I can't really grind away at something I'm not interested in. I need to figure out a way to get into the project. One of the things that helps me is making diagrams. I will spend a lot of time making sure all the fonts are right, good colors, good spacing, etc. It's silly but, in the end, I have this really nice diagram and I'm somehow more motivated to make it a reality. The other trick is to find people who are interested in what you're doing. Their excitement and interest can be infectious. It really helps to feel like what you're working on isn't a waste of time.