Do It Now by Steve Pavlina

It's a big waste of time to go through life being unclear about what you want. Most people wallow way too long in the state of "I don't know what to do." They wait for some external force to provide them with clarity, never realizing that clarity is self-created. The universe is waiting on you, not the other way around, and it's going to keep waiting until you finally make up your mind.

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Secondly, I believe this habit helped me remain relaxed and unstressed because my mind wasn't cluttered with so many to-do items. It was always just one thing at a time. I could forget about anything that was outside the current context.

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The reason is that after you've "fired" once, you have some actual data with which to adjust your aim. Too many people get bogged down in planning and thinking and never get to the point of action. How many potentially great ideas have you passed up because you got stuck in the state of analysis paralysis

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Sometimes the quickest way to find out if something will work is to jump right in and do it.

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you'll learn a lot more by doing than you ever will by thinking.

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There is a tremendous cost in putting things off because you will mentally revisit them again and again, which can add up to an enormous amount of wasted time. Thinking and planning are important, but action is far more important.

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Writer's block means you're stuck in the state of thinking about what to write instead of actually writing.

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I don't waste time thinking about writing because I'm too busy writing. This is probably why I've been able to write hundreds of original articles very easily. Every article I write spawns ideas for at least two more, so my ideas list only increases over time.

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It is absolutely imperative that you develop the habit of making decisions as soon as possible. I use a 60-second rule for almost every decision I have to make, no matter how big or important. Once I have all the data to make a decision, I start a timer and give myself only 60 seconds to make a firm decision. I'll even flip a coin if I have to. When I was in college, I couldn't afford to waste time thinking about assignments or worrying about when to do them. I simply picked one and went to work on it.

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If you can speed up the pace of making decisions, you can spend the rest of your time on action.

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Too often people delay making decisions when there is no advantage to be found in that delay. Usually delaying a decision will only have negative consequences, so even if you're faced with ambiguity, just bite the bullet and make a decision. If it turns out to be the wrong one, you'll know it soon enough.

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One study showed that the best managers in the world tend to have an extremely high tolerance for ambiguity. In other words, they are able to act boldly on partial and/or conflicting data.

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Pour the bulk of your time into action, not deciding.

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The state of indecision is a major time waster.

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Is this activity worth what I am sacrificing for it?"

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Ask yourself this question: "Would I have ever gotten started with this project, relationship, career, etc. if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I now know?" If your answer is no, then get out as soon as possible. This is called zero-based thinking. I know a lot of people that have a limiting belief that says, "Always finish what you start." They spend years climbing ladders only to realize when they reach the top that the ladder was leaning against the wrong building.

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There is no honor in dedicating your life to the pursuit of a goal which no longer inspires you.

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Whatever you've decided in the past is largely irrelevant if you would not renew that decision today.

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If you get the highest level of your life in order (purpose, meaning, spiritual beliefs), the lower levels will tend to self-optimize (habits, practices, actions).

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Be absolutely ruthless in refusing to spend time where it simply cannot give you optimal results.

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Whenever you come up with a wacky new idea for increasing your productivity, test it and see what effect it has. Don't dismiss any idea unless you've actually tried it. Partial successes are more common than complete failures, so each new experiment will help you refine your time management practices. Even the ongoing practice of conducting sometimes foolish experiments will help condition you to be more productive.

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If you happen to work in a high interruption environment that's negatively affecting your productivity, change that environment at all costs.

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During one of these sacred time blocks, do nothing but the activity that's right in front of you. Don't check email or online forums or do web surfing. If you have this temptation, then unplug your Internet connection while you work. Turn off your phone, or simply refuse to answer it. Go to the bathroom before you start, and make sure you won't get hungry for a while. Don't get out of your chair at all. Don't talk to anyone during this time.

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Decide what it is you should be doing, and then do nothing but that.

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If you need a break, then take a real break and do nothing else. Don't semi-work during a break if you feel you need rest and restoration. Checking email or web surfing is not a break. When you take a break, close your eyes and do some deep breathing, listen to relaxing music and zone out for a while, take a 20-minute nap, or eat some fresh fruit. Rest until you feel capable of doing productive work again. When you need rest, rest. When you should be working, work. Work with either 100% concentration, or don't work at all. It's perfectly fine to take as much down time as you want. Just don't allow your down time to creep into your work time.

