Play The Game

Everyone has that one thing that they hate doing. That one thing that you put off and put off and then, when you finally do it, you loathe every minute. You generally don't do it as well as the things you enjoy doing. Mine is making cold calls. I do it now from a recruiting standpoint but it's been my Achille's heel my entire sales career. I will actively seek out reasons not to make cold calls.

So, how can we take the things that are hardest for us to do and not only look forward to them, but excel at them?

Make it a game

I am not a gamer. There are two reasons why. First, it's just never been something that seemed like a good use of time for me. Second, and more importantly, I become a crackhead when I get hooked on a game. Seriously, when my wife introduced me to Angry Birds, I didn't work for a week.

There is, however, a good deal of psychology surrounding game-playing. Here's what happens when you make difficult things a game.

1. Tackle Tough Challenges With More Creativity

This seems pretty simple, but the very creativity it takes to come up with a way to make something difficult into a game will transfer to the work you are doing.

2. You Are More Determined To "Win"

I wasn't joking about the Angry Birds thing. When you are in "game time" mode, you are competitive and determined to win.

3. You Are More Optimistic

Games are fun. When you play a game, you enjoy it and you look forward to it. It's similar to when you are doing the work tasks that you like doing.

4. You Are More Likely To Reach Out For Help

Games are usually played by teams, or at least with a group of people. Even video games, in today's world, are played with other people from all over the world connected via their gaming consoles. Working with others takes all of the points above and puts them together in one. It also helps you get buy-in from people who might not otherwise understand your aversion. They share in your pain and that, in turn, eases the pain for you.

So, isolate that one thing, your albatross, and figure out a way to make it a game. Establish rules, figure out what constitutes a win, and go play your game. Tweak it as you need to and then start inviting others to play. You'll find that what you once hated will become something you look forward to and, as an added bonus, you'll do better at the task you once hated. Game on!!!