Whenever you have something you really dread doing, something that is so arduous or annoying that you keep putting it off and procrastinating, one easy way to get motivated is just to promise yourself that you'll do it for five minutes, no matter what it is, be it laundry or your income taxes or going to the gym or your family reunion. Five little minutes. You can withstand practically anything for five minutes, right? After five minutes is up, you have the option to stop doing it with no remorse, guilt or feeling like a loser. The five-minute rule keeps your options open and gets you over the fear of getting locked into something you're hating. And hey, if you keep swimming laps or talking to the annoying coworker who has halitosis and keeps interrupting you to talk about their eczema, then that's one thing you can cross off the list.

That and 12 other motivators can all be found over at the brilliant Life Hacks site.