Search Results for: getting things done

This isn’t important so read it later

August 8, 2018 by
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Another day, another study. This one says that we have “an urgency bias” meaning that “our brains pick urgency over importance, wanting the immediate satisfaction of a quick payoff”.

We prefer to do the quick and easy things on our list because important tasks are (or appear) more difficult and take longer to complete. “People want to finish the urgent tasks first and then work on important tasks later.”

I get that. I do that. I like to sprint through my email inbox first and get it out of the way before tackling more important work.

The researchers say one reason we tend to prioritize urgent over important because we find comfort in appearing busy. I get that, too. Who doesn’t like checking things off our list?

If we’re getting the important stuff done, however, does it matter when we do it? Kinda. We have more energy at the start of our day and should use that time for work that requires more focus.

If we’re not doing the important work, however, if our day is filled with putting out fires and reacting to what’s put in front of us instead of doing things that bring us closer to our most important goals, that’s a problem.

What’s the solution? The researchers say we should remind ourselves of the value of the bigger tasks we’re avoiding or postponing. Okay, but how? The article doesn’t say. But I will. It’s something I wrote about before and it’s about as simple as it gets:

Next to each task on your list, write down why you need to do it. In other words, write down the benefits it delivers.

This forces you to think about what each task is worth to you. Is it short-term and relatively low-value or something that advances your career? Is it urgent but otherwise not a priority or is it an important factor contributing to your success?

As you write down why, consider the price you pay for not doing the task. What do you give up if you don’t get it done?

We need to prioritize tasks that provide more value over those that are merely urgent. By consciously considering the benefits each tasks offers, we can be more intentional about what we do and when we do it.

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Filed Under: Productivity

A simple way to enhance focus

July 27, 2018 by
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My wife and I just closed out the storage unit we’ve had for decades. We brought a handful of boxes home and got rid of the rest.

I recently donated several hundred books to the library bookstore. I’m down to one bookcase.

I’ve lost weight in the last year and recently got rid of about half of the clothes in my closet.

I thought I was just getting rid of junk but I find I’m actually practicing minimalism. I just figured out why that appeals to me.

Minimalism makes it easier to focus. Focus creates clarity. And clarity helps you become more efficient and effective.

You’re more efficient because fewer options (e.g., using just a few apps or a few marketing strategies) reduces distractions and the loss of momentum occasioned by switching from one option to another.

You are more effective because you’re able to spend more time getting the right things done which helps you accomplish your most important goals.

There’s also an esthetic quality to minimalism. A cleaner desk (and desktop), for example, helps me feel relaxed and in control.

If you like the idea but resist doing it, start slowly. Put most of your apps into one or two folders and leave only a few on your desktop. Clean out one closet or one drawer. Give yourself just one hour this weekend to gather up stuff to give away or throw away.

And if that’s too much, don’t get rid of anything yet, just make piles or lists of giveaway “candidates”. When you’re ready, you can take the next step.

I guess you could call that a minimalistic approach to minimalism.

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Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: ,

You don’t know what you don’t know

July 13, 2018 by
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There are things you know, things you don’t know, and things you don’t know you don’t know.

Think about your practice. You know how to draft a document or pleading, you know how to introduce yourself to a fellow professional and tell them what you do, you know how to talk to clients about referrals.

And if you don’t know these things, you know you should. Not knowing presents you with the opportunity to learn and grow.

“Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” – Sara Blakely

The things you don’t know you’re missing may present your greatest opportunity for growth. That’s why it’s important to continually learn, to study what others have said and done. One idea, one better method, could change everything.

But there’s another benefit to not knowing what you don’t know, although you might not always see it that way.

Not knowing about all of the risks and potential problems that might occur when you take action might be the very thing that allows you to take that action. If you knew everything that could go wrong, you might stop in your tracks.

Is ignorance bliss? Sometimes. Probably more than we know.

Get paid more, get paid faster. Get the check

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Filed Under: Personal development

Too smart for my own damn self

July 9, 2018 by
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I’ve been working on a project for a long time. A very long time. Longer than I should.

It’s been that way because I nitpick. I ask too many questions, I consider too many options, and I worry about too many things that could go wrong.

I see others who have done what I want to do who don’t suffer from my affliction. I’m stuck in the planning stage while they’re off doing it. They might make mistakes but they recover and carry on. Me? No mistakes, but no results, either.

Does any of this sound familiar? Do you have projects that aren’t getting done because you’re still researching or planning? Are you too smart for your own good?

Sure, when you and I finally get around to doing things we do them well. We’re smart and we execute well. We just don’t execute enough.

Years ago, I took three years to create and publish my first marketing course. It was great but I wonder if I could have finished it in a few months instead of a few years.

I think I need to dumb things down. Think less and do more. Get something done and get it out into the world.

