It’s very common for people to ask me questions like: “How do I be more productive?”. “I’m motivated but get distracted easily, what should I do?”. Or, “What’s your top tip for being more organised?”.
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The problem with these questions is they’re far too generic. And so they elicit a generic response (PRO TIP: If you ever email me a question, be as specific as possible!).
Having now received tens of thousands of emails from subscribers over the last 5 years, I find people are often looking for “the secret”. They want that #1 tip that’s going to solve all their problems.
We all want to be productive, to get more done and to succeed in our endeavours. But distractions, other people and a lack of motivation or discipline often gets in the way.
It’s true – being productive, being organised, working on your business is hard. But that doesn't mean the solution is complicated.
The headline of this post is meant to be ironic because here’s the secret – there is no secret. There’s no silver bullet that’s going to solve all your problems. There is no #1 tip I can give you. Sorry to burst your bubble.
So when you see articles like “10 Things you can do today to double your productivity”, warning lights should be going off inside your head!
Being productive and organised is hard. But that doesn't mean the solution is complicated.Click To TweetThe good news is that I believe the solution is simple. Not easy. But simple. In fact, you might get annoyed by what I’m about to say because you probably already know the answer (you just don’t like it).
Next year, if you want to be more productive, more organised, to start or grow a business, all you need to do is to sit down and do the work. Stop looking for secrets and ‘hacks'. Instead, focus on showing up each and every day to put in the work:
- You need to be consistent. Work hard, each and every day. Make it your routine. Don’t use excuses like “it’s Monday morning”. Harden up and get to work.
- You need to be disciplined. You know Facebook is a time suck. So don’t go on it. Simple!
- You need to be organised. Don’t let things get messy and you won’t waste time “cleaning up” later.
- You need to protect your time. Don’t agree to things you don’t want to do.
- You need to use your motivation. If you want something bad enough, go and get it. If you’re not excited about your work, maybe you’re working on the wrong things.
Like I said. This stuff isn’t complicated. In fact, because this stuff is so simple, people often overlook it.
People who are disorganised, people who are overwhelmed or get distracted often feel like they need to try lots of different tools and “systems” to fix the problem. And yes, I’m a big systems person. I love tools and apps. But all this will only get you so far.
In 2019, stop looking for answers. Stop looking for the #1 tip. Instead, just get to work.