Beginning to work should be an easy process.
One of the hardest parts for me when it comes to working on these articles now that I have a full time job is to get everything I need to begin writing ready so I can get to work as soon as possible.
Luckily for me, using Linux on my laptop makes the entire process very quick since I only need to open the lid to get into the OS within seconds, and then to press the windows key on my keyboard and write "joplin", which is the name of the tool that I use to write. Then I can begin doing my work.
All this makes it easier for me to keep being consistent with posting despite the fact that I sometimes come home from work very tired and with a single desire - to sleep.
I could make the process of starting to work even easier by making Joplin open as soon as I turn on my laptop, but since I don't always wish to write when I use my PC, I would rather keep everything as it is.
This concept applies to quite a lot of other things that I do.
If I wish to work a bit on some graphic design project, I don't want to have to wait too long to get into Photoshop, to spend minutes searching for the file that I need and then to try and figure out what exactly I should be working on. I would rather have Photoshop open as soon as possible, have the file with my project in an easy to access place and have some sort of a plan or some ideas that I can work on at hand so that I don't spend any time searching for inspiration.
If I want to start coding, I don't want to have to wait for my operating system or the software that I use to write code to update. I don't want to have to deal with bugs or with errors that don't allow me to do what I wish. I just want to turn on my PC and get to coding as soon as possible, otherwise I might get frustrated with other things or distracted and then I won't want to code any more.
If I want to draw something I want to have an agenda as close to my bed / desk as possible, with a ready to use pen. When I wish to begin drawing, I want to just pick the agenda, the pen and begin working. I don't want to go around the room searching for what I need.
Although all this might seem superficial to some people, it isn't. Making it easy for you to start working without having to do any extra work outside of the activity that you wish to do can be the difference between a productive day or a day in which you wished to do something but you changed your mind.
One of the best personal examples I can give you when it comes to this is 3D modelling and gaming. Although my laptop is quite good, the battery lasts around 6 hours on a normal use, or less when used intensely. Not only that, but doing either of those things without a mouse and a mouse pad can be a pain.
This means that whenever I come from work, if I want to begin working on a project in Blender or to play a game, I have to take my laptop, put it on the table that I have in my room, get an extension cord because the socket for my charging cable is too far away from the table, connect the charging cable to the extension cord and laptop, then get my mouse pad, then my mouse, connect it, maybe even get my headphones if I wish to game, and only then I can begin doing what I want.
All this might not sound like a lot, and to be honest, it isn't. It can take me less than 2-3 minutes to get everything ready. However, for a person who's exhausted after a long day of work even such small things can ruin a gaming or working mood. It's why I haven't been doing any 3D work and why I haven't been playing any game for the past month.
This is why I think that making it easy to start working, as easy as possible, is very important and often very simple. With a bit of work you can set things up so that you can begin doing whatever you need to do as soon as you wish it, and this might help you be a bit more productive than if you'd have to prepare in advance.