24

Must-Reads
to Boost Your
Productivity
Read to boost:
High Efficiency

Time Management

Habit Formation

Inner Discipline

Organizing
Be your own coach
Follow-Through
24
Must-Reads
to Boost Your
Productivity
15-min reads of 24 books
Advice from the world’s

acknowledged leaders
Most actionable tips and

tricks for better productivity

Hundreds of valuable
insights
More knowledge in less
time
What's inside:

What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast Laura Vanderkam 3

No Excuses! Brian Tracy 15

The Willpower Instinct Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. 32

Atomic Habits James Clear 45
Essentialism Greg McKeown 60
Getting Things Done David Allen 74
You Are a Badass at Making Money Jen Sincero 85
Do the Work Steven Pressfield 100

Why We Sleep Matthew Walker 112

Free to Focus Michael Hyatt 123

-
To Do List Formula Damon Zahariades 137
Spark Joy Marie Kondō 149

The 12 Week Year Brian P. Moran, Michael Lennington 162

, ,
Smarter Faster Better Charles Duhigg 174

Finish Jon Acuff 187

15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management Kevin Kruse 199

The 1% Rule Tommy Baker 213

The Pomodoro Techni que Francesco Cirillo 230

Million Dollar Habits Stellan Moreira 243

Tiny Habits BJ Fogg, Ph.D. 254

Think Like a Monk Jay Shetty 269

The 10X Rule Grant Cardone 285

Unlimited Memory Kevin Horsely 296

Meditations Marcus Aurelius 306

 What the Most Successful
People Do Before Breakfast:
And Two Other Short Guides to
Achieving More at Work and at Home
Laura Vanderkam
Read to boost:
Boldness

Self-growth

Self-discipline

Time management

What’s in there for me?

The most successful people know the essence of having a productive
morning. To underpin this point, Laura Vanderkam shares some working
ideas of prominent individuals in her bestselling book that will help us
become more effective and productive during the day. Indeed, the small
things matter and Laura Vanderkam teaches us to pay attention to them.

Career development, self- “Once things become habitual, they

care, and family nurturing operate as automatic processes,
activities are worthwhile to which consume less willpower.”
do in the morning.

GO!

and get it

3 in 15-min!
 1. Have yourself a mindful morning

Many of us often feel that our mornings slip away without accomplishing
much. Laura Vanderkam acknowledges this state of helplessness, where
we have our sights on the clock but tackle less essential activities,
sidelining the important stuff.

Drawing from her personal experience, Laura Vanderkam cites the

challenges she faces every morning while juggling her responsibilities as
a mother and creating the right state of mind for the workday. Like her, we
encounter the same problems daily. It is one thing to be out of bed early
and another — to find a way around the numerous hurdles we might face
before we start working. Even when we eventually get ourselves to work
in one piece, it is common to waste time on less relevant tasks, like
replying to emails or looking through shallow content online.

Instead of subjecting our mornings to mindless tasks, Laura Vanderkam

lists three categories of activities that should define our mornings:

● Cultivate your career by optimizing morning culture.

● Engage yourself in activities we owe our family beyond the primary

personal care.

● Seclude yourself to enjoy your hobby, meditate, workout, or pray.

Regardless of the combination of these options, this time frame is our "me
time." It goes a long way to defining our output.

When we stick to active early morning schedules, we will discover that our
mornings can defy the chaos and unproductivity tags we give them.

4
 More importantly, the most successful people know the essence of having
a productive morning. To underpin this point, Laura Vanderkam highlights
the examples of prominent individuals with morning habits that have
seemingly propelled their high-achieving status. One of such individuals
is Steve Reinemund, PepsiCoʼs former CEO/Chairman. He starts his day
doing a four-mile run on a treadmill by 5:00 a.m., after which he embarks
on a culmination of activities ranging from reading to praying or
meditating.

“Keep in mind that your morning rituals shouldn’t be of the self-flagellation

variety. Choose things you actually enjoy.” ~ Laura Vanderkam

There are many people who try to develop a routine but are unable to
sustain it. The truth is that you can overcome that problem of
inconsistency. The following chapters show how you can develop the
willpower you need to pull this off.

2. Your willpower is strongest in the morning time

Successful people divide their days into activities. Moreover, they know
that morning is the most productive part of the day. In the lead-up to
establishing the role of discipline in creating productive mornings, Laura
Vanderkam outlined several factors in her daily routines that could derail
her desired daily outputs.

It is difficult to replicate the same level of zeal and willpower that drives
our mornings for our afternoon tasks.

Conventional workers schedule their evenings for workout sessions. In

most cases, it is difficult to make out time for this, especially when
deadlines are looming and your nagging boss is at your throat. Instead,

5
 people that are serious about working out do so early in the morning. This
resolve takes discipline, as only the disciplined would defy morning
madcaps.

Furthermore, Laura Vanderkam backs up the role of willpower by citing

the research of Florida State University psychology professor Roy F.
Baumeister. Professor Baumeister studied self-discipline and came to the
conclusion that willpower drops as tiredness rises. To compare, think
about how our muscles are also susceptible to fatigue. Therefore, our
willpower decreases during the day.

Perhaps, you see a parallel between those impulsive lapses that are more
common later in the day. If you are keeping to the diet, it is easier to refrain
from eating things you shouldn't in the morning. Yet, in the evening, you
start cutting yourself slack. Also, a Twitter analysis shows that people tend
to use optimistic phrases in the wee hours of the day.

In other words, our capacity to make the right decisions would naturally
reduce as we take on more tasks. And so, it is safe to say that morning is
the time when our willpower is intact and fresh. We can take advantage of
this by allocating self-reflective, critical, and body-rejuvenating tasks to
these hours. Our inability to do this means that we would subject our
willpower to chaotic schedules or activities that do not add value to our
day.

Like our muscles, we can also develop our willpower. Just as a

bodybuilder takes the pain to bulk up and then maintain it, it is also
possible to nurture self-discipline. Once we get to this level, it becomes
easier to take on early morning productive activities since they are now
part of our habits. More so, accomplishing them will no more require a
strain on our willpower.

6
 For instance, brushing our teeth is an early morning ritual, and we do not
need an extra push to get this done. This example highlights why we need
to adopt proper morning rituals that would normally require an astounding
amount of willpower.

3. Begin your day by prioritizing the most important tasks

and executing them

For many, morning routines feel fixed: waking and cleaning up, making
breakfast, getting ready, and going to work. This routine does not have to
be your reality. You can reorder your mornings to invest time in doing
things that are important rather than urgent.

Forget waiting for the perfect moment to do an important task. Get it done
now.

Some tasks are obligatory, but they don’t add overall value to your day or
life. Home chores, laundry, mowing the lawn are things that can easily
divert your attention from what matters to you. These tasks feel urgent,
and so you postpone the important but not so urgent task.

James Citrin, the leader of the headhunting agency Spencer Stuart’s

North American Board and CEO Practice, states that we should invest our
mornings in critical tasks. He works out in the morning hours himself,
waking up before 6 a.m. every day. Moreover, 18 out of his highflier
executives also wake up that early to engage in essential activities.

Worthwhile to do in the morning are career development, self-care, and

family nurturing activities.

7
 Non-urgent but important activities require extra motivation to perform.
They are things like keeping fit, writing a book, meditation, etc. These
activities have the potential to change your life in the long run.

The most successful people use their mornings to develop any of these
three things: their careers, relationships, or themselves.

Let’s take your career, for example. To build your career, you need to
spend time on activities that you can’t usually attend to in your day. This
does not include responding to emails, as you can do that later.

Debbie Moysychyn is an Organizational Health Care Executive who is

building the health care education department of Brand University. In a
bid to promote a culture of collaboration, she literally keeps her door open
and tells people that they can come to her at any time. The problem was
that there were too many meetings every day, leaving her no time to work
on her projects. So, she decided to dedicate her mornings to them. During
this time of the day, she didn’t need to worry about interruptions. On top
of that, she spent the rest of the day building the office culture without
hurting her projects.

4. Make it your habit to spend mornings on self-care and

quality time with your family

Apart from your career, your relationship is another pillar that supports a
fulfilling life. However, by the time you return from work, you may be too
tired to spend quality time with the people you love. Hence, you need to
learn how to use your mornings to build your relationships.

In the mornings, you will have the energy to be with the ones you love.
How can you make this work?

8
 Early in the morning, you can have good quality sex with your partner.
This will be more satisfying than trying to make things work at night when
you are tired from the day’s work. As a family, you can make breakfast the
time to have everyone in the same place.

Whatever your situation is, coming up with a strategy that allows you to
use your mornings to build your relationships is essential. Kathryn
Beaumont Murphy, a counsel at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP,
discovered that working late nights as a busy tax lawyer kept her from
spending time with her daughter.

She talked with Laura Vanderkam, who helped her realize that her law
firm didn’t emphasize starting work early. Instead, the law firm rewarded
late working hours. Beaumont changed her routine. To get more morning
hours, she would go to bed earlier than usual. This new arrangement
influenced the whole family. Everyone woke up early for the family
“breakfast special.”

Career and family are two pillars that uphold a fulfilling life. The third pillar
is personal development.

In the morning, create time to care for yourself.

Self-care is the first to give whenever our responsibilities and

commitments become more than we bargained for. When there is a
mountain of work for you to do, you begin to deprive yourself of sleep and
the rest you need just to meet deadlines.

To practice self-care, you need to identify what you want. Is it keeping fit,
writing, reading, meditation, or praying? You can do anything you want to
care for yourself by getting out of bed early and making time for these
things.

9
 Did you know? A 2011 poll by the National Sleep Foundation revealed
that though an average person aged 30-45 wakes up by 5:59 a.m., they
still don’t start their official duties until 8:00 or 9:00 a.m.

5. Keep track of time and visualize your ideal morning to

achieve the transformation of your morning routine

It is time to walk the walk. There are 5 things you need to do to bring about
a change in routine. This chapter addresses 2, while the 3 other steps are
captured in the next chapter.

Keep records

How do you spend your time over the week? There are 168 hours each
week. You need to learn how to account for each hour. You'll find it easier
to learn how to make better use of your time. The focus is not just on your
mornings. What you do with the rest of the day also counts.

Recording how you spend your time will help you to learn which activities
to stop. This way, you will spare the time for the activities that matter.

If you want to maximize your mornings, you must know that you cannot
continue to keep late nights. Since you cannot extend each day's length,
you should know that something has to give.

Visualize your ideal morning

For the Laura Vanderkam, a perfect morning means waking up at 6:20

a.m. except for times when she feels like having sex in the wee hours of
the morning. She goes for her 45-minute run by 6.30 a.m.

10
 You need to picture your ideal morning first and then start bringing it to
life.

Then she spends quality time with her family. They do this over breakfast,
where everybody gathers around the table. She dedicates the rest of the
morning to writing her book and an entry for her blog.

6. Do a reality check on the routine you visualized and start

bringing it to life

So far, you've tracked your time for the week and come up with a mental
picture of a good morning. It is time to see if you can give this picture life.

To figure out the logistics, you need to answer the following questions:

● How much time do you need to create this ideal routine?

● What changes can you make to realize this dream?

If you want to cook in the morning, for example, you may need to wake up
earlier. That means you can no longer keep late nights.

A well worked out plan has a higher chance of success, so be very precise
about what you want to do in the morning.

Focus on making your morning rituals easier

As you have developed a clear picture of what you want to integrate into
your morning schedule, you need to implement it. Often, the "how" or the
logistics hold us back and, instead of improving our lives, we start
producing excuses. Here, we resist change in the first place. You can
overcome this by thinking about the practical ways to fast-track the
process.

11
 Develop the habit

Laura Vanderkam advises that it is easier when we adopt one habit at a

time, as it involves rechanneling our morning energy into productive yet
new activities. Also, we should track our progress, as it takes a while
before these activities become part and parcel of our mornings. There is
a trick to learning the new habit faster: make it an enjoyable one. If you
wake up to do something you like, your motivation to get out of bed will
rise exponentially as soon as you do. Moreover, always reward yourself
as you succeed in building new habits. A treat can be anything you like:
delicious food, new clothes, etc.

Tune Up as necessary

Do not box yourself into thinking that your morning rituals must remain the
same. You could, instead, adjust them to conform to the reality of your
new job, location, status, or responsibilities. The most crucial thing is that
you are making the best use of your mornings.

There should be room for unexpected events. Life is full of those. It is very
easy to toss your ideal routine in the trash if things keep popping up to
disrupt it. Hence, your contingencies must have contingencies.

