If you're anything like me, staying focused and on task is one of the hardest things you can make me do. Everything is a distraction. I've come up with 3 ways that I use to not only stay focused on my current task at hand, but on my overall life goals.

1. Reminders.

I leave annoying reminders to myself via phone, post-it notes, to-do lists, or even having friends remind me constantly to get it done. This way it's constantly nagging me and following me and I can't make it stop until it's done. Sometimes it makes you dread the task at hand even more, but in the end you're happy it's over.

2. Punishment.

I tend to be a big baby, and the rarely occurring adult part of me likes to put a stop to that sometimes. If I don't do something on time, or at all, I punish myself. "No reading till ____ is finished." "No ice cream till ____ is done." "If ____ isn't done by ____ time you can't go to dinner with friends." It may seem like an obvious thing, but it works great. If you spoil yourself like I do, then of course you want to make incentives to keep it up.

3. The big picture.

When I'm feeling especially lazy, I look at the big picture. What are my goals? Where am I at in my life currently? Will I be happy here when I'm 40? No? Well that's where I'm headed if I don't straighten myself out. The idea that I may never move forward in my life terrifies me more than anything you can throw at me. When I look at myself as the person I never in million years want to be, it creates a drive in me that helps me get so much more accomplished so much faster.

With these 3 things on my mind at all times, I've gotten a lot better at keeping myself on task, and moving forward. I've achieved dreams of publishing books, going to school, and getting the jobs I want. So I know, if you're reading this article, you're probably avoiding doing something and should take my advice. Get it done.