If we’re honest, most of the tasks that actually move our lives, careers, and projects forward aren’t the exciting ones. Success is built on a foundation of tedious, repetitive, unglamorous work—the kind no one wants to brag about on social media. It’s the spreadsheets, the follow-up emails, the organizing, the editing, the cleaning, the research, the planning. These tasks aren’t the dream; they are the scaffolding that holds the dream up.
And yet, even though we know they matter, we avoid them. We procrastinate. We convince ourselves they can wait until “tomorrow.” We chase the fun parts of a project and leave the necessary—but boring—pieces untouched. It’s not because we’re lazy or unmotivated; it’s because the human brain is wired to prioritize immediate gratification over long-term benefit. The task is boring now. The reward is distant. So we push the task away.
But interestingly, there’s one place in life where almost everyone willingly does tedious work every single day: their job.
We Already Know How to Do Things We Hate
Think about it. Millions of people wake up early, commute in traffic, sit in the same chair for years, deal with stress, meetings, demands, and tasks they would never volunteer to do for fun. And yet they keep showing up.
Why?
Because of a reward –a paycheck.
The paycheck doesn’t make the job suddenly exciting or meaningful. It simply makes it worth doing. It gives your brain a reason to push through the parts you dislike. In a very real way, your employer has turned the tasks you hate into something you tolerate consistently.
This is behavioral psychology at work.
The Boring Tasks That Lead to Our Dreams
Every meaningful project has its highlight reel – the part that motivated us in the first place. Writing a book sounds inspiring… until you’re alone with your laptop and a blank page. Starting a business sounds exciting… until you’re filling out forms and tracking expenses. Getting in shape sounds empowering… until you’re meal-prepping broccoli at 10 p.m.
The gap between vision and success is full of chores.
These small, unsexy tasks are actually the bridge from intention to outcome. When they don’t get done, the dream stalls.
But because they are not inherently rewarding, our brains resist them.
And this is where intentional reward systems come in.
The Small Reward System: Trick Your Brain, Win Your Goals
Motivation is unreliable. Systems get things done. And one of the simplest systems is also one of the most effective: reward yourself.
Not at the end of the entire project.
Not after months of discipline.
But immediately after completing a task you dislike.
Something small. Something consistent. Something enjoyable.
Even a tiny reward can flip the mental switch from “ugh” to “okay, let’s just do this.”
How I Built My Bookkeeping Business Using This
When I started my bookkeeping service in Canada, the hardest part wasn’t the actual bookkeeping—it was all the other tasks required to grow the business:
- Cold outreach
- Updating my website
- Creating processes
- Following up with leads
- Scheduling content
- Keeping my own books organized
- Filing paperwork
- Learning to use software
- Networking (especially when I didn’t feel like it)
None of these tasks were glamorous. Most of them were boring, repetitive, or mentally draining. And because they weren’t client work, they didn’t feel “urgent.” So I avoided them… a lot.
That changed the day I started using a personal reward system.
I got a glass jar, stuck it on my desk, and committed to paying myself every time I completed a task I typically avoided. Five dollars for outreach. Two dollars for content planning. A dollar for updating templates. Ten dollars for finishing a chunk of admin work I had been putting off.
Suddenly the tasks I hated became tasks I tolerated; then tasks I did consistently; and eventually—tasks that built momentum.
The jar filled up faster than I expected. And as the cash piled up, so did my business progress. Reaching out to one more lead wasn’t painful anymore. Fixing my website didn’t feel like a chore. Staying on top of my own financials became almost fun.
By rewarding myself for the unexciting, behind-the-scenes work, I slowly built the systems, habits, and discipline that allowed my bookkeeping service business to grow. And looking back, it wasn’t the big milestones that built the business—it was the tiny, boring actions I finally started doing regularly.
The reward system changed everything.
Why a Money Jar Works So Well
The money jar system mirrors what makes a job tolerable:
you do a task → you get paid.
Humans respond incredibly well to immediate, tangible rewards. We’re predictable that way.
The jar also provides visual reinforcement. You can see your consistency. You can see the progress growing in real time. And when the month ends, you use that money for something fun, guilt-free.
It becomes a cycle:
Do the hard tasks → Get rewarded → Feel good → Repeat.
Consistency Beats Passion
The world is full of passionate people who never follow through. It’s not passion that builds dreams—it’s consistency.
And consistency often comes from systems, not motivation.
You don’t need to suddenly “love” the boring tasks. You just need a way to make them tolerable.
If a few dollars in a jar can help you do the things you once ignored—tasks that directly move your life or business forward—why not use it?
Try This for One Week
Pick one task you hate but know is important.
Choose a reward—money, snacks, a small treat, an episode of your favorite show.
Do the task every day for one week and reward yourself immediately afterward.
At the end of the week, you’ll feel two things:
- Pride that you finally did the tasks you normally avoid.
- Surprise at how effective a simple reward can be.
Final Thought
You don’t need to force yourself into loving the tedious work. You just need a reason to keep doing it.
Success isn’t built from motivation—it’s built from repetition.
And if a small reward is all it takes to get the boring things done, then that tiny incentive might be the biggest unlock you’ve been missing.