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but don't waste time in a state of partial effort.

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The harder you work, the greater your capacity for work, and the more restorative your rest will be.

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constantly feeding your mind with positive material can maintain your enthusiasm indefinitely.

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It is absolutely imperative that you develop the habit of making decisions as soon as possible. I use a 60-second rule for almost every decision I have to make, no matter how big or important. Once I have all the data to make a decision, I start a timer and give myself only 60 seconds to make a firm decision. I'll even flip a coin if I have to. When I was in college, I couldn't afford to waste time thinking about assignments or worrying about when to do them. I simply picked one and went to work on it. And today when I need to decide which article to write next, I just pick a topic and begin writing. I believe this is why I never experience writer's block. Writer's block means you're stuck in the state of thinking about what to write instead of actually writing. I don't waste time thinking about writing because I'm too busy writing. This is probably why I've been able to write hundreds of original articles very easily. Every article I write spawns ideas for at least two more, so my ideas list only increases over time. I cannot imagine ever running out of original content.

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Too often people delay making decisions when there is no advantage to be found in that delay. Usually delaying a decision will only have negative consequences, so even if you're faced with ambiguity, just bite the bullet and make a decision. If it turns out to be the wrong one, you'll know it soon enough. Many people probably spend more than 60 seconds just deciding what they'll eat for dinner. If I can't decide what to eat, I just grab an apple or a couple bananas and start eating, and sometimes I'm full of fruit before I figure out what I really would like to eat. So my brain knows that if it wants something other than fruit, it had better decide quickly. If you can speed up the pace of making decisions, you can spend the rest of your time on action.

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Ask yourself this question: "Would I have ever gotten started with this project, relationship, career, etc. if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I now know?" If your answer is no, then get out as soon as possible. This is called zero-based thinking. I know a lot of people that have a limiting belief that says, "Always finish what you start." They spend years climbing ladders only to realize when they reach the top that the ladder was leaning against the wrong building. Remember that failure is your friend. So if a certain decision you've made in the past is no longer producing results that serve you, then be ruthless and dump it, so you can move onto something better. There is no honor in dedicating your life to the pursuit of a goal which no longer inspires you. This is another situation where you must practice integrity in the moment of choice. You must constantly re-assess your present situation to accurately decide what to do next. Whatever you've decided in the past is largely irrelevant if you would not renew that decision today.

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Find out what parts of your life belong in the crucial 20%, and focus your efforts there. Be absolutely ruthless in refusing to spend time where it simply cannot give you optimal results. Invest your time where it has the potential to pay off big.

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To work effectively you need uninterrupted blocks of time in which you can complete meaningful work. When you know for certain that you won't be interrupted, your productivity is much, much higher. When you sit down to work on a particularly intense task, dedicate blocks of time to the task during which you will not do anything else. I've found that a minimum of 90 minutes is ideal for a single block.

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While for some people it's helpful to block off a specific period of time for a task, I find that I work best with long, open-ended stretches of uninterrupted time. I'll often allocate a starting time for a task but usually not a specific finishing time. Whenever possible I just allow myself to stick with a task as long as I can, until I eventually succumb to hunger or other bodily needs. I will frequently work 6+ hours straight on a project without taking a break. While frequent breaks are often recommended to increase productivity, I feel that suggestion may be an artifact of industrial age research on poorly motivated workers and not as applicable to high-motivation, purpose-driven creative work. I find it's best for me to maintain momentum until I can barely continue instead of chopping a task into smaller chunks where there's a risk of succumbing to distractions along the way.

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To work effectively you need uninterrupted blocks of time in which you can complete meaningful work. When you know for certain that you won't be interrupted, your productivity is much, much higher. When you sit down to work on a particularly intense task, dedicate blocks of time to the task during which you will not do anything else. I've found that a minimum of 90 minutes is ideal for a single block.

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When you work for yourself, it's easy to spend a whole day at your desk and accomplish nothing of value.

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time management:

Clarity is key.

The first step is to know exactly what you want.

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Most people wallow way too long in the state of "I don't know what to do."

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The universe is waiting on you, not the other way around,

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What exactly is it that I'm trying to accomplish here?" You must know your destination with as much clarity as possible. Make your goals specific, and put them in writing.

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convinced that a possible path exists

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Take a moment to stop and write down a snapshot description of how you want your life to be ninety days from now.

