This is optimal living daily episodes 650. How to actually execute your to-do list, or my writing down doesn't actually get it done. Part one, valuable value of Zen habits.net, and I'm just a molecule very own personal narrator. Welcome to the podcast or blog that we're ready to do for free, kind of like on your book.
And this is a permission from the others, to be able to be able to be able to be a super popular and send habits. It's posted a bit long, so it'll be the first half today, and then the rest tomorrow. And I'll get ready to do it as we optimize your life. How to actually execute your to-do list, or why writing it down doesn't actually get it done.
Part one, valuable value of Zen habits.net. Have you gotten good at organizing your tasks in a to-do list, that trouble actually executing them? You're not alone. Anything that you do list actually done is difficult, because it's really a collection of habits that most people don't think about.
Today, we'll get addressing those issues that stop you from doing things, and habits need to overcome those issues. This post-op prompt and when read your BJ Thunderstone recently asked a great question. Quote, a lot of productivity systems, such as getting things done by Dave Allen, or do it tomorrow by Mark Forcer, concern themselves with writing lists of things to do. The skill is easy to learn, but what is the problem is it making lists by executing your plan?
What if you write get x, y, and z-done, and then can't make yourself do any of these things? I think that many people have a problem not with making a to-do list, but it's executing what is written on these lists on, quote, BJ went on to list some of the reasons he and others have a problem getting things done. Let's address them one by one. Quote, a few resistance when starting work on something, quote, first of all, it's good to analyze your resistance, which is something we don't do often.
Why don't you want to start on something? Identifying the problem can help lead to the solution. Having said that, there are a couple of suggestions that can help. Number one, tiny chunk.
Tell yourself you only have to do five minutes of work on it. That's small in our work, it's a lot intimidating. Number two, just start. Once you get going, it's much easier to keep going.
So tell yourself that all you have to do is start. I like to compare this to my philosophy of running. Instead of worrying about having to do the whole run, I tell myself I just have to leave some issues and get out the door. After that, it's really easy.
Do the same thing with any task. Just fire up your program and do the first few actions. I eat start typing. It gets easier after that point.
Number three, reward yourself. Don't let yourself check email or wherever a word works for you, something that you need to do every day. Until you do at least 10 minutes or 15 or 20 doesn't matter on the task. Set a timer once your 10 minutes is up.
Set another timer for five minutes and do email. Then repeat. Number four, get excited about it. This is actually a tip that helps with any of these points.
If you're excited about doing something, you will not hesitate to do it. For example, I love this topic suggestion. I was excited about writing it. As soon as I had the chance I sat down to write in and only took one break.
But how do you get excited about a task? Try to find something exciting about it. We'll bring you revenue. What can you do with that revenue?
We'll bring you new clients, new opportunities, new recognition. If you can't find anything exciting about a task, consider whether it's really important or not. And if not, find a way to not do it. Sometimes eliminating or delegating or delaying the task is the best option.
Quote, I'm terrified of certain tasks or working on certain projects. I'm quote, there are usually a few reasons those tasks are projects to verify you. Number one, they're too intimidating in size or scope. To combat this, break it down into tiny chunks.
Actually, just the first tiny chunk as they've found those as a D-M-G-T-T. It's intimidating to do a task like to re-report on X or make a yearly plan for Z, but you just need to do the first physical action, which might be called Frank for figures on X or make a list of 10 things we should accomplish this year is much easier to tackle and less intimidating. Number two, you don't really know how to do it. If you haven't done something a million times before, it is unfamiliar and unknown to you.
We're all terrified of that. The solution, first, get more information. Learn as much as you can about it. That might require some research on the internet or talking to someone who's done it before or reading a book or working a class.
Whatever you need to do, make the unknown become the known. Second, practice it as much as possible. Once you learn how to do something, you need to practice it to become good at it. To practice the whole thing, practice individual skills required to do a task or project one at a time until you're good at those skills.
Once you master them, they will no longer be terrifying. Number three, you are focusing on negative aspects. You might be focusing on how hard something is or on all the obstacles. Try looking at the positive aspects instead.
Focus on what a great opportunity this project represents and opportunity to learn to get better at something, to make more money, to work on a relationship, to gain some long-term recognition, to improve your advance on opportunities. This is similar to the get excited about it in the previous section. If you look at the opportunities and other problems, you'll be less terrified and more likely to want to do it. Quote, I start, but I get distracted and never finish.
Unquote, if you start, you've already made a big step towards finishing. Now you just need to work on the distractions, to be continued. You just start part one of the post titles how to actually execute your to-do list, or why running it down doesn't actually get it done. Probably about it doesn't have it on that.
And I'll do it for the Thursday show. I'll see you in the Friday show tomorrow, where we'll finish out this post and where you're optimal life. Oh, wait.