"Once things become habitual, they operate as automatic processes,

which consume less willpower." ~ Roy F. Baumeister, Ph.D.

For Laura Vanderkam, her love for running had to be suspended when
she was carrying her first daughter. She decided to spend that running
time on other self-nurturing activities. She's no longer a nursing mother.
She has returned to her 45-minute run. These adjustments and
readjustments can happen from time to time. Make room for them.

12
 Conclusion

Many of us believe that sleeping longer in the morning will help us be more
productive during the day because more sleep equals more strength. It is
hard to overlook the importance of rest, and sleeping is the best way to
do that. However, we get this idea wrong. What we need to do is go to
bed early and get up early. Why?

The morning is when we reach our peak productivity. Still on the brink of
our subconscious, our creativity level is very high. For sure, it is difficult to
change our ways to appreciate the beauty of the morning, but it is so
worthwhile!

Dedicate your morning to the activities that will help you grow
professionally, personally and improve your relationships with loved ones.
The key point here is not to postpone these until later in the day, or worse
still — the evening when we are utterly exhausted from the day’s work and
sometimes literally feel numb.

Adopt several important morning routines like meditating or working out,

spending quality time with your family over breakfast, or reading up on the
newest trends in your professional sphere. In the morning, our willpower
is also much stronger than it is in the evening. Thus, the wee hours of the
morning are the best time to start gradually improving your life.

Try this:

Sometimes, when asked what we did during the week, we can answer
one thing: worked. In fact, we do much more than that, but other activities
slip beyond the scope of our awareness.

13
 ● For one week, try to record everything you do during the day as per
hour. Of course, you don’t need to calculate the minutes. Estimate
the time roughly.

● As you are done with your list, sort the activities into important and
unimportant ones.

● Try to cut the time you spend on the unimportant ones to make room
for the other group.

14
 No Excuses!

The Power of Self-Discipline

Brian Tracy

Read to boost:
Self-discipline

Autonomy

Reliability

Motivation

What’s in there for me?

Are you ambitious and determined? Are you “hungry” to have more and be
more than you've ever been? If your answer to these questions is yes, this
book is for you. In No Excuses!, Brian Tracy claims that self-discipline is the
key to achieving success in all your goals and gives a detailed guide on
how to be successful by being self-disciplined.

Your choices are a true “Discipline is the bridge between

reflections of your values goals and accomplishment.”
and priorities.

GO!

and get it

15 in 15-min!
 1. Achieve success by cultivating self-discipline and
learning from experts

If you want to be successful, the first thing to do is to come up with your

personal definition of success. How do you define success? If you could
magically make your life perfect in every way, what would it look like?

The great oil man, H. L. Hunt, who was at one time the richest self-made
billionaire in the world lists the 3 major requirements for success:

1. Decide exactly what it is you want in life

2. Determine the price that you are going to have to pay to get the
things you want

3. Resolve to pay that price

In life, everyone wants to be successful. Everyone wants to be healthy,

happy, fit, and rich. But not everyone is willing to pay the price. One way
or the other, people always come up with some excuse or rationalization
for not disciplining themselves to do everything that they need to do to
achieve their goals.

Success requires hard work, and the essential requirement for hard work
is self-discipline.

The truth is, you will only be able to achieve success when you can
overcome the natural tendency to cut corners and take the easy way. Put
simply, to be successful, you must discipline yourself to put in the hard
work required to achieve the result you desire.

What distinguishes successful individuals from unsuccessful ones is that

they are willing to pay the price, whatever it is and for as long as it takes,
until they achieve the results they desire. Successful people understand

16
 that lasting success is possible only when you can discipline yourself to
work hard for a long, long time.

The Law of Cause and Effect states that for every effect, there is a specific
cause or series of causes.

In other words, if you want to achieve success in any area, you must
determine how success is achieved in that area and then practice those
skills and activities repeatedly until you achieve the same results.

Therefore, if you want to be successful, it is essential to learn what you

need to learn in order to achieve the success you desire. And the best
way to do that is to learn from the experts in your field.

Seek out experts or other successful people; read their books. Listen to
their audio programs and go to their seminars. Write to them or approach
them directly and ask them for advice. Remember, if you do what other
successful people do, over and over again, nothing can stop you from
eventually enjoying the same rewards that they do.

Sometimes, one idea is all you need to change the direction of your life.

2. Becoming a person of character requires willpower and

self-discipline

The person you are today, your innermost character, is the sum total of all
your choices and decisions in life up to this date. You strengthen your
character and become a better person each time you choose rightly and
act consistently with the very best that you know.

Your choices are a true reflection of your values and priorities.

17
 As a human being, you are a “choosing organism” who is constantly
making choices, one way or the other. Every choice you make speaks
volumes about your true values and priorities. At each moment, you
choose what is of great importance or value to you over what is of less
importance or value.

People of character usually possess a series of virtues or values: These

are courage, compassion, generosity, temperance, persistence,
friendliness, and many more.

However, when determining the depth and strength of a person's

character, one essential thing that comes before all these virtues is
integrity.

According to Brian Tracy, integrity simply means living in complete truth

with yourself and others. Hence, it is your level of integrity that
demonstrates more than anything else the quality of your character.

Integrity is the value that guarantees all the other values.

When your level of integrity is higher, you are more honest with yourself
and more likely to live consistently with all the other values that you admire
and respect. However, becoming a person of character takes tremendous
self-discipline. It takes ample willpower to always “do the right thing” in
every situation. And it takes both self-discipline and willpower to resist the
temptation to cut corners, take the easy way, or act for short-term
advantage.

When you choose the higher value over the lower, the more difficult over
the easy, the right over the wrong, you feel good about yourself. Your self-
esteem increases and you have a greater sense of personal pride.

18
 More importantly, when you behave with character, doors will be opened
for you. People will help you; you will be paid more, promoted faster, and
given even greater responsibilities. As you become a person of honor and
character, opportunities will appear all around you.

So how do you develop character? How do you learn value?

The first way to develop character is by studying the values you admire.

You learn values by studying them closely. And according to the Law of
Concentration, “whatever you dwell upon grows and increases in your
life.” In essence, when you study the lives of people who demonstrated
the kind of values that you admire and respect, those values sink ever
deeper into your mind and become “programmed” into your subconscious.

Second, emulate the people you most admire.

A greater part of your character is determined by the people you most

admire, both living and dead. Who are they? Looking over your life and
history, make a list of the people who you most admire, and next to their
names, write out the virtues or values that they most represent to you.

Lastly, practice the values you respect.

According to Brian Tracy, you develop values by practicing them

whenever they are called for. As the Roman Stoic philosopher, Epictetus
said, “Circumstances do not make the man; they merely reveal him to
himself.” Indeed, when under pressure or facing challenges, people tend
to react automatically based on the highest values that they have
developed up to that moment.

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects
of you.” ~ Brian Tracy

19
 3. Create a habit of writing your goals down and developing
them into plans

More than anything else, your ability to discipline yourself to set clear
goals for yourself and then to work toward them every day will do more to
guarantee your success.

A big problem in our society today is that most people think that they
already have goals. But what they really have are hopes and wishes.
Unfortunately, neither hope nor wish is a strategy for success. In fact, wish
has been defined as a goal with no energy behind it.

If you have a clear goal and a plan to achieve it, you have a track to run
on every single day. You won't get sidetracked by distractions and
diversions, or go astray. More and more of your time will be focused in a
straight line — from where you are to where you want to be.

Goals that are not written down and developed into plans are like bullets
without powder in the cartridge.

Most people go through life unaccomplished and unfulfilled basically

because they have unwritten goals. Of course, these people think they
already have goals. But because none of these goals were put into writing,
these individuals never engage in the hard, disciplined effort of goal-
setting — and this is the master skill of success.

While writing out your goals doesn’t necessarily guarantee success, it

increases the probability of success by ten times.

Writing is a psycho-neuro-motor activity. The act of writing forces you to

think and concentrate. It forces you to choose what is more important to
you and your future.

20
 Hence, when you put a goal into writing, you impress it into your
subconscious mind, which then goes to work twenty-four hours a day to
bring your goal to reality.

Did you know? Only 3 percent of adults have written goals and plans, and
this 3 percent earn more than all of the other 97 percent put together.

4. Achieve your goals faster by adopting the Seven-Step

Method

There are two opposing forces or mechanisms at work in the human mind:
the failure mechanism and the success mechanism. The failure
mechanism is the default mechanism that operates automatically through
everyone's life. It is that innate temptation to follow the undisciplined path
of least resistance, to do what is fun and easy rather than what is hard
and necessary.

The success mechanism, on the other hand, is triggered by goals. When

you decide on a goal, you override your failure mechanism, and this
ultimately changes the direction of your life. You go from living a
purposeless life to living a life with a clear destination. You will find yourself
sailing in a straight direction toward your goal.

To achieve your goals faster, Tracy recommends that you use the Seven-
Step Method:

1. Decide exactly what you want and be specific. If you want to

increase your income, don't just say “I want to make more money.”
Decide on a specific amount of money.

2. Write down your specific goal.

21
 3. Set a realistic deadline for your goal. If the goal is big enough, set a
final deadline and then set sub deadlines.

4. Make a list of everything that you could possibly do to achieve your

goal. Write down the obstacles and difficulties you will have to
overcome, the knowledge and skills you will need, and the people
whose cooperation you will need to achieve your goal.

5. Organize your list by both sequence and priority.

6. Take action on your plan immediately. Take the first step — and
then the second step and the third step. Get going.

7. Do something every day that moves you in the direction of your

major goal.

When you make it a point to do something every day that moves you in
the direction of your goal, you develop momentum. This momentum, this
feeling of progress, motivates, inspires, and energizes you. As you
develop momentum, you will find it increasingly easy to take even more
steps toward your goal.

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”

~ Brian Tracy

5. To make yourself a valuable asset, you have to decide to

keep learning

In life, the most precious financial asset you have is your earning ability
— your ability to work. It is your primary source of cash throughout your
life. You could lose your home, your car, your savings, and everything you

22
 own, but as long as you have your earning ability, you can earn it all back
in the months and years ahead.

Your earning ability is an asset you can develop and keep improving
throughout your life.

In fact, your earning ability is very much like a muscle: It can increase in
strength and power year by year as a result of regular exercise. If ignored,
however, your earning ability, like your muscles, can become weaker or
even decline because you have simply failed to upgrade it continually.

The truth is, you must learn more to earn more.

Becoming the best person you can be and moving to the top of your field
requires the application of self-discipline throughout your life. If you want
to get to the top, work at it all your life. You can never let up. You must be
continually learning and growing throughout your career.

Every business and money-making skills is learnable. Everyone proficient

in any area of business today was at one time completely ignorant in that
area. Likewise, almost every wealthy person was once poor. You can
learn anything you need to learn to achieve any goal you set for yourself.

6. Use the 3% strategy to keep yourself at your best for as

long as you can

To continually increase your earning ability and make yourself an

appreciating asset, you must adopt the 3% formula.

Basically, the 3% formula says that you should invest 3 percent of your
income back into yourself. For instance, if your annual income is $50,000

23
 you should invest $1500 back into yourself to maintain and improve your
knowledge and skills.

Furthermore, Brian Tracy recommends three simple steps you can follow
to become very successful in your field.

First, read sixty minutes in your field each day. Switch off the TV and the
radio, drop the newspaper, and read material about your field for one hour
each day before you start working.

Second, listen to educational audio programs in your car. Start the audio
and pause it from time to time, so you can reflect on what you have just
heard and think about how you can apply the ideas to your work.

Third, seek out and attend courses and seminars in your field regularly.
Take online courses in the convenience of your own home, courses that
will help you upgrade your skills and give you important ideas that you can
use to be even more successful.

All in all, the key to success is personal and professional growth. Never
stop learning and growing. The more you learn, the better your brain
functions, and the smarter you get. Your memory and retention rate
improve. Moreover, the more you learn, the more relationships you find
between the things you learned at one time and the things you learn at
another time.

“We are what we repeatedly do; excellence then is not an act but a habit.”
~ Brian Tracy

24
 7. Use the law of control to take charge of your life and be
happy

The true measure of your success in life is your ability to achieve your own
happiness. Nothing is more essential than this, and nothing can replace
it. If you amass wealth and accomplish everything of a material nature,
but you are not happy, you have actually failed at fulfilling your potential
as a human being.

Happiness follows the Law of Control.

The Law of Control states that you feel happy to the degree to which you
feel you are in control of your own life.

