Most of us know that sense of resistance when we’re just not feeling it and really need to get something done (or think we do).

For me, it may be tackling my taxes, plowing through the piles on my desk, or trying to come up with an idea for an article. Even when I like what I’m about to embark upon, sometimes getting started or back into it is just not happening.

Experts tell us to start with the hardest thing first; break it down into small, manageable steps; do the most important item during your optimal work time, not in the middle of your circadian slump; create a space where you won’t be barraged, because one interruption sucks away 23 minutes and 15 seconds of our time; set a timer; create a reward system, and so on.

David Allen, with his "Getting Things Done" methodology, boosts productivity by managing thoughts and actions instead of time. Martin Seligman, the positive psychology pioneer, provides scientific evidence for prioritizing doing what produces happiness and a meaningful life.

All these strategies have merit. For now, though, let’s explore how examining our resistance and altering our attitude can help us get going.

Notice how you’re feeling. Tired? In pain? Out of sorts? Tend to that issue first, even if only for five minutes.

Stop, regroup, rest. Begin this tiny break believing you will come out of it refreshed and with renewed perspective.

Acknowledge your difficulty in getting started. Ask yourself, is this truly something that you must get done?

Is it in alignment with your purpose? Does it further your drop-dead goals? If not, redesign, dump, or delegate it.

Maybe there’s a word or phrase that charges you up and "rah-rahs" you forth. Lately, I’ve been playing with the word MUSE: Magic Unfolds Soulfully and Easily.

Somewhere along the way, I also learned to flip FEAR into: Faith Evokes Amazing Results. Repeat, repeat, repeat. What works for you? Find out and use it.

I’m not simply preaching Pollyanna positivity here; our intentions do influence our outcomes. I’ve been dealing recently with a rather negative person trying to complete a project only she and I can do at this particular time.

Each meeting I enter expecting the best (it is a practice!); she comes already convinced of the worst. Guess who’s getting the results we are aiming for?

By shape-shifting our struggling and trying into a more beckoning and coaxing mode, we can move into a state of unfolding and flow coined by Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It becomes less about us and more about the process — some might even say "divine order."

Each of our "to do’s" are then of real value and accomplished with less effort and more ease. This creates a self-perpetuating cycle — we experience relief as we release and let go. Operating in the “flow,” we become energized, momentum takes over and, voila, it’s happening!

Even so, at each milestone, celebrate your progress. Keep that carrot dangling out there!