How do you concentrate when the task is demotivating?

Usually my methodology is to try and do the tasks I dislike first, using the reward of doing stuff I am more excited about as the goal. That helps me push through it the vast majority of the time. I also just tell myself to stop being an idiot, just do it and be done (personally this is my way of pushing myself sometimes). No matter what, the more time spent in thought and internally complaining about a task means you will make it worse and it gets harder and harder to do, just execute and be done.

When I mentor people that is usually my advice, suck it up, do it and be done. And stop spending mental energy complaining or building it up to be something more then need be.

I am not criticizing you or anyone, we all have these tasks, just sharing my own thoughts/methods on how I deal with it.

Well, mainly two things: perseverance and/or obligation. If it’s work related you need to finish your tasks otherwise you risk loosing your job. If it’s something personal you either have to push your self and do it or it will go to the drawer of unfinished projects. Try breaking big tasks into smaller ones, allocate a fixed time where you’ll work an a specific (small) task, mute distractions (email, social networks...), mix boring tasks with something else interesting so that the traction/inertia of the good one will also push the bad one ;-), have someone else motivate you or check your progress, try doing these tasks while listening to music (if feasible).

I go by the 15 minute rule: I have to put in 15 minutes of work on it before I can get distracted and do something else. Once I get going, it tends to be pretty easy to keep going afterwards. If not, I give it some time and try it again.

I dream about ways I can get out of working, then wait until the very last moment to piece it all together.

Every single time it seems less and less likely the latter happens. I look through hiring threads and maybe dream that, at a different place, I would enjoy building out features.

If I can't concentrate on a task that means there is some source of friction that I need to think about that I'm not addressing.