So you are not getting work done? You’re not disciplined. You don’t want it enough. You aren’t trying. You’re a piece of sh*t.

That’s the message your mind and most Twitter bros repeat. So you try harder for a few minutes, but then you keep not getting enough done. You now feel shame that you don’t do it. Shame stops movement.

If character, desire, and effort guaranteed success, many poor folks would have billions, and several rich men would be on food stamps. My experience as a psychologist, coach, and human try-hard (and lengthy history of mental health data) is that one’s ability to approach tasks is as important as any other factor.

In this newsletter, I’ll show you how it's often the task and how we approach it that gets in the way of being dialed in.

Approach > Effort

God didn’t grant me an athlete’s body or coordination but I made up for it in effort. I knew I could easily climb. When I began, I used the same approach I used before with 100% effort. I did a pull-up on every hold. I jumped back on the wall immediately when I fell. I yelled at myself for “motivation.” And I held on for dear life.

This high-energy flailing is the worst approach to climbing. You tire small muscle groups first and tire yourself out. In fact, real climbers study their route. They make slow, intentional movements. Without having a plan, you won’t progress in climbing or in the biggest areas of your life; it’s hard to make progress.

Often, we procrastinate because we don’t know how to approach tasks well. We only know how to approach tasks in one way. This lack of an organized method to get things done makes us avoid tasks. Learning how to approach task effectively decreases the resistance to tasks. Once you have a toolkit to plan and organize, you can do it more effectively.

 The 7 principles to approach tasks

Value you and your time

You matter. Your time matters. If you start with the belief that your efforts make a difference, then you will approach tasks more effectively. Often, our negative self-talk or beliefs inhibit our ability to choose tasks that matter to us. And if you don’t believe you can or it matters, you will rarely do what’s essential.

For each task: Say to yourself, I make a difference.

Put your Why into planning

Many fail to plan because we don’t know why we plan. Yet planning is the first step to moving your vision from an idea to reality. Once you are clear on why you are doing something, you’re more likely to do it. Use your vision to select how you want to plan and how this plan will bring about your vision.

When planning a task, put your why on the top of the paper. “I’m doing this because…”

Only accept tasks aligned with WHY

You don’t have to say “yes” to every task that lands in front of you. You have a limited supply of time and energy. You may put off a task because part of you knows this task isn’t that high value.

Ask yourself, “does this opportunity align with my vision of being in the world.”

Select and use ONE organizing method

There are always new and cool productivity systems. Each can be effective. Often, we don’t execute because we keep adopting new or abandoning current productivity systems. Experiment with a couple for a week or two, then select one. Then use it.

Say to yourself, “This is my planner. There are many like it, but this one is mine.”

Prioritize high-value tasks

Certain tasks provide more dollars, connections, and whatever you are trying to build than others. Start your day with these. Then, there are tasks that anyone can do. You can do these later or outsource them. Start choosing a task that meaningfully moves the ball forward.

List out all your tasks in terms of value. Select from those with the highest priority.

Break tasks down into the smallest achievable unit

Sometimes, we fail tasks because they are too complicated. Cleary-defined, actionable, and sufficiently resourced tasks get done. Often, the first task is ensuring each task is clearly identified and sufficiently broken down into its component parts.

For every task, ask:

What’s the objective?

What are the core components?

What are the resources I need?

Add each of those as action steps.

Complete projects or let them go

Another reason we procrastinate is keeping unfinished tasks like albatross around our necks. If they aren’t serving you, cut them loose. This includes “maybe someday lists” if they constantly eat up your bandwidth and wish you could do them.

If you can't complete each task on your agenda soon and they aren’t the most vital, let them go (if possible.)

Invitation

You can live a dialed-in life that approaches each activity with intention. You can develop these skills. If you need help, reach out. - Dr. Drew

References

Eichmann, B., Goldhammer, F., Greiff, S., Pucite, L., & Naumann, J. (2019). The role of planning in complex problem solving. Computers & Education, 128, 1-12.

Miller, K. J., & Venditto, S. J. C. (2021). Multi-step planning in the brain. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 38, 29-39.

Cristofori, I., Cohen-Zimerman, S., & Grafman, J. (2019). Executive functions. Handbook of clinical neurology, 163, 197-219.