Scenario: "Dude, I have so much stuff to do. I can't do anything about that. Ahh!"
Oh, you-betcha-can.
How do you do it?
Do this:
- List out everything you have to do today (or this week/month/year/yadda).
- Now, like juiced-up bald ostrich going down that list:
Spend one minute tackling each task.
That is, start chopping bits of wood on every frickin' tree in the frickin' rain-forest.
When you start a task, you immediately reduce your workload -- dramatically.
How? You drive your subconscious mind to think:
"Hey! I don't have that much work after all. Yay!"
How Starting Rocks Your Mind
If you're a stressed-out entrepreneur, or you're doing some big project, or you're having a plethora of things on your plate, you know how it is:
- I'm always stressed out with the amount of work I have. Ahh!
- I keep thinking about what I still have to do. Ahh!
- I continually think about my projects, but I never do anything about it. Ahh!
Don't fret. It happens to all of us.
Yet, to be a true productive badass, we'll let you in on a little secret inspired by our favorite productivity gurus:
Chop some frickin' wood.
- You have a big software project. Spend one minute drawing the schematics.
- You have to design a new restaurant menu. Spend one minute sketching the layout.
- You have to brand your new company. Spend one minute listing out your company's top 5 personality traits.
- You have to: ___. Spend one minute doing something about it.
What do you soon experience?
- Hey, this thing isn't so bad after all!
- Wow, I thought I would have more work. It's actually pretty simple.
- Gosh dang it! I should've started earlier.
- This is actually pretty fun. Wow! I want to do more!
Starting something reduces your perceived workload.
How Starting Makes You More Productive
A rule of thumb to keep handy:
- Avoiding something: shatters your confidence to do any stuff.
- Doing something: builds your confidence to do even more stuff.
Doing simple, small things -- like chopping wood, if you will -- builds your "action" momentum.
Think of a ferris wheel.
- At first, it's pretty frickin' hard to frickin' push it.
- But as you push some more, you being to gain traction. The wheel starts moving a little bit faster.
- "Hey, this thing is getting easier to push," you tell yourself.
- Then, as you push some more, the wheel starts rotating faster and faster -- until you get to a certain point where the wheel moves practically on its own.
Trizoko Tip: Prioritize Your Tasks
Say you just listed 200 things on your to-do list. You start thinking, "By golly, I cannot start all 200 things!" And, you'd be right. Starting all 200 things distracts your attention from what's super-way-more important. Don't start 200 things. Instead, answer these two:- What things on that list do you have to -- just totally -- do?
- What things can you totally chillax on for some time -- and still be okay?
Now, you that you have a good idea on what trees to chop:
Start chopping like the badass your were meant to be.
Chop some wood.
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James
Posted @ 06:05 AM on February 07, 2007
Nice analogy :)