3 Steps to Getting Things Done!
1. Create a List of Actions
Create a list of actions of all things you want to get done like “work on a project”, “answer emails”, “organize office”, “plan vacation”.
2. Assign Each Action a Time
Assign a time to each action that you will devote to complete that action.
3. Do the Action
Select an action, start a timer and focus on nothing but doing that action.
” Act as if it were impossible to fail” – Dorthea Brande
16 Ways to Take More Action
Harness the Online Monster
Set Online Time Limits – Set aside a specific amount of time each day (30mins, 1 hour) to check the news, Facebook, Twitter etc. and stick to it.
Keep Your Momentum Going – Quit checking for new emails and social media updates every 10 minutes – otherwise, the monster wins.
Learn to Love Your Inbox
Reply Quickly – If you can reply in less than 2 minutes, do it!
Keep Replies Short – Lose the “small talk” and get to the point.
Delete Old Emails – If you haven’t responded to an email in a month, delete it.
“The path to success is to take massive, determined action” – Tony Robbins
Keep Your Foot on the Gas
Eliminate Distractions – Turn off phones and instant messengers when working. Close your door. Distractions kill momentum.
Power Through Life
Focus on Just One Thing at a Time – Nothing is more powerful than focused, purposeful energy!
“People may doubt what you say, but they believe what you do” – Lewis Cass
Get Addicted to Results
Do Plenty of What You Do – If you are a writer, do plenty of writing, if you are a consultant then consult!
Soak-In the Big Picture
Keep Your To-Do List Visible – Looking at your list regularly will help you stay clear on what you need to do in your life. Clarity=Power!
“Action conquers fear” – Peter Nivio Zarlenga
Make the “Yes” in Your Head Louder
Declutter Regularly – A confused mind says “no”!. Clutter is a major roadblock to action. Regularly clean your desk, office, house and car of junk and things you no longer need or use.
Free Your Mind
Write Things Down – Free-up precious brain power, get things out of your head (to-do’s, ideas and goals) by writing them down.
“The first step binds one to the second” – French Proverb
Live the “Paint by Numbers” Lifestyle
Create and Use Checklists – For any process or sequence of actions you perform on a regular basis, take a little time to create a checklist for it and use it as needed.
Create Your Tomorrow
Plan Tomorrow, Today – Every day, before you wrap up your workday, write down the 3 most important things you want to accomplish the next day. Put the list where you’ll see the next day.
“If you don’t have daily objectives, you qualify as a dreamer” – Zig Ziglar
Lose the Bag of Bricks
Simplify Your Life – Reduce the number of things in your life that require your time to use or maintain. Choose quality (1 great magazine) over quantity (4 so-so magazines).
Feed Your Brain a Better Diet
Turn Off the TV Occasionally – Watching TV puts your brain in a mode that represents the total opposite of taking action. Do it enough and your brain could get stuck in that mode. Watch TV but watch it with a purpose.
Have Some Ahhhh Moments
Remember to Have Fun – Add a little regular relaxation to your schedule and don’t feel guilty for doing it.!
Maintain Your Action Machine
Drink More Water and Less Soda – Each gulp you take of soda is like a thick, gooey, liquid being poured on a fire (your ability to think).
Throw Out Most Processed Foods – Most of it is full of junk that slows you down.
Occasionally Take Several Deep Breaths – Oxygen energizes your brain.
Exercise a Little – Not a lot is necessary, but just enough to get your blood flowing.
Plan to Sleep Better – Go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday, and avoid anything before bed that stresses out your mind or body (prime-time “entertainment”, the news, video games, etc.)
Build an Action Magnet
Dig for Plenty of “WHY’s” – For motivation to do anything with passion, our brains need plenty of “whys”. Get into the habit of always discovering the whys for what you’re doing in your life. Dig deep and dig with emotion!
Adopt a Game Winning Strategy
Realize That Small is Huge – Just like a sports game that is won 2 points at a time, every tiny bit of time (5, 10, 15 minutes) you spend doing something towards your goals, the closer you get to winning the game.
Each week has 168 hours
Subtract 12 hours a day for sleep and misc.
What’s left is 84 hours – Your 84 opportunities
What will you do with Your 84?
“Talk doesn’t cook rice” – Chinese Proverb