Done by Ten: A Simple Productivity Trick

I'm always on the lookout for a better way to work and a faster way to get things done, so I'm no stranger to productivity systems, and I've tried the lot (except GTD, too complicated - if I need a chart to remind me how to use it, there's a pretty good chance I won't).

This week I stumbled on a very simple trick for maintaining focus on the most important tasks of the day: done by ten.

I started out the week lacking motivation (after spending four relaxing days on the beach).  After too much fun in the sun, I just didn't want to get back to work.

I knew I had to get it in gear, and since motivation was the missing link, I gave myself a motivating deadline:

Finish the most important stuff by ten o'clock, and then you can do whatever you want.

Easy enough, and since it was a way to cheat a little and extend my vacation, I quickly jumped into action so that I didn't waste a single second of "free time" on work-related tasks.  I wanted to be done by ten o'clock, no later.

The first day was a success.  I moved all the big rocks of the day and even managed to wash a load or two of laundry post-trip.

The second day, even though I stayed up until 2 AM the previous night, I was still motivated to do my best to be done by ten, so I didn't allow myself to oversleep.  I jumped in again and got my list knocked out in no time.

The next few days were a bit of a stretch.  The tasks I had on tap were much more complex, so I finished between 1-4 PM, but the advantage was that my mindset had changed, so instead of wasting time surfing the Net or doing anything I could to keep myself occupied and away from work, I was diving head first into the most important thing.

Plus, there are no charts to memorize, no tight schedules to maintain, or overwhelming to-do lists to priortize.  I just think to myself, "I want to be done by ten," and that gives me an amazing super-power that somehow managed to elude me all this time: the ability to zoom right in on the most important priorities in my life and business.  Easy peasy.  No muss, no fuss.  Just done by ten, and then I can do whatever my distracted little heart desires, which (oddly enough) has been improving other areas of my life and business, so the sudden burst in productivity is a motivator all its own.

What's your simple trick for staying motivated and productive?