How To Get Shit Done & Reach Your Productivity Peak

I’m going to assume you’ve already done a “mind sweep” to stop forgetting things, and that you’re breaking down your master list into categories to make it more manageable. Today is step 3 — how to get shit done. If you haven’t knocked a few things off your ‘to do’ list after this, you’re doing it wrong. 😛

Strap yourselves in, folks, ‘cause shit’s about to get serious.

So, assuming you’re all caught up on previous posts (links above), you should now have a good handle on your calendar and your ‘to do’ items. Today’s the day we start taking great big strides towards your goals. Lace up those hiking boots!

Let’s start with your calendar, because it holds the stuff that’s set in stone, like appointments, meetings, birthdays, etc. Those are the things that will usually be priorities in terms of their urgency, so look at everything you’ve got on it for the next month, one by one. Is there anything that needs to be canceled or postponed? Do it now.

For everything else, ask yourself if you’ll need anything for that particular thing. If it’s a meeting, will you need documents, to prepare a presentation, or a proposal? If it’s a birthday, will you need a gift, a card, or to make a dinner reservation? If it’s an appointment, will you need cash, a loyalty card, a notepad and pen?

Also think about how you’re getting there. Will you need bus or train fare? Will you need to top up the petrol tank in your car? Will you need change for the toll or for parking? Will you need to organise a lift with someone?

Is it a full-day or overnight event? Will you need to pack a lunch, or bring a battery pack or charger? Will you have to leave early to avoid rush-hour traffic? Will you need to pack a bag? Will you need to print tickets or boarding passes? Will you need ID?

You get the idea. Some may be simple enough, like just popping to the hair salon for a quick trim, but others may require a little more preparation. If you need a few different things, start a separate list with an appropriate title (eg. Peter and Mary’s wedding) and jot down everything you’ll need. Smaller things, like buying a gift, can be either added to your calendar if you know you’ll be at the shops on a specific day or, otherwise, onto your ‘to do’ list with a deadline.

Congratulations on reaching Base Camp 1. You’ve dealt with all your “deadline” stuff and now you’re fully prepared for the next leg of the journey. Your ‘to do’ list will be a little longer now but fear not! Your goals are set, and you’re about to get shit done. Onwards and upwards!

Let’s start with the simple trick for knocking a few tasks off your list in the next ten minutes or so, as outlined in David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done” — if the task can be done in two minutes or less, do it now.

But sometimes things take a bit more time and effort. Allen calls any task that requires two or more steps to complete a ‘project’. These items can be overwhelming and, because they can’t be done all at once, we tend to put off doing them at all. We’re creatures that require instant gratification, which is why the “two minute” trick works well. The task is complete and the ‘tick’ beside it on the ‘to do’ list is satisfying. Projects (such as New Year’s resolutions) don’t offer the same “instant win”, so they tend to be put on the back burner.

Well no more! We’re about to tackle your Everest. And hey, it won’t cost you a penny, and you get to keep all your toes. I can’t say fairer than that. To the top!

First, ask yourself what “done” looks like. If you read my post on “How To Keep New Year’s Resolutions”, you’ll know that one of the biggest factors in achieving your goals is to make them specific. If your goal is to “get healthy”, ask yourself what “healthy” looks like to you. In other words, at what specific point can you officially mark this as “done”? Because if that point doesn’t exist, or is too vague, you’ll never get there.

Once you know the point at which you’re all done and dusted, now ask yourself HOW you can get there. Jot down the series of steps that will take you to your dream destination. They don’t have to be too in-depth — you won’t have all the facts before you in the beginning, and things may change along the way. You may find a helpful sherpa who’ll show you a shortcut, or you may decide you want to take the scenic route. This is just a broad outline of the path you’ll take to get to your project’s peak.

Got it? Great! NOW let’s start jump-start your journey. Look at your project and ask yourself, “What is the very next action I need to take to make progress?” Make it small and doable. If it can be done in under two minutes, all the better. If not, no biggie, but try to make it as small as possible.

For everything that pops into your head, ask if there’s anything you need to do BEFORE that task can be done. For example, you might be tempted to think that the next thing you need to do is get your car serviced. But before you can do that, you actually need to call and make an appointment. But if you don’t have the phone number you need, then your actual next step is to find it. See what I mean?

How long has something as seemingly simple as “get car serviced” sat on your ‘to do’ list? But “Google number for local garage”? Easy peasy. And BAM, before you know it, the appointment is made and you’re feeling exceedingly pleased with your productive self.

The important thing right NOW is just to figure out what the very next step is, and then take it.

Once that step is done, tick it off your ‘to do’ list and ask yourself if there’s another step you need to take. If there is, figure it out and either do it straight away or add it to the list; if there isn’t, mark that shit as DONE and move on. FUCK YEAH!

So stop thinking about what you want to happen, and start thinking about how you’re going to MAKE it happen. Get into the habit of asking yourself, “What’s the next small step?” and then get shit done.

And look, maybe you’ve got a few projects on the go (don’t we all), so let’s take a quick look at how you can prioritise what you should be doing, so you’ll be a productivity dream machine, working on what matters most and achieving goals all year long.

How To Get Your Shit Together