How to get yourself to do the boring but necessary bits of language learning to reach a higher level in your TL

[Sarafina]

I need to improve my pronunciation (reduce my accent) from being 'okay/decent enough' to a native like level. But I find myself doing everything I can to avoid it even though I know I need to devote some time to improve it and fix some of my fossilised pronunciation errors. I find it to be tedious and frustrating and I get overwhelmed way too easily as the work I need to do seems endless. I guess I can force myself through sheer willpower but obviously that approach isn't working at the moment.

Also I need to take time to complete my massive French grammar book. The size of the book is intimidating. I don't mind doing it and once I get into the flow of things, it's not that bad. It's one of those activities that is bearable but kinda boring.

But I know that doing both those activities regularly would really help my French and take it to the next level yet find myself avoiding it in favour of well everything else.

[smallwhite]

Start or join a relevant challenge.

[Jaleel10]

I usually combine really boring stuff with an afternoon walk. I remember for a month, every afternoon I would walk home from work repeating after and working through the Michel Thomas course. I really doubt I would be able to have completed the what? 16 hour course if I had had to sit in front my pc each evening I now do the same with learner podcasts and plan on doing so with FSI in the future.

I don't know if it is something feasible for you? Just load up a French audio file on your phone, grab some earphones and take a walk. Pause and repeat occasionally. For me, the act of taking a walk doesn't make it feel like 'work' and actually makes the 'language exercise' more enjoyable.

[rdearman]

Find yourself a gangland enforcer who wants some extra money. Pay them to cut off a finger each time you don't study for the scheduled amount of time. After loosing only 1 finger, I think you'll stick to the plan religiously.

[malach]

What you need is a necessary and important 'other' piece of work which you can avoid doing whilst constructively procrastinating with your language studies. Find that other piece of work, and you're golden.

(The 'other' piece of work can be done in a mad scramble when panic sets in near its deadline, so this is win-win!)

[devilyoudont]

I tackle it the way I tackle any hated chore in my regular life.

1) Establish a habit that is incredibly easy. So easy I won't dread it. Something like, "Review 1 Anki flashcard per day"
2) When I actually do the habit, maybe I review a lot of cards because I have a lot of energy. But maybe I don't have energy and I just do 1 card.
3) Allow the habit to establish itself (probably around 100 days)
4) Once the habit is really strong, gradually start raising the minimum standard of quality for the habit (every day review ten cards, every day review 100 cards)
5) If I set an initial habit that is too non-easy, or start raising the quality of the habit too quickly, I can expect that the habit will collapse.

Habits have an inertia to them. Actually changing your habits permanently is very difficult. This is why you start with something that is so easy that the only difficult part is establishing the habit, and then you worry about the quality of the habit once the habit is entrenched.