Psychologists call this your “locus of control." Basically, you start to feel
unhappy and stressed when you feel controlled by outside circumstances.
Therefore, a distinction can be made between your internal locus of
control (happy) and your external locus of control (unhappy).

You have an internal locus of control when you feel that you are in charge,
you make your own decisions, and what happens to you in life is largely
determined by yourself. When you have an internal locus of control, you
feel that you are the determiner of almost everything that happens to you.
And in effect, you feel strong, purposeful, and happy.

On the other hand, you have an external locus of control when you feel
that you are not in control or that you have little ability to direct your own
life.

The key to turning an external locus of control to an internal locus of

control is for you to decide today to take complete charge of your life.

25
 Understand and accept that you make your own decisions and that you
are the reason why you are where you are and what you are. If there is
any area in your life in which you are unhappy, discipline yourself to do
everything it takes to change the situation. So decide today to take charge
of your life and be happy.

The interesting thing about happiness is that it is not a goal you can set
and achieve.

Happiness is the by-product you get when you are engaged in doing
something that you really enjoy while in the company of people who you
like and respect. Generally, whenever you are moving towards something
important to you, towards achieving your goals, you feel happy
automatically. You feel fulfilled and content. You develop a great sense of
personal growth and well-being.

8. The 5 ingredients of happiness: the key to transforming

your locus

To take charge of your life and replace your external locus of control with
an internal one, Brian Tracy recommends that you work with these 5
ingredients of happiness:

Health and energy — This is the most important element of a good life.
It is only when you enjoy sound health and a continuous flow of energy
that you feel truly happy. Throughout your life, you must use discipline and
willpower to achieve and maintain high levels of health and fitness.

Happy relationships — We humans are social animals, and most of our

happiness — or unhappiness — comes from our relationships with other

26
 people. So don't ever take your relationships for granted, especially the
ones most important to you.

Meaningful work — To be truly happy, you must be fully engaged with

life. You must be doing things that keep you active and give you a sense
of fulfillment. If you are making a living, you must be doing a job that you
enjoy, do well, and for which you are well paid.

Financial independence — Some of the greatest fears we humans

experience are those of loss, failure, and poverty. We fear being destitute,
without funds, and dependent on others. One of your principal
responsibilities to yourself is to deliberately and purposefully work towards
financial independence and financial freedom throughout your life.

Self-actualization — This is the feeling you get when you are becoming
everything you are capable of becoming. This occurs when you feel that
you are realizing more and more of your true potential.

“Self-discipline is essential to happiness.” ~ Brian Tracy

9. Living a long and healthy life requires the exertion of

discipline and willpower

The area in your life where self-discipline is most important is your

practices regarding your health. The principal goal you should set for
yourself in life should be to live as long and as well as you possibly can.
This entails lifelong self-discipline with the way you handle your health —
and as we mentioned in the previous chapter, good health is one of the
ingredients of overall happiness.

27
 Today, the global average life expectancy is 70.4 years for males and 74.9
years for females. This means that about 50% of the population will die
before the age of 75 and about 50% will die after the age of 75.

Your goal should be to defy the averages and live to age ninety, ninety-
five, or even longer.

Most of the diseases, such as tuberculosis, polio, malaria, cholera, and

typhus, which caused early death in previous centuries have been wiped
out today through sanitation and modern medicine. The predominant
causes of early deaths today are heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and
traffic deaths, all of which we can control to a certain extent.

Of course, you cannot protect yourself against the unpredictable, like

random accidents, but you can use your self-discipline to control the
controllable in your life. According to Brian Tracy, there are five essential
elements of excellent health.

The first factor essential to living a healthy life is a proper weight.

Achieving your weight and maintaining it throughout your life requires the
regular exertion of discipline and willpower, but the payoff is tremendous.
When you are physically fit, you look good, feel good, and generally feel
more positive and in control of your life.

An ideal diet is the second element of excellent health. Studies of the diets
of Olympic athletes from over 120 countries show that three factors make
a perfect diet:

1. lean-source protein;

2. a wide variety of fruits and vegetables; and

3. lots of water, about eight glasses per day.

28
 When you start this “Olympic diet,” you will feel more alert, awake, and
aware all day long.

10. To live a healthy and long life, you must take your
exercise routines and rest very seriously

Aerobic exercise is the most important exercise when it comes to living a

long life.

Exercising regularly is also essential to living a healthy and long life. And
as far as longevity is concerned, aerobic exercise is the most important
exercise. This requires that you increase your heart rate for thirty to sixty
minutes three times per week. You can achieve this through brisk walking,
running, cycling, swimming, or cross-country skiing.

No matter how busy you are, try as much as possible to get 8 hours of
sleep per night.

Proper rest is another important element of a healthy lifestyle. Also, take

regular breaks from work, both weekends and vacations. When you take
time off from work, your mental and emotional capacities are rejuvenated.
When you go back to work after a two- or three-day weekend, you will be
fully rested and ready to perform at your best.

People who are positive and optimistic usually have stronger immune
systems, and rarely get sick.

The last and perhaps the most important element of excellent health is a
proper attitude. Optimism is the quality that is most predictive of health,
happiness, and long life. The more you become optimistic about yourself
and your life, the better your health gets in every area.

29
 Conclusively, your principal goal in life should be to enjoy the highest
levels of health and energy possible. This requires that you eat the right
food, exercise regularly and get lots of rest and recreation. Most
importantly, you must maintain a positive mental attitude in which you look
for the good in every situation and remain determined to be a completely
positive person.

Each of these areas requires the exertion of self-discipline and willpower,

but the payoffs you will get will be far beyond the effort that you put in. By
practicing self-discipline in your health habits, you can live longer and
better than you ever thought possible.

“The key to perfect health can be summarized in five words: ‘Eat less and
exercise more.’” ~ Brian Tracy

Conclusion

Success requires hard work, and the essential requirement for hard work
is self-discipline. You will only be able to achieve success when you can
overcome the natural tendency to cut corners and take the easy way. Your
ability to think, plan, and work hard in the short term and to discipline
yourself to do what is right and necessary before you do what is fun and
easy is the key to living long and creating a wonderful future for yourself.

Try this:

Invest 3% of your income in yourself! This will ensure that you remain an
appreciating asset and that your earning ability increases continually. If
your annual income is $50.000, for instance, you should invest $1500

30
 back into yourself to maintain and improve your knowledge and skills.
Remember, the key to success is personal and professional growth.
Never stop learning and growing.

31
 The Willpower Instinct:

How Self-Control Works, Why It

Matters, and What You Can Do to
Get More of It
Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.
Read to boost:
Stamina

Concentration

Aspiration

Self-control

What’s in there for me?

Are you constantly battling your lack of willpower and find yourself
unproductive as a result? Top psychologist and lecturer at renowned
Stanford University Kelly McGonigal wants to help you find your way
forward to a better life. Learn how you can plant the seeds of self-control,
watch them grow, and use what you know to improve every aspect of your
life. The Willpower Instinct shows you how!

If you need a snack to boost “You need to recognize when you're

your energy and willpower, making a choice that requires
stick to healthy options and willpower; otherwise, the brain
avoid sugar and too much always defaults to what is easiest.”
caffeine

GO!

and get it

32 in 15-min!
 1. Lack of willpower is a true epidemic in our world today

Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. teaches a hugely popular Stanford course that

attracts people from all walks of life. Whenever she mentions that she is
about to talk about willpower, everyone groans and says they really need
more of it. It seems that a lack of willpower is something we all deal with!
How much willpower do you think you have? Don’t worry if yours is in low
supply, as there is plenty of information coming your way to help you
change that situation.

Willpower gives you the power to control everything in your life, including
your emotions, your attention, finances, health, relationships, and success
in your career. For that reason, learning how to improve your levels of
willpower is a must-do.

The fact that you struggle with willpower shouldn't make you feel bad. The
American Psychological Association states that Americans regularly
name low levels of willpower as a reason why they often don't meet their
long-term and short-term goals. This leads to feelings of guilt and feeling
out of control. Put simply, we're all at the whim of our impulses rather than
our conscious choices, and that doesn’t bode well for a happy and healthy
life.

The good news however is that you can do something about it and by
putting in the time and effort you can start to overcome your bad habits
and look forward to achieving the things you’ve always dreamed of.

Willpower isn’t just about pushing yourself to do things, it’s also about
learning to control your impulses.

33
 2. Learning how to fail helps you to perform better

It might sound counterproductive to suggest that you need to fail to do

well, but if you don't know your triggers for failing, how are you supposed
to change anything? Kelly McGonigal tells us that the fastest and most
effective way to boost your self-control is to watch and understand why
you lose control in the first place. This allows you to avoid the common
triggers and traps which force you to fail.

By identifying your triggers and being more aware, you can take back your
power and avoid the negative actions you normally take.

Many studies have shown that people assume they have more willpower
than they do. These are the people who are more likely to fail when
temptation comes their way. For instance, a smoker might be pretty
optimistic about their chances of quitting and resisting the allure of a
cigarette. Still, those who are more optimistic are more likely to give up a
few months later. Because they don't know how to fail, they don't
understand their tipping point. For that reason, self-knowledge is
something you need to develop.

Everyone has triggers and pitfalls, it is nothing to be ashamed of.

However, allowing these things to control your life means that you’ll never
be the one steering the wheel. Admit that you have failings and do
something about them if you want to move forward to a more positive
future.

“Self-knowledge — especially of how we find ourselves in willpower

trouble — is the foundation of self-control.” ~ Kelly McGonigal Ph.D.

34
 3. There are three parts of the brain that control your
willpower efforts: I will, I won't, and I want

Most people assume that not giving in to temptation is what willpower is.
In reality, it's a little more complex, consisting of three parts of your brain:

● I Will

● I Won’t

● I Want

If you're going to optimize your willpower, you need to figure all three out
and work to harness their power. Sometimes the different sides are at
odds, causing you to question what to do and possibly make the wrong
choice.

The brain is a complex organ and sometimes overcomplicates things.

Take a step back and think carefully about what you’re about to do and
why.

The reason we have willpower comes down to evolution, dating back to

the days of cavemen and cavewomen fighting off all types of predators to
survive. Those days, choices were far more straightforward, but that
doesn't mean they were less critical. Nowadays, we have other decisions
and issues, and as a result, the part of the brain that recognizes true
threats has had to catch up slowly.

These days, the prefrontal cortex is more prominent than in other species,
and it controls what you think and how you feel. This part of your brain
controls all three statements; I will, I won’t, and I want, but different areas
relate to each part:

35
 ● Prefrontal cortex upper left portion — I will

● Prefrontal cortex right side — I won’t

● Prefrontal cortex lower middle portion — I want

The keys are not to let one part rule the roost and consider all three
questions in equal parts.

Did you know? The average human brain is only 3 pounds in weight!

4. Self-awareness is a vital step towards willpower

To develop willpower, you need to understand yourself and why you are
doing what you're doing — self-awareness. This is a uniquely human trait,
something most animals and mammals don't seem to have. In many
cases, your self-awareness can predict the outcome of an issue or how
you're going to feel about it. This can help you to decide whether to do it
or not.

When faced with a choice that requires willpower, you need to slow down
and think about things carefully before deciding. When you're preoccupied
or busy, your brain is far more likely to force you into a negative choice,
i.e., giving in to temptation and listening to impulses first and foremost.

“You need to recognize when you're making a choice that requires

willpower; otherwise, the brain always defaults to what is easiest.”
~ Kelly McGonigal Ph.D.

Kelly McGonigal suggests that you observe your decisions for one week
and identify when you're making a conscious choice versus when you're

36
 giving in to your impulses. From there, see if you can catch yourself
earlier, and therefore avoid making a wrong choice.

She also suggests that you should meditate. Research has shown that
meditation gets much easier the more you do it, but it also helps you
develop self-control in terms of attention, stress control, impulse control,
and self-awareness.

Many people try meditation and give up too soon. In this regard, practice
makes perfect, so stick with it!

Follow these steps to begin meditation:

● Sit somewhere comfortable and close your eyes.

● Turn your attention to your breath, breathing in through your nose

and out through your mouth in a slow and steady rhythm.

● As you breathe in, inwardly say the word "inhale," and as you
breathe out, say the word "exhale."

● As thoughts enter your mind, please ignore them and simply let
them float in and out.

This exercise will be hard at first, but that's normal. Start with five minutes
every day and try to work up to 15 minutes if you can.

5. Your brain helps you to survive threats by giving you

exactly what you need

Research has shown that self-control isn't only in the brain, it's a body-
wide issue too. Your brain gives your body the tools it needs to survive
what it perceives to be a threat. For instance, if your brain thinks that you

37
 need to run away from a threat, it will give you extra energy; it will force
your lungs to work harder to deliver oxygen, etc. This is the "fight or flight"
response.

