The problem is that thinking about the prize bypasses the hard work – the mountains, in some cases, of hard work – that it takes to reach those goals. So: “The key to bypassing this mental glitch is to simply think about the efforts required. Imagine yourself typing away late at night on your book after a long work day, or studying for the GRE on a sunny Saturday, or waking up at 5 a.m. on a cold morning to train for that marathon.” – Fast Company