When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing(34)
But for those of us interested in the psychology of midpoints, the most crucial moment came when Smith talked to his team when they were behind by one point. “We’re in great shape,” he told them. “I’d rather be in our shoes than theirs. We are exactly where we want to be.”22
Midpoints are both a fact of life and a force of nature, but that doesn’t make their effects inexorable. The best hope for turning a slump into a spark involves three steps.
First, be aware of midpoints. Don’t let them remain invisible.
Second, use them to wake up rather than roll over—to utter an anxious “uh-oh” rather than a resigned “oh, no.”
Third, at the midpoint, imagine that you’re behind—but only by a little. That will spark your motivation and maybe help you win a national championship.
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* During Ewing’s four seasons at Georgetown, the Hoyas made the NCAA finals three times.
FIVE WAYS TO REAWAKEN YOUR MOTIVATION DURING A MIDPOINT SLUMP
If you’ve reached the midpoint of a project or assignment, and the uh-oh effect hasn’t kicked in, here are some straightforward, proven ways to dig yourself out of the slump:
1. Set interim goals.
To maintain motivation, and perhaps reignite it, break large projects into smaller steps. In one study that looked at losing weight, running a race, and accumulating enough frequent-flier miles for a free ticket, researchers found that people’s motivation was strong at the beginning and end of the pursuit—but at the halfway mark became “stuck in the middle.”1 For instance, in the quest to amass 25,000 miles, people were more willing to work hard to accumulate miles when they had 4,000 or 21,000. When they had 12,000, though, diligence flagged. One solution is to get your mind to look at the middle in a different way. Instead of thinking about all 25,000 miles, set a subgoal at the 12,000-mile mark to accumulate 15,000 and make that your focus. In a race, whether literal or metaphorical, instead of imagining your distance from the finish line, concentrate on getting to the next mile marker.
2. Publicly commit to those interim goals.
Once you’ve set your subgoals, enlist the power of public commitment. We’re far more likely to stick to a goal if we have someone holding us accountable. One way to surmount a slump is to tell someone else how and when you’ll get something done. Suppose you’re halfway through writing a thesis, or designing a curriculum, or crafting your organization’s strategic plan. Send out a tweet or post to Facebook saying that you’ll finish your current section by a certain date. Ask your followers to check in with you when that time comes. With so many people expecting you to deliver, you’ll want to avoid public shame by reaching your subgoal.
3. Stop your sentence midway through.
Ernest Hemingway published fifteen books during his lifetime, and one of his favorite productivity techniques was one I’ve used myself (even to write this book). He often ended a writing session not at the end of a section or paragraph but smack in the middle of a sentence. That sense of incompletion lit a midpoint spark that helped him begin the following day with immediate momentum. One reason the Hemingway technique works is something called the Zeigarnik effect, our tendency to remember unfinished tasks better than finished ones.2 When you’re in the middle of a project, experiment by ending the day partway through a task with a clear next step. It might fuel your day-to-day motivation.
4. Don’t break the chain (the Seinfeld technique).
Jerry Seinfeld makes a habit of writing every day. Not just the days when he feels inspired—every single damn day. To maintain focus, he prints a calendar with all 365 days of the year. He marks off each day he writes with a big red X. “After a few days, you’ll have a chain,” he told software developer Brad Isaac. “Just keep at it and the chain will grow longer every day. You’ll like seeing that chain, especially when you get a few weeks under your belt. Your only job next is to not break the chain.”3 Imagine feeling the midpoint slump but then looking up at that string of thirty, fifty, or one hundred Xs. You, like Seinfeld, will rise to the occasion.
5. Picture one person your work will help.
To our midpoint-motivation murderer’s row of Hemingway and Seinfeld, let’s add Adam Grant, the Wharton professor and author of Originals and Give and Take. When he’s confronted with tough tasks, he musters motivation by asking himself how what he’s doing will benefit other people.4 The slump of How can I continue? becomes the spark of How can I help? So if you’re feeling stuck in the middle of a project, picture one person who’ll benefit from your efforts. Dedicating your work to that person will deepen your dedication to your task.
ORGANIZE YOUR NEXT PROJECT WITH THE FORM-STORM-PERFORM METHOD
In the 1960s and 1970s, organizational psychologist Bruce Tuckman developed an influential theory of how groups move through time. Tuckman believed that all teams proceeded through four stages: forming, storming, norming, and performing. We can combine pieces of Tuckman’s model with Gersick’s research on team phases to create a three-phase structure for your next project.
Phase 1: Form and Storm.
When teams first come together, they often enjoy a period of maximal harmony and minimal conflict. Use those early moments to develop a shared vision, establish group values, and generate ideas. Eventually, though, conflict will break through the sunny skies. (That’s Tuckman’s “storm.”) Some personalities may attempt to exert their influence and stifle quieter voices. Some people may contest their responsibilities and roles. As time passes, make sure all participants have a voice, that expectations are clear, and that all members can contribute.