The threats the brain recognizes as red flags are often not the major
issues it assumes them to be. This is a survival mechanism and designed
to be a little more sensitive than necessary!

Thankfully, we don't have to run away from big-toothed predators these

days, but we do have other threats. Kelly McGonigal gives the example of
a strawberry cheesecake. While the cheesecake isn't going to devour you
to death, it may derail your dietary efforts and affect your health to some
degree. This is a threat, but your body needs to deal with it differently. In
this case, you wouldn't need the fight or flight option, but you would need
the "pause and plan" option.

The pause and plan response is the opposite of speeding up and running
away; it is about stopping, waiting, weighing up your response and
actions, and then walking away. It calms you down and avoids the internal
threat.

Sometimes you don't need to run from a threat or fight it; you just need to
give it a moment.

6. Flex your self-control to make it stronger

You need to think of your self-control as a muscle, i.e., you need to

exercise it and flex it to make it stronger.

Self-control becomes depleted if you use it too much. Kelly McGonigal

mentions the example of students during "Dead Week" at Stanford

38
 University. This is the week when everyone is studying hard for their final
examinations, working until late at night, drinking a lot of coffee, and
overeating sugar. Often during this particular week, students give in from
their studying, simply too tired physically and mentally to get the work
done.

Many studies have gone into whether or not sugar can give us a controlled
boost, but this is likely to be temporary at best, leading to crashes in the
short term. Of course, you should have snacks when you feel your blood
sugar is low, which will help your willpower levels. However, it would help
if you snacked on the right types of foods, e.g., low glycemic choices such
as lean protein, beans, nuts, grains, cereals, and fruits and vegetables.

If you need a snack to boost your energy and willpower, stick to healthy
options and avoid sugar and too much caffeine.

The other option is to exercise your self-control regularly by choosing one

topic every day and working on it. For instance, tell yourself that you're
going to improve your posture and do your best to follow it through. The
next day, choose something else. Your brain may be sophisticated but it
needs a break from time to time to replenish its energy.

7. Just because you do good doesn't mean you can do bad

Our brain has a reward system, i.e., when we do something good, we think
it's okay if we do something bad. That means if you're good in your diet
for a full day, you're allowed a quick treat in the evening. You're setting
yourself up for failure! To stay on track, you need to be consistent and you
need to tell your brain that you’re going to stick to the pattern you need,
without confusing matters with “bad” rewards.

39
 Monitor your day and work out whether you use past good behavior as an
excuse for something bad, e.g., a treat or doing something you said you
wouldn't. Ask yourself whether that behavior moves you towards your goal
or whether it will be a case of one step forward, four steps backward.

Having a treat every now and again is fine, but when you reward yourself
with something that is going to sabotage your efforts, you’re moving
towards a slippery slope.

Remember why you're doing something. Identify when you're struggling

with temptation and then try and remember why you’re doing what you’re
doing. By doing that, you should be able to overcome the temptation. Also,
if you're trying to get around procrastination, ask yourself whether you
want to deal with the consequences of putting this task off. The next day
is sure to be far more stressful and busy as a result of not doing that
particular task right now. Just do it and you’ll feel far better as a result.

8. Why you can't always trust your brain

It sounds ridiculous to suggest that you can't always trust your brain; it's
such a complex organ; how can it ever be wrong? The problem is that
your brain often misleads you into thinking that doing something will make
you happy when in reality, it's simply a hit of feel-good factor. That can
easily sabotage your efforts in avoiding something which is bad for your
health or happiness.

When the brain sees something which it thinks could be a great reward, it
releases dopamine. While dopamine doesn't make you happy, it does
make you aroused and curious. Your brain confuses this with happiness,
and anything which we falsely think will make us feel great triggers this

40
 response. This can be anything, even the smell of coffee. When you feel
this way, it’s very difficult to resist and you’ll simply end up moving towards
whatever you believe will bring you a momentary hit of happiness.

“When we're stressed, our brains persistently mispredict what will make
us happy.” ~ Kelly McGonigal Ph.D.

When this response occurs, it completely hijacks your mind, and you want
it more than anything; in some cases, you might not be able to think of
anything else. It's essential to figure out what your dopamine triggers are,
so you can avoid them or manage them.

Monitor your dopamine triggers and try to understand whether you’re

reacting to increased dopamine a little too regularly.

Dopamine has also been shown to have a role in addiction, so we must

understand how rewards make us feel to work out whether it's a good
choice or a bad one.

9. You can't do your best all the time

You are human, which means you're going to give in sometimes. This is
especially the case if you're dealing with stress. Your brain is always on
the lookout for opportunities to make you feel better when dealing with low
mood or a stress response. As a result, it turns towards reward-seeking
mode. The American Psychological Association reports that the most
common ways to deal with stress are linked to dopamine and rewards,
namely eating, drinking, TV, video games, shopping, and the Internet.

Your brain is trying to make life easier for you all the time. However, it
sometimes gets things a little wrong!

41
 Deep down, you know that buying a new outfit or eating a cake won't make
you feel better, but your brain tries to trick you into thinking it will. Instead,
try activities such as sports, general exercise, listening to music,
massage, meditating, doing something creative, yoga, socializing with
your friends or family, or reading. These activities are linked with the
happy hormones in your brain, such as serotonin and oxytocin. These
hormones kick out the stress response and turn to healing and calmness
instead. Using these activities, you're making the switch towards recovery,
which is far better than a reward.

When trying to make yourself feel good, opt for exercise, meditation, or
massage. Focus on healing rather than indulgence.

10. Instant gratification is the fast track to a problematic

future

We all put things off until tomorrow when we really can't be bothered to do
them today. This is procrastination at its finest, and using instant
gratification often leads to a difficult tomorrow. Instant gratification means
doing something which gives you that instant hit of relief or happiness. In
the case of procrastination, you’re getting that feel-good factor from not
doing something, because you don’t want to or you find the task too
difficult.

Procrastination today will simply make tomorrow more complicated.

Daniel Gilbert, a psychologist at Harvard University, claims that humans

are the only species on earth who think about the future in a meaningful
manner. This can be a good thing, but it can also be harmful when we put
things off that we really should be doing in the here and now.

42
 Economists use a theory called "delay discounting." This means that if you
have to wait for a reward, it doesn't mean much to you. A slight delay can
alter the value quite drastically. You can use this method for your greater
good.

Whenever you think about putting something off, i.e., you're using delayed
gratification, trying to make yourself feel good in the moment, wait 10
minutes before making your decision. By waiting, the reward, i.e., not
having to do that task today, will feel far less valuable. As a result, you'll
see the consequences of what you'll face tomorrow, and you're more likely
to get on and complete it right now.

Thinking about the consequences of putting something off can help you
avoid procrastination.

Conclusion

Understanding that willpower is something we all have problems with

helps you know more about this somewhat complex subject. While it's
impossible to be 100% self-controlled all the time, you can do a lot to try
and increase your level of self-control and question decisions you're
making before they lead to action. By doing this, you’ll automatically
increase your willpower levels and find it easier to say “no” to things that
don’t serve you well.

As humans, we're flawed, but that's what makes us so unique. Every day
you're faced with choices, and making the right one all the time is
extremely difficult. However, you can commit yourself to try to make the
right choices most of the time. This takes willpower. Be kind to yourself

43
 and understand that you can’t get it right all the time, but you can at least
try to make the right choices.

Taking the easy route today doesn't make for an easier tomorrow; in most
cases, it leads to a more difficult time to come. Learning what your anti-
willpower triggers are can help you to avoid them, or at least manage
them, over the long term.

Nobody is perfect. That's something we all need to understand. We often

beat ourselves up when we make a bad choice or give in when we know
we probably shouldn't. It's essential to forgive yourself and just move on
the following day if that happens to you. Learn from the experience and
vow to do better next time.

Try this:

● How does it feel when you fail to exert willpower? Examine the
emotions and responses you have, and work out what your triggers
are

● Are you suppressing any specific thoughts or feelings? These could

be leading you towards the wrong path. Instead, acknowledge them
and allow them to float in and out of your life

● Do you surround yourself with positive, self-controlled people? We

mirror those around us, so maybe it's time to look at your circle!

44
 Atomic Habits:

Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

James Clear

Read to boost:
Goal-setting

Perseverance

Productivity

Self-belief

What’s in there for me?

Can one tiny change transform your life? Will an accumulation of tiny
changes produce exponential results? James Clear, an author,
entrepreneur, and photographer in over 25 countries, answers these
questions and shows how small changes can produce magnificent results.
Atomic Habits provides an inside-out approach to behavior change,
ensuring the sustainability of the behavior we seek to elicit.

The most important value of “What separates winners from

habits is that they have the losers is the system of continuous
power to change what you small improvements that the
believe about yourself. winners implement which help them
to achieve their goal.”

GO!

and get it

45 in 15-min!
 1. Good habits produce results that multiply rapidly like
money that grows through compound interest

Whether good or bad, habits compound. Positive compounding occurs in

terms of productivity, knowledge, and relationships. Negative
compounding can be seen in terms of stress, negative thoughts, and
outrage.

Productivity compounds. When you accomplish one extra task on any

given day, it seems small on that day. But when it is considered over an
entire career, it counts. As you automate some tasks, your brain gains
freedom to think on more important things.

By becoming a lifelong learner, you leverage on the compounding ability

of knowledge.

Reading challenges you to think differently and opens you up to new

ideas. Growing in kindness also produces compound interest in terms of
your relationships. People are predisposed to helping a person who has
been kind to them.

Also, stress compounds. Little stressors may seem isolated at first, but
over time, they compound into serious health issues. Parenting, traffic
jams, a slight increase in blood pressure, etc., are common sources of
worry. Worrying then compounds into bigger problems.

Negative thought compounds. Accumulating thoughts that don’t enhance

life will create a negative reality for you. Be mindful of how you think of
yourself and others. Outrage compounds. Often, it is a combination of
microaggressions that burst into protests and civil unrest. But we like to
pin it on a single event as if it were isolated.

46
 Small changes appear insignificant until it reaches a tipping point or
threshold.This threshold is known as the “Plateau of Latent Potential.” To
get the results you seek, you need patience.

In this summary, you’ll find a simple but effective strategy that will take
you from where you are to where you expect to be in your life. Anyone
can apply these principles to any aspect of their life that requires
transformation.

Did you know? According to James Clear, a daily improvement or

retrogression of 1% will leave you 37 times better or worse at the end of
a year.

2. Breaking a bad habit is an arduous task

It is extremely difficult to build good habits and perhaps more difficult to

break bad ones. Difficult but not impossible. In fact, there is a hack.
Instead of focusing on the final outcome or goal you seek to achieve,
which may seem so far off, spend time on creating an effective system
that allows you to make progress toward the goal. Goals tell you where
you want to go and systems show you how to get there. Anyone can set
goals but those who achieve these goals are those that have created a
good strategy for reaching the goals.

“What separates winners from losers is the system of continuous small

improvements that the winners implement which help them to achieve
their goal.” ~ James Clear

Goals are transient; everyone wants results but problems often resurface
with this type of mindset. Lasting change comes from creating the right
process and automating procedures. The excitement that comes from

47
 achieving goals is often short-lived. Also, people with a goals-first
mentality put off their happiness for a future time. With a systems-first
mentality, you enjoy every step that leads up to the goal. When you enjoy
what you do, you are more likely to repeat it.

A systems-first mentality frees you from a straight-jacketed approach to

achieving your goals. Sometimes, life happens and you have to make a
detour on your road to success. A good system adjusts readily to new
situations while keeping the destination in mind.

Goals often get in the way of creating processes that are sustainable.

Old habits return when there is nothing to sustain you beyond the
achievement of a goal. If you set a goal of losing 20 pounds for example,
there are a number of ways you can achieve that goal. However, you may
revert to old habits after hitting the 20 pound mark because you did not
create an effective system that helps you with your weight management.
You’re not simply playing to win one game but to become a true champion.
Atomic habits create true champions. Just as atoms are the building
blocks of molecules, atomic habits help you create systems that work.

3. Changing who you are is more important than focusing

on what you want to achieve because it makes the change
sustainable

There are two reasons for the difficulties we face in changing our habits:

● We try to change the wrong things.

● We try to change in the wrong way.

48
 There are three layers of behavioral change: outcome, process, and
identity. Outcomes are about what you get. Processes are about what you
do. Identity is about what you believe. When it comes to building habits
that last, the problem is the direction of change.

