Getting to important non-urgent personal tasks is a daily struggle. These are a few practical tips that have helped me so far.

• Envision the tasks for the next day before going to sleep. It is important to do it the night before since pre-made decisions reduce the willpower needed in the moment.
• Have only 1-3 things in my todo list. Anything more than that is usually ambitious and I end up completing nothing.
• Block a time slot in my calendar beforehand.
• Set a 30 minute timer when starting the task with a ground rule of not checking my phone during that period. After being distraction-free for a half hour, it is easier to get into the zone to complete the work.
• Temptation bundling. This is a technique where we bundle a chore we avoid with a reward that we like. For example, listening to our favorite podcasts while exercising.

Set yourself up for small wins. They will snowball over time to help reach the final goal.