There was an interesting interview in the New York Times with Marjorie Kaplan, president of the Animal Planet and Science networks (conducted by Adam Bryant). I was struck by something she said about her husband, who is an artist:
"He does not like to be told what to do. He barely likes to be asked to do something. But he once explained to me that the most motivating thing for him was problem-solving"
It occurs to me that maybe there's a secret in there for re-framing the things we don't like to do as problems to be solved. The questions we might ask:
1. How could I do this faster?
2. What could I change to make this more pleasant?
3. Is there any way I can get someone else to do this and still get the results I want?
4. Who might know how to do this more easily and how can I get them to tell me?
(There are lots of tips on how to work more effectively in my book, "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done," published by Pearson and available from Amazon and other online and offline book stores--why not order it through your favorite independent bookshop?)