Character change should be your focus, not achievement.

A change in belief must precede a change in behavior. Who you are is

more important than what you do. When a habit becomes who you are
rather than something you do, you are more likely to retain that habit.

Take some time to think about who you want to be. Then ask yourself
what you must do to become that person. Behavior is often a response or
an outward manifestation of identity.

Challenge your existing beliefs to grow into the best version of yourself.

Cognitive slumber is when you follow the norms you grew up to know
without challenging these narratives. You will change as far as you
become aware of the scripts you are acting out in your life and change
them. For example, you are not bad at math. You’ve only been conditioned
by your experience to think math is not for you. Over time, you gathered
evidence from your grades that reinforced the belief that you’re bad at
math. Shifting your thinking or belief about math creates a new reality for
you.

Your activities can help you change your identity for the better.

49
 4. The concept of identity-based habits is better understood
in terms of feedback loops

Habits and identity feed into each other; it is a two-way street. However, it
is important to spend more time on the side of identity than results. If you
put your values in the driver seat of your life-vehicle, your results will align
with your beliefs.

The most important value of habits is that they have the power to change
what you believe about yourself.

In an experiment with cats, psychologist Edward Thorndike found that

when certain behaviors are rewarding, they are repeated but when they
produce unpleasant results, they are avoided.

Habit formation begins with trial and error.

A habit is a repeated behavior that the brain has automated because it

found it rewarding. They exist as leverage to help you conserve energy.

“Habits are mental shortcuts learned from experience. As habits are

created, the level of activity in the brain decreases. You learn to lock in on
the cues that predict success and tune out everything else.”
~ James Clear

By automating the basic things in life, you create mental space for
yourself. Creativity comes from creating room for thinking in your brain.
When there is room for new thoughts, you can come up with plans and
ideas with better reach and substance.

Developing habits creates extra time that you can use to do things you
want.

50
 5. The Habit Loop explains that all habits are formed in a
four-stage procedure: cue, craving, response, and reward

When something triggers the brain to elicit a behavior, it is a cue. Once

triggered, you begin to crave the behavior. Until you respond to this
craving, your emotions will continue to be all over the place. Responding
to the craving gets you a reward. What is rewarded gets repeated, and
the habit loop is formed.

The goal of every habit is the reward it provides.

The cue shows you the reward. Then you crave the reward. By
responding, you put in the work to get the reward. Rewards serve us in
two ways:

● Satisfaction

● Teaching

All four stages — cue, craving, response, and reward — must be present
for a behavior to form. They can be partitioned into two:

● The Problem Phase: The Cue and the Craving

● The Solution Phase: The Response and the Reward

To build good habits, there are four laws of Behavior Change that you can
follow:

● Make it obvious.

● Make it attractive.

● Make it easy.

● Make it satisfying.

51
 Inverting these laws also serves to eliminate bad habits.

● Make it disappear.

● Make it unattractive.

● Make it difficult.

● Make it unrewarding.

6. You need to become aware of your habits because the

process of behavior change starts with awareness

Practice trains your brain to identify the cues effortlessly. Many of us are
unaware of how many activities our brains already automate. Hair growth,
blood flow, breathing, digestion, etc., are automatic commands from the
brain to the appropriate body parts.

There is more to you than your conscious self.

You can train your brain to automate good habits so that you don’t have
to pay attention to what you’re doing. After a while, the cue becomes
unnecessary. Your brain has learned to do the habit automatically.

When something is a habit, you do it without conscious attention.

Awareness is the first step to behavior change. Consider learning how to

drive. At first, you are conscious of every little detail and find it difficult to
multitask. But with practice, driving becomes automatic and you can
execute multiple commands at the same time. “Pointing and Calling” is a
strategy that the Japanese railway system employs to minimize errors that
can lead to accidents. The operators point at objects and call out
commands as they do so. They call out every item and state what is to be

52
 done with it. This seemingly mundane activity lowers risks by bringing
things that you were formerly unconscious of to your consciousness.

Another important step to behavior change is to keep a habit scorecard.

This scorecard contains a list of habits you practice daily whether good,
neutral or bad. Neutral habits get the = sign while good habits get a + sign
and bad habits get a – sign. Overall, if you get a positive score from adding
all your habits, you have more positive habits but a negative net score
indicates a negative habit.

Do not be in a hurry to change your habits at first. Observe and learn from
the consequences of your choices before deciding what to do about them.

Did you know? Studies show that pointing-and-calling reduces errors by

up to 85% and cuts accidents by 30%.

7. Implementation intention and habit stacking are two

effective strategies that can help you initiate and stick to
desired habits

Implementation intention is a statement of the time and location for a

future action. The implementation intention formula is: “I will (behavior) at
(time) in (location).” While there are many cues for your actions, the two
most common cues are time and location. Implementation intentions
leverage on both of these cues.

Habit stacking requires you to pair habits that are compatible with each
other, especially a new habit with an existing habit. You can attach your
morning coffee to reading the news.

53
 It’s easier to learn a new habit when you attach it to an existing one.

A whole chain of habits can form from nailing down the fundamentals of
habit stacking. Essentially, it says: “I will do this new habit whenever I do
a specific existing habit.”

Habit stacking is effective when you select the right cue to begin the chain.
With habit stacking, you don’t have to bother about time and location. The
existing habit has built in those details.

The strategies discussed in this chapter are effective ways to apply the
first law of behavior change. The cues they create are vivid and a correct
application makes it easy to elicit the new behavior.

Your environment often leads you to make certain choices that betray your
identity. In a subtle way, your environment can make you behave in
specific ways. This idea was conceptualized by psychologist Kurt Lewin
in 1936 when he wrote an equation that defines behavior as a function of
a person in their environment, B = f (P, E). Less than 20 years later, an
economist found that the same principle applies to advertising. His name
is Hawkins Stern. Stern found that seeing a product for the first time can
make shoppers create a need in their minds for the product. He called the
phenomenon “Suggestion Impulse Buying.”

8. Every living being has its own methods for sensing and
understanding the world

Humans perceive through the sensory nervous system. Of all our senses,
vision is the strongest. Sight takes up 10 million of the 11 million sensory
receptors in humans. The good thing is that you can create an
environment where you see what you want to see.

54
 You can make a habit desirable by creating visual cues for it.

The same strategy that encourages bad habits can be used to promote
good habits. It is more likely to form a habit when there are multiple
triggers in your surroundings for the habit.

Self-control needs an enabling environment to thrive.

People who reportedly have high self-control have been found by

scientists to be people who have designed their lives to avoid cues that
may make them lose control. Rearrange your environment to produce the
results you seek in your life.

Self-control works when you find yourself in a compromising situation

unexpectedly.

When you have to muster strength daily to resist temptations, it is only a

matter of time before you fall into it. Optimize your environment to save
your willpower for when it is really needed. That environment includes the
online world these days.

9. The brain responds readily to attractive opportunities

Scientists can track the precise moment a craving occurs by measuring a

neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine is vital to habit formation.
Most addictive substances release a high dose of dopamine. Hence, they
are difficult to break. Regular activities like drinking water, having sex, and
eating also release dopamine.

The anticipation of a reward has a stronger hold on the brain than the
reward itself. The portions of the brain that are involved in anticipating
reward include: the brain stem, the nucleus accumbens, the ventral

55
 tegmental area, the dorsal striatum, the amygdala, and portions of the
prefrontal cortex. It is the anticipation that elicits every action.

Doing something you love along with a behavior makes that behavior
attractive is a process is known as temptation bundling. Temptation
bundling is an application of Premack’s Principle. It states that “more
probable behaviors will reinforce less probable behaviors.”

Our cultural contexts determine the behaviors we like.

Our innate desire to belong to a group or a tribe makes us embrace

behaviors that the group praises. This group can be people we admire,
people who share the same background as us, or our close relations.

People imitate the habits of their friends, the tribe and the powerful ones.

Group behavior often trumps individual behavior. If a person who isn’t a

bully keeps bullies as friends, they may end up becoming bullies
themselves to appear cool to the group.

Frequency is more important than duration when it comes to habit

formation.

Repeated practice is better than elaborate planning and implementation

when you want to develop a habit. The third law of behavioral change is
to make it easy.

Doing something many times means you should do a little at a time. To

ensure you continue along the path of forming a new habit, remove as
many obstacles to its practice as possible by ensuring it is something you
can complete within a short time.

Apply the two-minute rule. It states that every new habit should take less
than two minutes to complete. The time should increase only after you’ve

56
 mastered it. Do the opposite for habits you want to stop. Make the practice
difficult. If you restrict your access to the cues for the habit, you will
eventually remove them from your life.

10. Do not delay rewards for good habits if you want them
to stick

When we derive satisfaction from an activity, we are going to repeat the

behavior. The human brain evolved to prioritize immediate rewards over
delayed rewards. Having an accountability partner can help to demand
penalties for habits you want to stop. Humans tend to seek the approval
of others. Thus, we want to keep the social contacts we make.

It is easier to make progress when the habit you’re forming aligns with
your values and that does not require you to do things you know nothing
about.

Your motivation is highest when you work on tasks that challenge you but
you’re skilled to perform.

This challenge is important because we tend to lose interest in things that

are boring and routine. Satisfaction comes from surmounting some form
of obstacle. Deliberate practice keeps you sharp and opens your eyes to
errors that routine may not see.

For example, a person who has learned to drive may find it difficult to
continue to see aspects of their driving that need improvement after a
while. But deliberate practice makes you constantly push yourself to have
a sense of awareness that points you to possible blindspots. Mastery is a
product of habits plus deliberate practice.

57
 Conclusion

Habits change when you commit to making 1% improvement daily over

an extended period of time. Like atoms, these improvements stack up to
form a whole organism. Thus, focus on creating systems that enable you
to stack up these atoms. A focus on systems ensures that you continue to
improve after you’ve reached certain goals or milestones that you have
set for yourself.

Before something becomes a cue, it needs to be assigned a meaning. If

you do not become aware of a cue, it will be impossible to crave it.
Contentment with your current situation is the key to happiness.
Happiness disappears the moment a new desire comes along. We seek
the image of pleasure that we generate in our minds. It is not until we
attain this image that the feeling of satisfaction comes. Pleasure ensues
from a pursuit of desire.

It is desire, not intelligence, that prompts behavior. When you cultivate a

desire for the right habit, you will end up doing it. Emotions drive action.
Even when there are logical reasons for doing something, it is emotion
that compels you to act on them. Craving comes before response. It is the
feelings that determine what we do. We evaluate actions only after we
have carried them out. When these actions are satisfying to our brains,
we get reminders at a later time to repeat these actions. Be mindful of
what gives you satisfaction.

58
 Try this:

Create a habit scorecard for yourself to see whether you have a net
positive habit or negative habit. Identify one habit you want to stop and
one habit you want to develop and apply the appropriate methods from
this summary to the habits.

59
 Essentialism:

The Disciplined Pursuit of Less

Greg McKeown

Read to boost:
Self-awareness

Setting priorities

Self-discipline

Devotion

What’s in there for me?

The Way of the Essentialist is not about getting more done in less time; it's
about investing your time and energy in the wisest possible way to function
at your highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.
Essentialism is a systematic approach for determining our goals, what
really matters to us, and making the achievement of those goals almost
effortless.

The way of the essentialist “The right “no” said at the right time
is to produce more by can alter the course of history.”
removing more, not by
doing more.

GO!

and get it

60 in 15-min!
 1. To be an essentialist, you must learn to cut of trivial
things and focus on what truly matters

Our lives are so stuffed with tasks and responsibilities that we struggle to
set our priorities straight; we often find it difficult to identify which of these
tasks are the most important to us.

Even if we go through our to-do list and pick out the ones we should
prioritize, we still end up having too much on our hands. These excessive
activities massively hinder our productivity.

Fortunately, however, by adopting Essentialism, by focusing on a few

important tasks, we can set our priorities straight.

There are four main points to Essentialism:

● Do less, but do it better. The basic principle of Essentialism is the

endless task of identifying the less important things in your life to cut
out, and excellently doing what’s left over.

● Discard the idea that you need to accomplish everything, and

choose instead specific directions in which you can excel.

● Essentialism is not about making little progress in many areas.

Rather, choose a particular area and make giant strides in the things
that matter most to you.

● Question yourself regularly and update your plans subsequently.

The process of determining what’s worth your time and what should
be let go is continuous.

As an essentialist, you have to be in constant pursuit of less but better.