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you must periodically retarget your goals. Reconnect with your clear, written goals by re-reading them every morning.

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Be tight on your goals but flexible on your plans.

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clarity is self-created

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A lot of time is lost in task switching because you have to re-load the context for each new task. Single handling minimizes time lost in task switching.

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The great baseball player Babe Ruth held the homerun record and the strikeout record at the same time.

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It's the ready-fire-aim approach, and surprisingly, it works a lot better than the more common ready-aim-fire approach. The reason is that after you've "fired" once, you have some actual data with which to adjust your aim.

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Be tight on your goals but flexible on your plans.

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having a clear goal is far more important than having a clear plan.

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state of analysis paralysis (i.e. ready-aim-aim-aim-aim-aim...)

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A lot of time is lost in task switching because you have to re-load the context for each new task. Single handling minimizes time lost in task switching.

Highlighted by dukduk

There is a tremendous cost in putting things off because you will mentally revisit them again and again

Highlighted by qrystal

Once I have all the data to make a decision, I start a timer and give myself only 60 seconds to make a firm decision.

Highlighted by qrystal

don't be afraid to experiment in your attempts to increase productivity. Sometimes the quickest way to find out if something will work is to jump right in and do it. You can always make adjustments along the way. It's the ready-fire-aim approach, and surprisingly, it works a lot better than the more common ready-aim-fire approach. The reason is that after you've "fired" once, you have some actual data with which to adjust your aim. Too many people get bogged down in planning and thinking and never get to the point of action.

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Get rid of everything that wastes your time

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When in doubt, throw it out

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nothing is free if it costs you time

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nothing is free if it costs you time

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Every activity has an opportunity cost. Ask, "Is this activity worth what I am sacrificing for it?"

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Would I have ever gotten started with this project, relationship, career, etc. if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I now know?" If your answer is no, then get out as soon as possible. This is called zero-based thinking

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"Would I have ever gotten started with this project, relationship, career, etc. if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I now know?" If your answer is no, then get out as soon as possible.

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Remember that failure is your friend. So if a certain decision you've made in the past is no longer producing results that serve you, then be ruthless and dump it, so you can move onto something better. There is no honor in dedicating your life to the pursuit of a goal which no longer inspires you

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There is no honor in dedicating your life to the pursuit of a goal which no longer inspires you.

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Clarity of purpose must come first.

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You need a big, attractive goal to stay motivated

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The reason to shave 15 minutes off a task is that you're overflowing with motivation to put that 15 minutes to better use.

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get the highest level of your life in order (purpose, meaning, spiritual beliefs), the lower levels will tend to self-optimize (habits, practices, actions).

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If you get the highest level of your life in order (purpose, meaning, spiritual beliefs), the lower levels will tend to self-optimize (habits, practices, actions).

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the best managers in the world tend to have an extremely high tolerance for ambiguity.

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the 80-20 rule states that 20% of a task's effort accounts for 80% of the value of that task. This also means that 80% of a task only yields 20% of the value of that task.

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If a decision can be made right away, make the decision as soon as it comes up.

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he state of indecision is a major time waster. Don't spend more than 60 seconds in that state if you can avoid it. Make a firm, immediate decision, and move from uncertainty to certainty to action.

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Find out what parts of your life belong in the crucial 20%, and focus your efforts there. Be absolutely ruthless in refusing to spend time where it simply cannot give you optimal results. Invest your time where it has the potential to pay off big.

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Get rid of everything that wastes your time. Use the trash can liberally. Apply the rule, "When in doubt, throw it out." Cancel useless magazine subscriptions. If you have a magazine that is more than two months old and you still haven't read it, throw it away; it's probably not worth reading. Realize that nothing is free if it costs you time. Before you sign up for any new free service or subscription, ask how much it will cost you in terms of time. Every activity has an opportunity cost. Ask, "Is this activity worth what I am sacrificing for it?"

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To work effectively you need uninterrupted blocks of time in which you can complete meaningful work

Highlighted by mounirra

When you know for certain that you won't be interrupted, your productivity is much, much higher.

Highlighted by qrystal

a minimum of 90 minutes is ideal for a single block.

Highlighted by mounirra

"Would I have ever gotten started with this project, relationship, career, etc. if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I now know?" If your answer is no, then get out as soon as possible. This is called zero-based thinking.

