Ever find yourself in this loop?
You have a task. You know you need to get it done. But instead of starting, you wait for that magical surge of motivation that never comes.
And when it does (usually at 2 a.m.), you make big promises to yourself—“This time, I’m going to change!”—only to fall back into the same pattern a few days later.
That’s exactly where Ruri Ohama was.
She tried everything—time blocking, Pomodoro, GTD, the two-minute rule. Nothing worked.
Every failed attempt left her feeling worse—doubting herself, feeling stuck, and burning out.
Eventually, she realized something:
The problem wasn’t her motivation. It wasn’t even discipline.
The problem was deeper—she didn’t have clarity, focus, or a system that worked for her.
Why You Struggle with Motivation
Most people think motivation is the key to getting things done.
It’s not.
In fact, relying on motivation is unreliable and unsustainable.
And while discipline helps, leaning on it 24/7 leads to burnout.
Ruri figured out that her real issue wasn’t laziness or lack of discipline—it was that she wasn’t clear on what to focus on.
On top of that, she was feeling overwhelmed, unfulfilled, and had no system to keep things under control.
Here’s what she learned:
Low motivation usually comes from one (or more) of these problems:
- Lack of Clarity: When you don’t know what matters most, you do nothing.
- Feeling Overwhelmed: Too many tasks = analysis paralysis.
- Feeling Unfulfilled: Without meaningful goals, even small tasks feel pointless.
- Burnout: You push through too hard, too often, and eventually crash.
- No System: Without structure, tasks pile up, and stress follows.
If you can pinpoint the cause of your lack of motivation, you can solve the right problem instead of throwing random productivity hacks at it.
Step 1: Clear Your Head with a Brain Dump
The first thing Ruri did to regain control? She decluttered her mind.
Every morning, she’d sit down and do a brain dump.
That means writing down everything in her head—tasks, ideas, distractions, whatever’s buzzing around.
Whether she used a notebook, an iPad, or Notion didn’t matter. The goal was simple: get everything out of her head and onto paper.
Once it’s out of your head, your brain feels less cluttered, and things don’t seem as overwhelming. Suddenly, you know what you’re dealing with.
Here’s a pro tip she followed: set a timer.
5, 10, or 15 minutes—no more.
Why?
Because of Parkinson’s Law: “Work expands to fill the time you give it.”
If you give yourself an hour, it’ll take an hour.
Give yourself 10 minutes, and you’ll get it done in 10.
Step 2: Prioritize with the Eisenhower Matrix
Once the brain dump was done, Ruri didn’t just start ticking things off randomly. That’s a trap.
Without prioritizing, you end up working on the wrong things or—worse—doing nothing.
Instead, she used the Eisenhower Matrix to divide her tasks into four categories:
- Q1: Important & Urgent → Handle these first. They need immediate attention.
- Q2: Important but Not Urgent → These are the tasks that move the needle but don’t have pressing deadlines. Schedule time for them.
- Q3: Urgent but Not Important → Batch or delegate these tasks. They’re time-sensitive but not critical.
- Q4: Not Urgent & Not Important → Eliminate these tasks. They’re distractions.
Her golden rule?
Always have at least one Q2 task on your list every day.
If there’s nothing in Q2, you’re neglecting your long-term goals—and that’s a red flag.
Step 3: Pick One Focus for the Day
After prioritizing, Ruri picked one focus for the day—something aligned with her long-term goals. This was non-negotiable.
Her daily focus wasn’t about cramming in more tasks. It was about progress.
Whether it was working out, learning something new, or spending quality time with family, she made sure it was something meaningful that contributed to her future self.
Here’s what worked: starting small.
She committed to spending at least 20 minutes on her focus. If she had more time and energy, she could do more, but 20 minutes was enough to create momentum.
Step 4: Eliminate Half Your Tasks
Now comes the hard part: cutting tasks. Out of the 10 tasks she listed, Ruri eliminated 5 of them. Yes—half.
Why?
Because not every task is urgent or essential.
The goal is to reduce overwhelm and avoid burnout by focusing on the few tasks that truly matter.
If she finished her top 5 tasks and had time left, she could work on the rest. But the priority was to get the top 5—and her daily focus—done first.
Step 5: Reflect at the End of the Day
At the end of each day, Ruri did a quick reflection:
1. Did I complete my top 3 tasks and my daily focus?
- If yes, she gave herself a checkmark.
- If no, she noted what went wrong.
2. What went well?
3. What could have been better?
Writing down these reflections took just a minute or two, but it made a big difference. Over time, it helped her spot patterns, refine her system, and improve.
Step 6: Gamify the Process
To make things fun and keep herself engaged, Ruri turned the process into a game.
She tracked her progress visually—on a whiteboard, sticky notes, or in a digital app. Seeing her streak of completed days motivated her to keep going.
One critical rule she followed: never skip two days in a row.
Missing a day is fine—it happens. But skipping two days? That breaks the habit and kills momentum.
Final Takeaway: Progress Beats Perfection
Here’s the truth Ruri learned:
Motivation is unreliable. Discipline isn’t always sustainable. What matters is progress—not perfection.
By focusing on clarity, prioritization, and consistent daily action, Ruri built a system that didn’t rely on fleeting motivation or rigid discipline.
She didn’t need to be perfect. She just needed to show up and get a little better every day.
If you’re tired of waiting for motivation to strike and want to start making real progress, give Ruri’s method a try:
- Brain dump to clear your mind.
- Prioritize using the Eisenhower Matrix.
- Pick one focus for the day.
- Eliminate unnecessary tasks.
- Reflect daily.
- Gamify the process and track your progress.
Remember:
Productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters.
Start small. Stay consistent. And watch how things change.
This post was inspired by Ruri Ohama's video: How I Make Myself Work When I’m Lazy (it’s not discipline).