61
 You should always decide whether what you're doing is worth it or if you
should invest your time and energy in another area. Ultimately, once those
few essential tasks have been extracted from the trivial many, an
essentialist wastes no time in making sure the changes are put in place.

While all that might sound simple, most of us are really far from the mark.
You’ll find out how far away most of us are from the essentialist approach
in the next few sections.

2. If we let ourselves get swamped with tasks, we lose our

ability to make choices for ourselves

Do you always say ‘’I have to” instead of “I choose to”? If so, then you are
living the non-essential lifestyle. So many of us fail to take charge of our
ability to choose through learned helplessness, that is, we've grown so
familiar with the feeling of being overwhelmed that we approach our lives
with utmost passivity.

The term learned helplessness derives its origin from experiments

conducted on dogs. In the experiments, the dogs were exposed to electric
shocks. Some of them were given a lever that would stop the shocks,
others got a similar lever which had no effect and the last group were
given no shocks at all.

Later, all the dogs were put together in a huge box divided in two: one half
emitted electric shocks and the other released none. All the dogs from the
earlier experiment who had the opportunity to stop the shock or were given
no shock at all ran to the shock-free side. However, the ones whose levers
were powerless stayed in the shock zone and did not adapt. Simply put,
they had learned to be helpless.

62
 If you give up your power to choose, you essentially give others
permission to choose for you.

When people forget about their ability to choose, they learn to be helpless.
Their whole lives become a function of other people’s choices. This is the
way of the Nonessentialist. Choice is the essence of essentialism.
Essentialists embrace the power of choice. No matter the situation in
which they find themselves, essentialists always remember that they have
the ability to make choices — they never give up their right to choose.

3. Be open to the idea of doing less and see trade-offs as a

part of life

If you had the opportunity to travel back in time and build wealth by
investing in a company, which would you choose? IBM? Microsoft?
Apple? While the enormous success these companies have enjoyed over
the years might make them an obvious pick for some, Southwest Airlines
would have actually given you the biggest return on your investment. The
truth is, Southwest Airlines displayed a remarkable level of success for a
period by focusing on one of the key principles of Essentialism: doing only
a few important things very well.

Instead than offering their customers some additional choices, like first-
class seating, meals and seat reservations, Southwest Airlines focused
on one thing: flying people from one point to another, and that’s it – no
frills necessary. They realized that they would surely fail if they tried to do
everything. However, by focusing on doing a few things excellently, like
getting travellers to their destinations, then they could be successful.

63
 Adopting this approach can prove to be difficult, as it means being willing
and able to make trade-offs.

While it might sound easy enough to cut out unnecessary tasks and leave
only the most important, in reality, we just end up becoming convinced
that we can do it all. For instance, when the success of Southwest Airlines
became obvious, Continental Airlines decided to copy their strategy.
Rather than cut back to a few vital essentials, however, Continental
erroneously concluded that they could do it all. Their solution was to
continue running their regular airline and create a separate brand,
Continental Lite, to provide the budget service.

However, the operational inefficiencies that resulted from pursuing both

strategies meant that Continental Lite wasn’t price competitive. In the end,
they lost millions because they couldn’t let go of the nonessential and
concentrate on what was vital.

Any organization that is set up for long-term success must embrace the
reality of trade-offs — prioritizing one strategy over the other.

Now that you have a clear concept of how far people often deviate from
the path of Essentialism, the following sections will show you what you
can do to find the path again.

4. To learn to pick out the essential from the trivial, give

yourself space to escape and see the bigger picture

It's quite difficult for anyone to be bored these days. Utilizing modern
technologies like our smartphones, we can access a wealth of
communication and entertainment. This sounds like a great thing since no

64
 one actually likes being bored. Boredom, however, can actually be good
for you.

A period in which you have nothing to do can give you a chance to think
clearly about what you have to get done. To make sure you have that time,
clear a break in your schedule daily to give yourself time to escape: to
think.

In fact, this technique was used by some of the greatest minds in history
such as Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Both of them confined
themselves in isolation in order to escape, therefore giving themselves the
opportunity to think about their groundbreaking theories. Same goes for
most of the successful CEOs out there today — they schedule a few hours
of “blank space” in their calendar every day in order to do some thinking.

However, escaping isn’t just a way to separate essential responsibilities

from the rest; you can also use it to make sure you remain focused on the
big picture.

Most times, people get so lost in the petty, day-to-day tasks that they
forget the reason they are doing those things in the first place.

In order to maintain focus on what’s relevant, essentialism teaches us to

always focus on the bigger picture. One way to achieve this is by keeping
a journal, but instead of scribbling down everything you experience, force
yourself to write as little as possible. This will make you think through
everything you’ve done and sift out only what you deem essential. And as
you read back through your journal notes you will see the big picture
surface.

65
 5. Boost your creativity by playing and make sure you take
some time to rest

Unfortunately, having decided that play is something that is trivial and

unproductive, adults tend to have a clear-cut boundary between work and
play. Now, we believe play is there purely for entertainment and doesn’t
help us to advance our goals. Simply put, it’s a waste of time. However,
the essentialist recognizes that play is an indispensable tool for
inspiration.

If you want to find out what’s essential in your life, you can free your mind
by playing so that you can approach any issue creatively.

Here is how play relates to creativity:

● it helps us to form new connections between ideas that we would

have never otherwise considered

● it is a remedy for stress, which is one of the principal factors in

unproductivity

● It helps us to prioritize our responsibilities

We see the value of play exhibited in the culture of companies like Twitter,
Pixar and Google, who promote play by doing things like offering improv
comedy classes or by decorating the office with thousands of Star Wars
figurines or a huge dinosaur. The reason why they do this? Because they
know that a playful employee is an inspired and productive one.

But play, as important as it is, should never take priority over rest and
sleep. Non-essentialists take sleep and play as the same thing — they
see it as a luxury, a waste of potentially productive hours. This approach
is completely backwards, as sleep enhances your ability to think, connect

66
 ideas and maximize your productivity during your active hours. One hour
of sleep actually leads to several more hours of higher productivity the
next day!

Did you know? Research at Harvard Medical School found that going 24
hours without sleep or getting a weekly average of about five hours of
sleep each night results in a cognitive impairment equal to what you would
have with a 0.1 percent blood alcohol level.

6. Don’t let emotions get in the way of cutting out things that
are not essential

We often make the mistake of thinking that all of our tasks and
responsibilities are essential in one way or another. Surely you’ve gone
through something similar when you’re going through your closet during
spring cleaning; you begin with the mindset that “if I never wear it, it’s got
to go,” however, you soon start making exceptions, telling yourself things
like: “I know I never wear this howling-wolf shirt, but I might want to one
day!” So, you decide to keep it and the closet remains as jam-packed as
ever.

So, how can you avoid making this mistake? In short, be very strict with
your criteria. One way to do so is by utilizing the 90-percent rule. Start by
considering the most relevant criterion for the decision you are making.
For instance, if you’re clearing out your closet, that criteria might be, “Do
I still need this?” Then score it on a scale of 0 and 100. With the 90-percent
rule, anything below 90 (even an 89) is a 0. After weighing all the options
on a scale of zero to 100, dump everything that scored less than 90.

67
 Essentialists put time into creating a system for removing obstacles,
thereby making performance as easy as possible.

Another approach is to conclude that “if it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear
no.” An easy way to utilize this is to list the three minimum things that
something must have in order to keep it, as well as 3 ideal criteria that you
expect it to meet. Then when making the decision, something must pass
3 three minimum requirements as well as at least two of the ideal ones.

Thinking this way will surely let you avoid having trivial matters slip
through. For instance, there is definitely no way that the howling-wolf shirt
in your closet would pass the three minimum requirements:

● “Is it stylish?”

● “Would I wear it every day?”

● “Will no one laugh at me for wearing it?”

7. Say no to non-essential tasks and plan the essential ones

carefully

So, what do you do once you’ve made a list of all the things you need to
do away with, that is, everything non-essential to achieving your goals?
It's quite easy to throw away a shirt you never wear, but these decisions
get a bit complicated when other people are involved.

“The right “no” said at the right time can alter the course of history.”
~ Greg McKeown

We tend to find saying "no" very difficult, feeling both socially awkward as
well as pressured not to disappoint the people around us. We are

68
 concerned that saying no might impair our relationships. However, we
need to say “no” more often, and reserve “yes” only for the things that
really matter. To be able to do this, you’ll need to treat the decision and
the relationship as separate entities.

The pain of saying no may bring about regret for around 10 minutes as
you worry about someone else’s disappointment or that you’re missing
out on something, but you might regret saying yes for much longer.

Failing to say no to the things which aren’t essential can cause you to miss
out on great opportunities.

Once you're used to saying no when it’s in your best interest, you can
concentrate on planning the remaining vital tasks. Get clear on your goals
by having an essential intent: one primary objective that is both concrete
and inspirational. Imagine that your goal is to end world hunger, for
instance. This goal is not concrete at all, although very inspirational, and
thus fails as your essential intent. Trying to follow an objective of this size
will become unruly due to its vagueness. Now, think about this goal: build
150 affordable, environmentally friendly, storm-resistant homes for
families living in the lower ninth ward. This goal is specific, concrete, and
also inspirational.

One way to make sure your goal is clear is by asking yourself: How will I
know when I’ve reached my goal? If you can give a reasonable answer to
this question, then you know you have clarity about what you are doing.

69
 8. Withdrawing from failures and setting boundaries will
help you stop doing unnecessary things

Have you ever done something that you were sure was a waste of energy
and time just because you committed to it? Many people fall into this sunk-
cost bias — the tendency to keep investing money, time, and energy into
something we already know is not likely to succeed. Unluckily, every little
investment makes it more difficult for us to let go, while concurrently
increasing the amount we are sure to lose.

To exemplify the sunk-cost bias, consider the dramatic failure of the

Concorde jet. Although it was an extraordinary engineering achievement,
the cost made it worthless and doomed to commercial failure. Despite the
glaring facts, the British and French governments fell into a sunk-cost bias
and continued funding it for 40 years, fully aware that they’ll never get
most of their money back.

“Only when we admit we have made a mistake in committing to something

can we make a mistake a part of our past.” ~ Greg McKeown

You can easily avoid this trap of sunk-cost by developing the courage to
admit your flaws and mistakes and let them go. Besides, you can avoid
this whole situation by setting clear boundaries. While non-essentialist
think boundaries are unnecessary constraints, boundaries are in fact
liberating on a fundamental level.

For instance, imagine a schoolyard on a busy street: at this school,

children are only allowed to play in a small part of the yard next to the
school buildings, and the teachers have to look after the children and
ensure they stay within this boundary. But what if a fence was installed
that clearly defined where the children can safely be? Then the teachers

70
 could do something better with their time since they wouldn’t have to be
so concerned with children being near traffic, and the children could play
freely within that space.

Boundaries are not there to make your life easier and more enjoyable, not
constrain you. For instance, you could try setting a clear boundary
between work and family. If your children aren’t allowed in the office, then
work shouldn’t be allowed in your home.

If it’s obvious that something isn’t going to work out, then do not hesitate
to cut your losses and abandon ship.

9. The best way to maintain the essentials is by preparing

carefully and eliminating what slows you down

Once you’ve started following the principles of essentialism, it’s time to

commit to the last step: execution. Becoming an essentialist does not only
require you to identify what’s slowing you down and simply finding ways
to work around it, but to eliminate it completely.

For instance, imagine that you’re a boy scout leader and need to get your
troop to camp before sunset. To keep things fair, each scout is carrying
equal provisions in his backpack. But, there is a problem: some of the
scouts are much faster than others, and therefore the group spreads out
and the kids in the back risk getting left behind. Your first (non-essential)
solution is to make stops every now and then so that the laggers can catch
up. Next, you try moving the kids from the back and to the front so
everyone stays together, but this just slows everyone down.

Finally, you see the essentialist solution: you take off some of the
provisions in the slower kids’ backpacks and put it in the fast kids’

71
 backpacks. There and then, you’ve eliminated the problem by thinking
with the principles of essentialism!

The way of the essentialist is to produce more by removing more, not by

doing more.

Also, you can prevent unnecessary hindrances by being prepared. One of

our biggest mistakes is assuming that our plans will go as expected.
However, an essentialist does not think this way. Instead, he makes the
right preparations with the assumption that things might go wrong.

Whatever you do, whether it’s delivering a presentation at work or taking

your kids to school, always give yourself a buffer of 50% of the time you
assume it will take. This way you can always leave room to fix anything
that ends up slowing you down.