Notice I said “something”. Not everything. Not the whole enchilada. Just enough to get some results or feedback, to let me know if I’m on the right track.

How does one do that? By breaking the project into components and then setting an impossible deadline for the first one. Don’t give yourself a year, give yourself a month.

Maybe you ask yourself, “What would [someone we know or know of] do?” or “What would I do if I only had six months to live?”

Anyway, if you’re like me, I feel ya. Just wanted to let you know.

Here’s all the planning you need for marketing your services

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Filed Under: Personal development

Maybe you need a babysitter

June 1, 2018 by
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After yesterday’s post about scheduling time to do things you’re not getting done, (in this case, reading time), a subscriber wrote: “I’ve TRIED something like this many times, but I always just ignore the scheduled thing. Any tips for getting my ass to stick to the schedule? It’s quite frustrating.”

My advice: “Don’t ignore the scheduled thing.”

I’m serious. Annoying, but serious.

We all make choices about what we will and won’t do. If we choose not to do something, even though it’s good for us and we say we want to do it, even though we put it on our calendar, the truth is we really DON’T want to do it.

Because if you wanted to do it, you would.

So, remove it from your calendar or agenda until you want to do it. Or until you decide you must do it.

Here’s what I mean.

If we consider all of our tasks and projects, ideas and someday/maybes, read/reviews, we can break them down into three categories: Must-do, Should-do, and Could-do.

We do a good job of getting our must-dos done because penalties ensue if we don’t. So how about creating a new list or tag for “must-read/review” and scheduling time just for this?

Everything else? I say, don’t worry about it.

If it’s not something you must read or review, read it if you want to and don’t if you don’t. And don’t beat yourself up about what you don’t read.

What about “should-read/review”? I think it’s overkill for discretionary reading, but it’s up to you.

Okay, a couple more ideas for “forcing” yourself to stick to your schedule. Here are two taken from the Kanban world:

  1. Limit your work in process (WIP). In the case of reading, limit yourself to three articles (for example). If you finish those and have room for more, you can go get more. If you don’t, move on. If three is too many, start with one or two.
  2. Make it visible. Put your reading list/folder on your desktop or as a top-level bullet or tag in your master list or a column (or swim lane) in your Kanban. By keeping your list in front of you, you’ll continually be reminded that this is something you’ve decided to do and you’ll be one click away from doing it.

Okay, one more: Get a babysitter.

Still serious.

Designate someone to hold you accountable for whatever it is you’re resisting. It could be your spouse, your secretary, your partner, a colleague, or anyone else. Have them check in with you to find out if you did or didn’t do what you said you would. Implement some kind of penalty if you don’t and maybe a reward if you do.

If you designate your secretary for this role, for example, and you don’t do your daily reading or marketing or whatever, they get to take the rest of the day off.

Something tells me stuff is gonna get done.

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Filed Under: Personal development, Productivity

What were you doing one year ago?

May 3, 2018 by
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Author and artist Karen Lamb said, “A year from now you may wish you had started today.”

So true.

A year goes by in about ten minutes. A year ago we were making big plans and setting big goals and here we are, one year later, having done nothing about them.

News flash: we’re not going to live forever. We need to get on with things before it’s too late and we shuffle off to the big after-party in the sky.

How can we do that? How can we accomplish more of our goals?

One way is to have fewer goals. Sure, make a long “someday” list but in the short term, pick a few things that matter most.

How about this: pick one thing you’d like to be, do, or have one year from now. Something exciting. Something you could start today and make happen in the next twelve months or less.

Make it something good. Something that makes you all tingly inside when you think about it.

Got something? Good. That feeling will help you to get started and keep going when you get distracted by other things.

But it may not be enough.

You’ve been down this path before. You had exciting plans last year and, well, here you are.

Why should this year be different?

Okay, here’s what you need to do. Instead of relying merely on your desire for gain, as exciting as it is, a fear of losing what you want is more powerful.

You imagine having it. You want it. It’s yours. And then it’s not.

Imagine it’s one year from now and you don’t have it. You’re not even close. You haven’t even started.

How does it feel to realize that you let another year go by and did nothing?

Disappointed? Sad? Angry?

Get in touch with THAT feeling. It will help you to make this year different.

Transform your practice by getting more referrals

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Filed Under: Goal Setting, success Tagged With:

I can’t talk right now, I’m flowing

May 2, 2018 by
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You’ve heard the term “flow”. You know a “flow state” refers to an immersive and highly focused mental state and that when it occurs, you are more creative, productive, and happy.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the Hungarian psychologist who recognized and named the concept said, “The happiest people spend much time in a state of flow — the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”

Sounds like a plan.

