The final push of emotional energy I mustered to get through those last few hoops was essential. Fear of failure did its share to keep me going, but that wasn't enough for me to grind it out on time. I owe it all to eBay. Instead I consciously opted to try to assuage my psyche with something different. I developed an addiction to belt-buckle acquisition.
Potential buyers search for the things in which they're interested.
Like egregiously big, broken-in Western belt buckles, for instance. This means that items that attract multiple interested parties often receive their high bids right as their auction times are about to end. To my advantage, I've found academe to be an environment with faster online connections and fewer firewalls than most home or business Internet service providers. So after writing a bit in the mornings, I'd reward myself by searching out all the desirable belt buckles with auctions that were expiring in the next day or so, and make a note about their final minutes on my personal calendar. In many cases it was, and if I felt a need to reward myself and keep motivated, I bid with a lightning flash.