Conclusion

We are so swamped with tasks and responsibilities that we find it difficult

to set our priorities straight. It's downright tedious to identify which of the
tasks on our to-do list are the most important to us. Even if we go through
the list of tasks and pick out the ones we should prioritize, we still end up
having too much on our hands. These excessive activities massively
hinder our productivity. Fortunately, adopting essentialism can help us
pinpoint what is most important to us and set our priorities straight.

“Remember that if you don’t prioritize your life someone else will.”
~ Greg Mckeown

Regardless of how it might seem, only a few things are actually essential
to our goals and well-being, and everything else is unimportant. By

72
 concentrating on these few vital things and learning to do better by doing
less, we can create a life that is far more productive and fulfilling. So stop
thinking that you need to accomplish everything, and choose instead
specific directions in which you can excel. Focus on a particular area and
make giant strides in the things that matter most to you, rather than
stretching yourself thin trying to make little progress in many areas.

Finally, make it a habit to always question yourself and update your plans
subsequently. The process of determining what’s essential and what's
trivial is continuous. You can't just give a nod to the principle of
essentialism every now and then; you have to practice it regularly in a
disciplined manner. When you start seeing essentialism as a way of life,
it becomes the very essence of who you are.

Try this:

Instead of constantly adding more and more duties and material

possessions to your life, try to find ways to cut things out. You can make
a list of criteria and eliminate things that do not meet them.

73
 Getting Things Done:

The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

David Allen

Read to boost:
Productivity

Relaxation

Diligence

Taking charge

What’s in there for me?

How often do you feel like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day?
Regularly? Don’t worry, you’re among the majority! What if we told you it
was entirely possible to re-invent your life to be totally in control of all the
tasks you need to do? This valuable book of time management and
productivity tips shows you how to go from stressed to calm, magically
creating more hours in the day as a result.

A calm mind allows you to “Focusing does not simplify your

process information more life, it gives meaning and direction.”
clearly. A jumbled mind will
simply keep you stuck.

GO!

and get it

74 in 15-min!
 1. We have less time, and you can blame modern society

Most of us have a far better life than years ago, but we're also far more
stressed and unable to enjoy it! We say "yes" too often, therefore, taking
on tasks that we just can't handle, and we're constantly connected and
communicating, finding it hard to hit that ideal work and home life balance.
As a result, stress hits, we're confused, and we have no idea where to
start.

For example, social media basically means you can talk to anyone, at any
time, anywhere. So, if someone asks you a favor, you feel duty-bound to
agree, whether you're too busy or not. You don't want to disappoint them,
be it helping them with a school project, or simply making a cake for
someone's birthday. All of this adds up to far too many things on your
internal to-do list.

To-do lists can make you more stressed if you don't actually get to tick
anything off.

Work is just the same. We no longer enter job roles clearly defined, as
things are always shifting and changing. Information hits you constantly
throughout the day, and there are so many people involved with the
collaborative way of working that it's hard to focus on just one thing.

David Allen has found an answer to all of that. Developing the idea of a
system that cuts out the noise allows you to focus and concentrate and
organize your tasks in a personalized way. This cuts down on adverse
reactions to everything simply because we're stressed out and allows
clarity and time for progress to be made. The following chapters will help
you find out how you can be more productive and live a fulfilling life.

75
 “Focusing does not simplify your life, it gives meaning and direction.”
~ David Allen

2. Getting into "the zone" is the first step towards

productivity

To manage your tasks effectively and systematically, you need to get into
"the zone." This is a state that empties your mind and allows you to make
progress. You could compare this to a mindset used in karate, called
"mind like water."

When you're in this state, your mind is ready to accept anything, but it
refuses to overthink, under-react, or even overreact to anything. Instead,
it simply takes what comes its way, deals with it, and returns to a calm
state. David Allen gives the example of throwing a stone into a body of
water. The stone makes a splash, the water ripples a little, and then it
goes back to a calm, almost motionless state. This is "the zone," and that
is how you need your mind to be.

A calm mind allows you to process information more clearly. A cluttered

mind will simply keep you stuck.

Put simply, if you allow yourself to either under or overreact to anything, it

will quickly take control of your very being. By being more like the body of
water we just mentioned, you're free to handle anything that comes your
way.

Part of getting into "the zone" is clearing your mind. Whenever you have
several tasks tugging at your attention, it's impossible to think clearly. This
is often down to commitments that have not yet been completed,
messages that haven't been returned, half-done jobs, or responsibilities

76
 you've accepted that you know you don't have the time for. These are
called "open loops," and they destroy your productivity.

The key to closing these loops is to collect information on everything you

need to do and systematically work out a plan to complete it all at the
correct time. This is your workflow, and David Allen explains how to
organize your personalized workflow in the next section.

“Your ability to generate power is directly proportional to your ability to

relax.” ~ David Allen

To clear your mind and focus, you simply need to acknowledge the
commitment, work out what action needs to be performed to complete it,
and then plan a specific and timely slot to do it. By doing this, you're
avoiding a backlog of tasks to build up in your mind, writing everything
down, and regularly collecting your tasks into your workflow system. The
result? More time to spend with loved ones and, of course, on yourself!

A careful home and work-life balance are critical for health and happiness.

3. Take control of your workflow by introducing categories

If you want to control your workflow, you first need to clear your mind and
collect all your tasks into one place. To do that, you need to establish your
workflow.

There are five main stages of creating your personalized workflow:

● Collect your tasks, i.e., write down the tasks you need to do or
anything nagging away in your mind.

● Work out what these tasks are, what they mean, and what you need

77
 to do about them.

● Organize tasks one by one.

● Regularly review your system to ensure everything is done at the

right time.

● Perform tasks according to the schedule you've set up.

A workflow allows you to see the way forward for every specific task.
Without this, you run the risk of procrastinating.

When performing tasks, you have three options: do, delegate, or defer. If
you choose to do a task, it should be because it will take less than two
minutes to complete. Defer means you decide on a particular time in the
future to complete the task, not that you simply put it back into your in-tray
and forget about it. Delegated tasks will take longer than two minutes and
may be better performed by someone else with more time or specific skills
to complete the job. Looking at a task and breaking it down into more
minor points will help. Does this job need specific skills to complete it?
How long will it take? How much work do you already have planned, and
do you have the time and energy at the moment to complete it to the best
of your ability? How important is it timewise? From there, you can make a
sensible choice over whether to do it yourself, ask someone else to do it
for you, or plan it for a later time, provided it's not an urgent task.

“The most experienced planner in the world is your brain.” ~ David Allen

78
 4. Take the time to establish your workflow properly to
ensure efficiency

To get all your tasks out of your mind, onto paper, and organized into a
flow, you need a space to do it and the tools to complete it all. As
mentioned before, David Allen suggests two days to establish your flow.
By dedicating this amount of time, you're cutting down on stress because
your mind will be totally clear. You also need somewhere to do all of this,
which will be your working hub from this point onward. Identify that space
before you begin.

Investing the time you need to organize your workspace and system
means a clearer road ahead.

You then need to collect all the tools to get started. Suggestions for these
are:

● In-trays, e.g., trays that comfortably hold A4 sized paper

● A supply of paper for making notes

● Pens and pencils

● Sticky notes

● Paper clips

● A stapler and spare staples

● Rubber bands

● Labeling machine, or tape if you want to create your own

● Filing folders

● A calendar

79
 ● Rubbish basket

Next, you need to organize your filing systems, and it's best to have just
one organized in a way that makes sense to you. Most people use an
alphabetical system, and it should be cleaned out at least once every year
to ensure you're not holding onto things you don't need. You should also
make sure that your filing system is never more than three quarters to
capacity, so you can easily find items.

Your filing system should never be a dumping ground for things you don't
know what to do with. Organize it and use it carefully.

Did you know? The Pomodoro Method is one of the most popular time
management methods and helps you to break large chunks of time up into
smaller, more manageable periods.

5. The art of regular check-ins keeps your system tidy

It's no good organizing all your tasks into your system if you don't check
your flow and continue to make progress regularly. Regular check-ins can
be as big or small as you like and can even be a few minutes every day,
just checking things over and making quick actions whenever necessary.

David Allen suggests a weekly check-in as a review session on what

needs to be done next. First, look at your calendar and your list of
subsequent actions to give you information on what is next to complete.
After that, clear your mind of any other tasks or ideas and include those
into your workflow, i.e., identifying what they are, what needs to be done,
and incorporating them into the correct section.

80
 The basic idea is to review your tasks, move them to the next stage, delete
what has been done, and process new tasks and ideas. Doing this
continually will help clear your mind, allow tasks to be done on time, and
effectively cut you free from the stress holding you back.

Tasks should continually move through your established workflow. When

something doesn't move, it needs to be addressed.

One of the most common situations is that you have organized your
workflow, you're happy, feeling uplifted, making progress, and then an
urgent task comes your way and throws your flow out of whack. This is
normal and happens to everyone on a very regular basis. The key is not
to panic.

Anxiety can quickly set in when you're forced to focus on an urgent task,
and you start to think about all the things sitting in your in-tray, not being
done. For this exact reason, regular reviews are to re-adjust your workflow
and amend timescales and actions that were not done because of urgent
tasks. You must focus on the urgent task, there is no way around it, but
you should always remain calm and simply re-adjust.

Urgent tasks will always pop up. Learn to embrace the challenge rather
than allowing them to throw you off track.

6. Grab the benefits of being in "the zone" and make more

time for yourself

Arranging your work into this particular type of flow means that nothing is
forgotten, you're free to come up with new ideas and have spare time to
spend with loved ones, and you're also making slow and steady progress
through your projects, whatever they may be.

81
 This means you're also making progress through your “one day” or
“maybe” lists, getting you closer to your goals in life.

It's a good idea to keep a pen and paper close at hand, so you can scribble
things down when they pop into your mind.

Being in "the zone" has many benefits, but you'll feel more positive and
uplifted, for sure. This happens not because you're taking on too much or
making too many agreements to yourself, but because you have to break
them because you just don't have the time, or you simply procrastinated
a bit too much.

If you find yourself making too many agreements, e.g., saying "yes" a little
too often, you can try to say "yes" less, do what you've agreed to do, and
enjoy the feeling of completion, or you can renegotiate the timeline.

Remember, creating a workflow such as this doesn't mean your mind will
ever be completely empty. Still, it does mean that you're firmly in "the
zone," therefore giving yourself more space mentally and emotionally.
You'll feel more empowered, more confident, and more able to conquer
your goals. Nobody is ever wholly organized and never worries about the
tasks they need to do. Still, the difference between being in the zone and
out of it is that you feel confident that you can overcome any challenge
that arises.

Commit to being organized from this point onward and notice your stress
levels decline dramatically.

82
 Conclusion

Learning to organize your workflow and cut out stress has countless
benefits, but especially for your mental health above all else. You'll
certainly feel freer, and you'll have more time to do the things you never
had time for in the past. Life is too short to be stressed about your to-do
list constantly, and it's simply about being systematic and organizing your
workflow in a better way.

The number one problem that holds most people back regarding time
management is the temptation to either multitask or procrastinate,
perhaps even both. Neither will get you very far. Having a positive
approach towards every task that comes your way means that you'll be
able to organize it properly and get it done on time.

Of course, that also means that you need to set some time aside to get
your work situation on track. This is not time wasted; it will pay you back
tenfold in a short amount of time. Then, you'll notice that you not only have
more time to spend with your loved ones, but you'll be more confident
about your ability to get things done.

A long to-do list can be a challenge in a good way. It doesn't have to be

something that causes an undue amount of stress. Tasks can push you
to work harder and learn new skills, but when you're snowed under with a
ridiculous number of items on your to-do list, it's hard to see the woods for
the trees. Getting things done effectively is more than just working all the
time. It means being productive and enjoying the process at the same
time.

83
 Try this:

● Empty your mind right now, and write a list of all the things you need
to do—how good does it feel to have less rattling around in your
head?

● Set aside two days in your schedule and aim to establish your
workflow; the intention is half of the deal!

● Make a commitment to yourself to establish a flow and be far more

in control of your life.

84
 You Are a Badass at

Making Money:

Master the Mindset of Wealth

Jen Sincero

Read to boost:
Financial literacy

Career

Self-sufficiency

Tenacity

What’s in there for me?

Thereʼs nothing wrong with a healthy desire to be rich. Jen Sincero, a
writer, motivational speaker, and success coach, believes that money is just
a neutral tool. It is energetic and has value only to the extent to which you
put it to use. You Are a Badass at Making Money will give you practical
steps to uncover your purpose for living and teach you how to get rich, not
just for the sake of it, but for living a purposeful life.