To achieve a flow state more often, manage your environment to make it more conducive to achieving flow:

  1. Outsource or delegate tasks that don’t lend themselves to a flow state, if possible, to give yourself more time for those that are.
  2. Allow more time for flow to occur, e.g., don’t schedule appointments immediately after a writing session, for example.
  3. Eliminate distractions and interruptions; you know the drill.
  4. Single task; one thing at a time, so you can do “deep work”.

Then, when things are going well, when you find yourself lost in a task and losing track of time, don’t kill the mood by stopping. Breaks can wait. Other tasks can wait. Maintain the flow state as long as possible.

When you do this, you should find that in addition to getting more of your best work done, you actually have more energy than before you started.

All that and a bag of chips.

Get into the flow of getting more referrals

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Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With:

Living life on your terms

April 25, 2018 by
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Take a gander at your todo list, reminders, and calendar and ask yourself this question: how many of these items fall into the category of “have to do” and how many are “want to do”?

Yes, I know, some things fall into both categories. And some things you have to do because they allow you to do things you want to do. Or something like that.

The point is, I think we should all be working towards doing more of what we want to do.

Come on, as long as the things that have to be done are getting done, by us or someone else, why shouldn’t we be able to do more of what makes us happy?

The question is, how can we do it?

One way is to get money out of the way. Accumulate a ginormous pile of cash so you no longer have to work. If not cash, passive income will do the trick. When money is out of the way, you can do more of what you want to do.

Sound good? Okay, put that on your list of goals. Actually, you might want to make that your number one goal because if you accomplish this, when you accomplish this, most of your other goals will also be taken care of.

Don’t scoff. You know people who have done this. I’ve done it. It can be done. You can do it. You should do it.

Now, while you’re working on this, what else can you do to get more “want to” into your life?

I think you begin by being more aware of what you’re putting on your lists. If you routinely ask yourself, “Is this something I want to do?” before you write it down, you might start gravitating towards a list comprised of more things you want to do.

You might also get frustrated as you realize how much of what you do falls into the “have to” category. But frustration isn’t a bad thing. It might be all the motivation you need to get going on your plan to get money out of the way.

Referred clients are more likely to make referrals

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Filed Under: Inspiration, success

Paying full retail

April 23, 2018 by
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I don’t mind paying full price for things that provide value in my life. Things I appreciate and enjoy. Things I need. Even if they cost more than they “should” or more than I want to pay.

There’s nothing wrong with saving a few bucks but there’s also nothing wrong with buying the best or hiring the best and paying full price.

I deserve it. You do, too. It’s good to remember that.

We also deserve to be paid full price by our clients.

If a client doesn’t appreciate what we do for them, if they insist on getting an unreasonable deal, they don’t deserve us and shouldn’t have us.

Remember that the next time you feel a little guilty for saying no.

There’s a cosmic justice at work in the world. You get what you pay for and if you try to cheat the system, the world finds out and makes you pay.

You want to be successful? You must pay the price. No discounts. No shortcuts. Put in the time, put in the effort, do what needs to be done.

“At the counter of success, everyone pays full retail,” goes the old saw.

That’s the way it is. That’s the way it must be.

Step by step: how to get more referrals

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Filed Under: success

My kingdom for a system

March 28, 2018 by
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I have a system for doing the dishes.

First, I survey the kitchen to make sure I’ve got everything either in or next to the sink. There’s nothing worse than thinking you’re finished and finding you forgot a glass or two.

Next, I put the silverware in a pile in the sink. I get it out of the way so I can rinse the plates and glasses and load them in the dishwasher, which I do next.

Then, I rinse the silverware and put it in the dishwasher and add soap. Now I have room in the sink to do the big stuff (pots, platters, etc.), which I leave to dry in the washboard or in the sink.

Finally, I clean the countertop and stove.

This may sound obsessive to you but I think it’s logical. It allows me to get everything done as quickly as possible, or at least believe that it does.

Anyway, it works for me.

I have systems for a lot of things. I’m told that productive people do. But I don’t have (or don’t follow) systems for everything.

I check email much more frequently than experts say I should. I don’t always follow the “2-minute rule,” e.g., processing emails that take 2 minutes or less on the spot. Inbox zero: often but not always. Weekly review? Don’t ask.

I’m also inconsistent with writing projects. Sometimes I start with an outline, sometimes I just start. Sometimes I finish quickly, sometimes projects linger for months.

I believe in systems (or “routines” if you prefer). I know they save time, reduce effort, and help you focus on what’s important. And, when I follow a system, I like the hit of dopamine I get each time I (mentally) check off the next box.

So why don’t I have systems for more things? And for the systems I do have, why don’t I follow them consistently?

I don’t know. Because I’m a flawed human being? Or maybe because not everything is as simple as washing dishes.

Here’s my system for getting more referrals

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Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With:
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