How I Started Getting Things Done
You have big goals. A never-ending to-do list. A pile of unread productivity books so tall it might topple over. Sound familiar?
I was the same way for the longest time. Ironically, this was also the phase of my life where I struggled to get anything done- even the basics like eating meals and exercising. How could I be so obsessed with goal-setting, and yet still so woefully unproductive?
Well, here's how I broke out of that habit and started getting sh*t done.
I started journaling, but rather than wallowing in my ennui, it usually turned into a laundry list of things I had to do. But after a few months, I started re-reading my journal entries and I noticed something eery.
Every page was nearly identical.
I felt not-so-sane, as I flipped through the pages, the same list repeating again and again.
start business
read more
be healthier
Do you see the glaring problem with this list? It’s impossible to do any of these things. The parameters are too broad and undefined. After all, what business am I going to start? What's the first step? What do I want to read more of? Books? Blogs? Shampoo bottles? How should I be healthier? Should I drink more water? Take a Zumba class? Meal prep?
As soon as I started asking questions and getting granular, I realized that these weren't "to-dos". These were big broad "maybe someday goals". Now, to clarify, it's wonderful to have big goals. However, if I wanted to make any tangible progress, I had to start with actionable baby steps. Things I could do in one day (or even in 10 minutes) and cross off my checklist.
So, for example. That list would translate to:
Start Business:
Research available business names on Namechkr.com
Find how to get an EIN #
Call city to apply for business license & pay fee
Project: Read More
Fiction:
Harry Potter (library book, read first)
Dune (audiobook, listen while doing chores)
Non-fiction:
Story Brand by Donald Miller (e-book, read on lunch)
The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield (read 1 chapter before bed)
Project: Get Healthier
Meal Prep: buy groceries & cook on Sunday
Go to bed at 10 pm to wake up earlier and bike for 30 minutes before work
Take 10-minute walks in the sun
Swap cookie for protein bar on weekdays
Carry a bigger water bottle so you're more likely to hydrate all day
Do you see how all of these are small actionable behaviors I can do every day? Even the books are prioritized. I don't have to wonder which book to pick up because I know the library book is due in 2 weeks. And if I don't have time to read, I can pop on an audiobook while I do dishes or laundry.
This bullet-journal method changed my productivity game.
Now, at first, I was bullet journaling the analog way but pretty soon I graduated to a much faster and more efficient way of tracking my to-dos. Enter: Notion.
Notion is an online project management system that allows you to create pages, lists, projects, and even save files, links, and references all in one place (available both on desktop and mobile). And before you ask, no this is not sponsored. I'm just a huge fan.
Why is Notion different from other project management systems? Because it’s completely customizable and incredibly intuitive to use. I needed that freedom to drag, drop, rearrange, rename, and delete as needed. Because when I'm brain dumping, my fingers are typing a million miles a minute. It's a messy process, and there's a lot of editing that needs to happen to take my jumbled thoughts and mold it into a coherent plan.
Yet another reason I'm obsessed with Notion- I have to confess that I am not techy at all. But this app is so easy to use, within a few minutes of clicking around you'll be zooming through all the features like a pro. I love that I can create pages and nested lists, similar to the way I organize file trees (it’s basically folders within folders). This helps me drill down to keep all my nitty-gritty tasks organized under the umbrella of larger projects. When I'm juggling multiple clients and all my miscellaneous tasks, this system is a life-saver.
Productivity hack for my fellow neurodivergent peeps- it’s super satisfying to check off tasks and see them greyed out. They don't completely disappear, so you can see exactly how much you accomplished. Honestly, it's a bit addicting. Almost like game-ifying your admin tasks!
That's my secret recipe for getting things done in 2021. To recap:
Use whatever method you will keep up with. For me, an online task management system was more useful than paper journals. But go with whatever floats your boat!
Write clear actionable tasks.
Break down big goals or projects into smaller chunks.
Keep your "done" lists visible to relish in the accomplishment. This encourages you to keep up the productivity.
Brain dump first, organize later.
Solve problems for non-ideal situations. For example, if you're too busy to do everything, prioritize 2-3 tasks for the day. Or like the example with the audiobook- multitask wherever possible.
Experiment. Try different styles of bullet journaling until you find what works for you.
