Here are two of the many things I completed recently - the McKinsey Forward Program and a book titled "The Prosperity Paradox" by Clayton Christensen, which I read for the second time. If I had considered all the issues of life by the time I started these two activities, I wouldn't have completed them.
What I did was very simple; I checked the deadline to complete each level of the Forward Program, then decided to spend 20 minutes on it every morning. Same for "The Prosperity Paradox", I wanted to gain as much as possible but I wasn't rushing, so I committed to reading 5 pages a day since I was reading another book at the same time.
I didn't stop at committing myself to these things; there's a ritual I do every week, which is to outline recurring things I want to do every day in a book in a tabular form, and tick off as I do them. Through this way, I consistently posted new episodes of the Epoch Africa podcast on my WhatsApp status every day, maybe missing a day in 7 days, but that's impressive for someone like me who doesn't fancy posting on WhatsApp or anywhere for that matter.
This may sound normal, but see this: "According to a study conducted at the Dominican University of California on 270 participants, you are 42% more likely to achieve something when you write it down!" Not just that, it has also been proven that ticking off a task releases dopamine in the brain, and we all crave this "feel-good" neurotransmitter. The more tasks we complete, the more chemical rewards we enjoy.
I didn't see these facts before I started approaching my to-do list with pen and paper, or even having a to-do list at all. It was a habit I had cultivated since I was in secondary school because I really didn't want to feel overwhelmed; I preferred overwhelming my jotters, of which I had and still have a lot.
I have used different to-do list apps, but nothing beats my jotter and pen! I just find my way back to them. Additionally, you can't put a whole wrap of amala in your mouth all at once just because you are in a hurry; you still have to take it bit by bit, your bit now depends on how big your mouth is, how fast you can swallow, and how much time you have to finish it. The same applies to whatever seemingly big book you have to finish or seemingly long course you have to complete; you have to consider your capacity, how long you have to complete it, and how much time you can commit per time
Cheers!