This week I’m answering a question from April about the best way to get things done (see the video below).
There are a lot of productivity experts out there. I am not one of them.
I do, however, know what works for me.
From David Allen to Charlie Gilkey, and from Jocelyn K. Glei (with the folks at 99u) to Steven Pressfield. They all have enriched to my education as a doer of things.
I’ve tried Asana, Trello, the GTD system using index cards, the Pomodoro Method, and many other systems.
Why?
Because I’m an information junkie. And also because I’ve been searching for the right way to get stuff done. But you know what I’ve learned? That the system you use matters less than the habits you keep.
[ctt tweet=”Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. ~Jim Ryun” coverup=”n068t”]
So in today’s video, I lay out 5 steps to go from “I don’t know where to start” to actually getting stuff done on the daily.
Hint: #5 is the most important step (without it, the rest don’t matter).
Leave me a comment below and let me know how you get stuff done. What are the tips and tools you have found that work for you?
Productivity Resources:
- Charlie Gilkey has a great blog: Product Flourishing.
- The old-school classic by David Allen never goes out of style: Getting Things Done
.
- A newer book, chocked full of great advice: Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind
by Jocelyn K. Glei and 99u.
- It’s About Time: Finding Magic, Power and Ease in Your LIfe
by Leslie Keenan — helps you become friends with Time (and scheduling).
- And for more of a kick-in-the-pants than a “this is how to do it” – Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art
.
Do you have a question you’d like me to answer? Click here.
Note: the links to books above are affiliate links which means if you click on them and buy the book, I will make a few cents.
Thank you SO much for this post! I very, very rarely watch videos online but made an exception for yours and boy I’m glad I did.
I’m at a point in life where I have lots of ideas about a big change I want to make but I’m really, really struggling with turning ideas into an action plan. I mean struggling HORRIBLY.
So tomorrow I am going to start on your five points. Thank you… This gives me real hope of taming my mental chaos and Formulating A Plan!
Hey Croila! I’m flattered you chose to watch my video (especially since you don’t usually watch online videos)!
Turning ideas into action and reachable goals is one of my specialties. Let me know if you ever want to chat. Either way I’d love to hear how your planning goes and if my suggestions help you!
Love the sticky note idea.
My scraps of paper are too big – no wonder I’m not able to get through it all every day and constantly feel like I’m never doing enough.
So simple, yet I know it’s going to be so much more effective!
Hey there,
I love sticky notes. Though I’ll admit the danger of using stickies is getting overrun with notes if you don’t keep up with it. But the whole point is to keep up with it, right? :)
P.S. I also really like the Bullet Journal as a way of wrangling my ToDo list.
Thank You Thank You!!!!!! I love the idea of thinking about lifelong priorities. It is so easy to get bogged down in the day to day living that you lose sight of the big picture. I am going to make my list right now :).
You’re welcome April! Glad you liked this video. And yes, it is easy to get lost in the day-to-day, but if we really want to do those important things we’ve gotta prioritize them. Can’t wait to hear what made it onto your list!