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if a certain decision you've made in the past is no longer producing results that serve you, then be ruthless and dump it, so you can move onto something better.

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high-motivation, purpose-driven creative work

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The state of flow, where you are totally absorbed in a task and lose all sense of time, takes about 15 minutes to enter

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The state of flow, where you are totally absorbed in a task and lose all sense of time, takes about 15 minutes to enter.

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Once you enter the state of flow, guard it with your life

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enormous amounts of work and experience total connection with the task

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more efficient to act on those ideas at the moment of conception instead of scheduling them to be done at a later time.

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Work all the time you work.

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Decide what it is you should be doing, and then do nothing but that.

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Work with either 100% concentration, or don't work at all.

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if you've taken the time to develop a sense of purpose that reaches deep into your soul, you'll be automatically motivated to put your time to better use. If you get the highest level of your life in order (purpose, meaning, spiritual beliefs), the lower levels will tend to self-optimize (habits, practices, actions).

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To work effectively you need uninterrupted blocks of time in which you can complete meaningful work. When you know for certain that you won't be interrupted, your productivity is much, much higher.

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Take advantage of your own strengths, and find ways to compensate for your weaknesses.

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gushingly enthusiastic about what you're going to do with your time

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I'll frequently think of new optimization ideas while I work, and I'll usually go ahead and implement those new ideas immediately. I find it more efficient to act on those ideas at the moment of conception instead of scheduling them to be done at a later time.

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Your work should serve your life, not the other way around.

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During one of these sacred time blocks, do nothing but the activity that's right in front of you. Don't check email or online forums or do web surfing.

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actively cultivate your enthusiasm as a resource

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work feels like play

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Decide what it is you should be doing, and then do nothing but that.

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When your thinking changes, then your actions will change, and your results will follow.

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constantly feeding your mind with positive material can maintain your enthusiasm indefinitely

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to keep up is to multitask whenever possible by reading and listening to audio programs.

When watching TV, read a computer magazine during commercials.

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Just grab a couple magazines, or print out some articles you wouldn't otherwise have time to read, and put them in your bathroom. Whenever you go out, carry at least one folded up article with you. If you ever have to wait in line, such as at the post office or the grocery store, pull out the article and read it. You will be amazed at how much extra knowledge you can absorb just by reading during other non-mental activities.

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Regular exercise is also necessary to maintain high energy and mental clarity.

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Listen to educational audio programs whenever you can. When you drive your car, always be listening to an audio program. One of the best ways to save time is to learn directly from people who already have the skills you want to master. Audio programs often contain more practical material than what you would learn by taking classes at a university.

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Maintain balance by paying attention to every area of your life.

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By getting clear about what you want and then developing a collection of habits that allow you to efficiently achieve your goals

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The reason to master time management is to take your good life and transform it into an exceptional one.

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The word "enthusiasm" comes from the Greek entheos, which means literally, "the god within."

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Go after what really inspires you. Don't chase money. Chase your passion. If you aren't enthusiastic about your work, then you're wasting your life. Switch to something else. Consider a new career altogether.

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The worst waste of time is doing something that doesn't make you happy. Your work should serve your life, not the other way around.

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listen to time management and motivational tapes.

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I kept my motivation level high by reinforcing my enthusiasm almost hourly. Even though I was being told by others that I would surely fail, these tapes were the stronger influence because I never went more than a few hours without plugging back in.

If your enthusiasm level is high, you can work so much more productively and even enjoy the normally tedious parts of your work. I've always found that whenever I want to take my business to a new level, I must take my thoughts to a new level first. When your thinking changes, then your actions will change, and your results will follow.

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your enthusiasm is going to need daily reinforcement. I recommend either listening to motivational tapes or reading inspiring books or articles for at least fifteen minutes every day. Whenever I've stopped doing this, I've found that self-doubt always returns, and my productivity drops off. It's truly amazing how constantly feeding your mind with positive material can maintain your enthusiasm indefinitely. And if you multitask, you can get this benefit without investing any extra time into it.

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Regular exercise is also necessary to maintain high energy and mental clarity.

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To focus exclusively on your primary work at the expense of every other area of your life will only hurt you in the long run. Maintain balance by paying attention to every area of your life. As you grow in your career, be sure that your personal life grows as well.

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