How is it that some people seem to have time to get all things done, and other can't even seem to get out of their own way?
I'm a productivity nerd, but it can really be summed up with one quote...
"Most of us overestimate what we can get done in a day and underestimate what we can get done in a year."
Think about it...
If I want to lose 50lbs in a year, that's just a pound a week.
Totally doable, right?
We could do that in a year.
But today?
Workout.
Meal prep.
Work.
Take the kids to school and after-school activities.
Social media notifications.
E-mail.
You get it.
In the grand scheme of things, losing a pound a week over the course of the year is not that bad, we underestimate that, but we think we can get 100 things done in a day, overestimating what is possible in 24 hours.
What ends up happening?
Checking social media, being reactive to every stimulus that comes in front of us, and never actually getting anything done.
So, what can you do?
Do less.
The Big 3.
Another favorite line of productivity that I constantly remind myself of is...
Discipline = Freedom
You have to create rules, you have to build in daily disciplines of what you're going to say yes to and what you're going to say no to.
I'm challenging you to have the discipline to only focus on the big 3 each day.
What are the three things you're going to get done that will move you forward?
Most of us have 101 things on our to-do list, and what happens?
We get none of them done because we get so overwhelmed, we pick at all of them, allow distractions to come in, and never actually make substantial progress on anything.
Limit yourself to three things.
For example, my three today are:
1. Write this e-mail
2. Film video for clients
3. Workout
Will I get more than that done today?
Probably.
In total, all three of those will probably only take me two hours.
However, it allows me to focus on the three most important things.
Once those are done, then I can move onto anything else if I have time, but I'm not going to allow distractions until those three are done.
It also allows you to feel like you accomplished something today.
Too often the list is so big, we never make any substantial progress on it every day, so every day feels like there is so much more to do.
Make the list smaller.
Being productive does not mean you're busy.
It means you actually produced things that moved the needle, made progress.
We all can be busy checking social media and responding to e-mails, but that doesn't result in any progress made.
Being productive is a skill.
Just like any other skill, it takes practice and it must be developed.
To practice, begin by writing down your big 3 for the day.
Oh, and if a healthier life is important to you, a workout will be on the big 3.
If it's not on the big 3, that's okay, but that's a clear indicator that it's not a priority right now so you can't expect results as you will constantly find other things to distract you or say yes to.
What are the 3 things you're going to get done today?
1% Better.
Dedicated to Your Success,
Doug Spurling