Hi Dave,
I'm hardly a paragon of motivation, but I've found that my iPod really helps me get stuff done. Whenever I have a physical task to do and I can't get myself going, I put on my iPod and it's like the half-step I need to get me to start the actual task. Yardwork, laundry, dishes, toilet scrubbing, who needs 'em but I can almost tolerate those chores when I'm jamming to some music I like.
Now I know you're not the biggest music guy (32 kbps? Sounds good to me!), so I don't know if this would work for you.
Now, mental stuff is a different story. For example, I absolutely cannot get myself to do any research on investing. I can't do it!! It seems like there's so damn much to know, where the hell do you start? I hate going to the library and getting books like "Investing for Dumbshits" when I know good and well it's just going to sit at my house unread, and I'll get nothing out of it except for the annoyances of feeling guilty because it's sitting there looking at me while I'm watching TV and then paying an overdue fine when I finally surrender to the fact that I'm not going to read it and return it to the library.
yaddayadda, nice post