To become rich, you don’t
need to dive into endless
work hours, but think first
what kind of work will make
you wealthy.
“Money is only a tool. It will take you
wherever you wish, but it will not
replace you as the driver.”

GO!

and get it

85 in 15-min!
 1. Define your own path to riches

The people around you will tell you what you should and shouldn't want,
no matter how you feel about it. If you don't have a mind of your own, you
will find yourself pandering to their opinions and staying stuck in a rut for
years — or a lifetime.

Everybody arrives on the planet with unique desires, gifts, and talents. As
you journey through life, your job is to find out what yours are, to nurture
and cause them to bloom into the most authentic version of yourself. To
do this, you must be “rich” — able to afford all the things and the
experiences that you require to fully actualize your most authentic life.

Money is the energy that will help you discover your talents and realize
your desires.

No one, and that includes you, is exempt from getting rich. You live in a
world where nearly everything involved in your growth, happiness, and
self-expression costs money. All you need to do is get a clear handle on
what you want in life, especially when many opinions exist freely.

Focus on what's true and what matters to you, and you get to know that
by being intuitive, listening to your heart and following through with what
brings you happiness.

This summary will challenge you to:

● reevaluate your mindset and tailor it to your actual needs

● discover the misconceptions you have about money and get rid of
them

● make decisions and implement them

86
 The most valuable part of this tidbit is beyond just making money. Jen
Sincero uses wealth as a strategy to help you become a better version of
yourself.

2. Master your wealth mindset

When it comes to the area of transforming your experiences, what you

hold in your heart is far more valid than any “external” truth. So, if you
believe money is evil and difficult to make, that is what your experience
will be. Your external world mirrors your internal world. This is why you
need to constantly master your mindset by watching the thoughts that you
allow in your mind and the words that you speak with your mouth.

Your realities are make-believe. Whatever you make yourself believe, you
experience.

Your beliefs come from your subconscious mind. At your birth, it is blank.
As you grow, it internalizes as the "truth" all of the attitudes and beliefs
about money it learns from family and friends, primarily. All of this occurs
before your conscious mind can develop to a stage where it can filter
what's true.

Your thoughts inspire the emotions that influence the actions forming your
reality. They are important because your emotions act as catalysts and
drive you in ways that not even wisdom, logic, fear, or doubt will. Strong,
positive emotions will have no respect for fears or limitations.

Your words back up your thoughts and your beliefs.

87
 You master your mindset when you get all three — your beliefs, your
thoughts, and your words to work together in a harmonious whole to
create the financial reality you want.

3. Money is energetic

There is an ever-present risk of you stumbling through life on autopilot if

you don't control your words, thoughts, and beliefs. In order to do this,
become aware of what you say, think, and believe. We use money every
day in exchange for goods or services. For this reason, your feelings about
money need to be as clear as daylight.

Money is an exchange medium, a unit of measurement used in the act of

giving and receiving. Contrary to what many believe, money is neither
good nor evil. It is a messenger of value, always minding its business.
How you use it gives it its personality.

“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not
replace you as the driver.” ~ Ayn Rand

Money derives its value from the energy you give to it. For example, the
$50 that you earned doesn't have the same energy as the $50 that was
stolen from someone's pocket on the subway. Your job is to have your
frequency aligned with the money you want and open yourself to receiving
it. This will happen when you are clear on the value of the product or
service you are offering, and you are excited and grateful for receiving
money for it, instead of feeling weird and embarrassed.

Giving and receiving money is an energetic exchange between people.

88
 Also, money comes to you, not just from other people, but from Universal
Intelligence. Jen Sincero reassures us that we are already familiar with it.
For some, Universal Intelligence is God, for others — the Higher Spirit.
Whatever we call it, its essence stays the same: it is always bigger and
mightier than us, but it also has our back. This makes your thoughts very
important because this is how you connect with Universal Intelligence.

Focus on:

● your desire to have a specific quantity of money for a certain

purpose

● your excitement to share something of value with others

These practices will help you obtain the money you want.

4. Bust your subconscious money-limiting beliefs

Your subconscious beliefs limit how much money you think you can have.
Just switching your thoughts from “there's no way I can get that amount
of money together” to “there must be a way to get that amount of money”
will help you unearth any money-repelling misconceptions you have. Then
you will be able to question, defuse, and rewrite them, acquiring the
strength to grow.

If you believe that money is dirty, you will never make it.

There are four ways to do this:

Step one

Face your money fears. Figure out something scary, uncomfortable; a

giant leap towards your goal of getting rich, and do it. For example, deposit

89
 for the rent for the office space you require for your spanking new
business.

Step two

Watch your mouth. Say good things about your Universal Intelligence
given the ability to make money. Those words will spring up positive
thoughts and feelings. The thoughts are your superhighways to the
spiritual world and Universal Intelligence.

Step three

Speak only when necessary. True, personal wisdom grows out of

moments of silent contemplation. You will be able to make more powerful
choices, catch yourself in the moment, and ask yourself your motive for
saying what you are about to say.

Step four

See yourself as having a friendly relationship with money.

Did you know? Invited to the Oprah Winfrey Show a while ago, Jim Carrey
revealed that he used his mental mightiness to attract money
($10,000,000), fame, and success.

5. In your heart of hearts, desire to make money

To become rich, connect to your desire for money with passion. Being
clear on your purpose for seeking riches will help. Wishing to be rich on
its own is not enough. There has to be meaning behind the money, or else
you will slip into complacency the moment you encounter any difficulty.

90
 Monitor the emotions surrounding your incentive for making money
because they will prompt you to action.

The following are four things you need to do to be fired up and clear about
why making money is essential to you:

One

Be specific. You need to have a blazing desire to create a new financial

reality. Remember that money has no character, so be crystal clear about
what the money you want is for.

Two

Align with the most authentic version of yourself. When you go against
who you are, you get stressed up, your progress slows, and you blame
yourself for the crappy results you get. However, if you listen to your heart
and connect with who you are, you have the energy required to make
things happen. Inspired, brilliant ideas will come to you as you attain a
state of flow with Universal Intelligence. In that state, everyday challenges
will be nothing more than learning experiences for you.

Three

Don't settle for "either-or," go for "and." Our society thrives on fear. It wants
you to limit yourself rather than stretch, love or make money, be a good
person or a rich one, go on vacation or pay your car loan. Go for the "and"
life. Do what you love and make money. Expand and grow.

Four

Be wide open to positive intervention by Universal Intelligence. Your only

jobs are to visualize your life as you specifically want it to be, get positively

91
 emotional and inspired to take action. Then leave the rest for Universal
Intelligence to work out on your behalf.

6. Your mental money makeover

Your thoughts create your financial reality, and you have a choice of what
you want to think about.

There are five things you need to do to master the mindset of wealth:

● get clear on what you desire

● hold that vision in your mind with a resolve to make it real

● fall in love with your idea so that any self-limiting subconscious

beliefs can't stop you

● have faith that it's already yours

● take purposeful action

Universal Intelligence is listening to your thoughts, ready to take them as

working orders and help you create the reality you envision.

In order to shift your financial reality, you need to control your thoughts
and actions. Don't complain. You can either have your excuses or your
success. But not both.

To control your thoughts and get wealthy beyond your imagination, do four
things.

First, focus on positives. It will raise your frequency, help you change your
life, and see the things you haven’t noticed before. For example, the

92
 money making opportunities, the people who can help you, and the ability
to visualize a bigger life for yourself.

Secondly, work on ramping up your emotions. Your positive thoughts are

able to access their superhero powers to create new expansive beliefs,
fearless actions, and exciting new realities only through positive emotions.

Your emotions are the motivating kicks in your butt — they alert your body
to the fact that it's time to take action and make a thought a physical reality.

The third step is to imagine. Through your imagination, you are able to
play with the infinite possibilities available to you. You will become a
different person — the one who creates whatever you set your mind on,
instead of settling for what you can get.

Finally, be determined. The universe will always send you what you need.
It wants you to succeed, grow, and shine, but the cross is yours to carry.
The outcomes you get depend directly on how determined you are.

When you make the decision to be rich, you have to be ruthless with
yourself. Now, you are not only growing a new money making mindset,
you are also battling your limiting subconscious beliefs about money that
you've probably not faced before.

7. Without faith, there will be no gratitude

Faith is the part of you that believes in the miracle of an unproven

awesome reality that lies within your grasp. It is the rocket that you ride
into uncharted territory in your wildest dreams. Without your faith, the life
that you are determined to create will never be.

93
 Taking a leap of faith is a win-win. You go big and take scary action steps
to change your financial situation. If you nail it, good for you; if you don't,
good for you too — you will learn lessons. That's much better than staying
stuck inside your comfort zone.

Your faith is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.

Gratitude puts you in close contact with Universal Intelligence because by

being filled with gratitude, you are tuning in your frequency to that of the
Universe. You are matching the universe's energy of giving with your
energy of gratitude, and this high-frequency response will open you up to
receive more gifts from the Universe.

“Gratitude gets you out of the loop of lowness, opens you to new
possibilities, and sets you free.” ~ Jen Sincero

If, for instance, you are feeling frustrated and upset by your lack of income,
be grateful. Remember, money is energy. When you switch into gratitude
mode and focus on feeling grateful for all you have and all that is coming
your way, even if there isn't any money anywhere in sight at the moment,
you strengthen your faith that the money will be there for you and align
yourself energetically with this belief. Soon enough, you will start
manifesting the very things and opportunities you are grateful for.

8. Teach yourself to take decisive action

If you are serious about getting rich enough to live your life to its fullest
potential, you need to decide to do it with the tenacity of a person facing
life-threatening and unbeatable odds. You don't come up with the usual
excuses the moment the slightest challenge comes up. You have to

94
 decide that, for you, there is no plan B. If you have a backup plan, you
haven't made a decision. Yet.

From its Latin roots, the word “decide” translates to “cut off,” meaning you
do away with all other options and stay committed to the decision alone.
The reason you probably panic is that you fear you will miss out on all the
other cool things you want to do. The truth is you can't do anything if you
try to do everything. When you fragment your time and focus over a lot of
things, you are bound to fail at your goal of getting rich.

We are often afraid to decide because it will eliminate all other prior
existing possibilities.

Figure out how you are going to get rich and make the no-nonsense
decision to keep going until you reach your goal. Eventually, you will find
that you will get to do all the other things you couldn't do while you were
busy sticking by your decision to get rich.

A firm decision sets your mindset and actions in motion and also alerts
Universal Intelligence that you are good to go. Everything you need —
opportunities, ideas, people, and things — will start moving in your
direction. One good life-changing idea can pop up into your subconscious,
seemingly out of nowhere and change your life.

9. Surround yourself with high-frequency people

Your environment shapes everything about you — from your drinking

habits to how you dress and your financial situations. The longer you
immerse yourself in certain surroundings, the more influence they have
over you.

95
 The rule is no different when it comes to money. Who and what you
surround yourself with has a telling effect on how you perceive it and what
you feel about it. Your environment shapes your thoughts about what is
cheap or not, what purchase is wise or not, and how much income you
will allow yourself to make. In fact, your income level is the average of the
incomes of the TOP-5 people you hang out with the most.

Without giving it a thought, you accept your environment is the "reality,"

what the normal in life looks like. Thus, it is important, when you decide to
upgrade your income and standard of living, to put yourself in the new
environment you are intent on creating for yourself. It will jar you out of
your set ways of thinking, believing, and being. Also, it will give the new
environment an opportunity to start becoming your new idea of normal.
So, window shop in the stores you fancy but can't afford now; walk through
neighborhoods where you hope, one day, to buy a house; go test-drive
that dream car of yours.

Our environment shapes our perception of reality, so be conscious of the

people you surround yourself with.

And if your physical surrounding depresses you, spruce it up to your ideal

surrounding the best way you can:

● put a fresh coat of paint on the walls

● get the windows cleaned out

● hang up pictures of your favorite places on earth

● put some plants into your space

Let the clothes you wear, the food you eat, the music you listen to
contribute to your joy. Let the people around you be high-frequency ones,

96
 the type that would cheer you on and support you. For the others, let them
go. Your high-frequency friends will boost your energy, strengthen your
faith, make you up to your game and mightier. Plus, they will celebrate
who you are.

10. Harder work doesn't pay

There's a way you act around money when you are broke. You tend to
hold on to the unhealthy relationships you have with money, reluctant to
peel off the layers of money-limiting beliefs. They lie dormant in your
subconscious because you are afraid of what you will find beneath —
maybe guilt for wanting to get rich or investment opportunities you blew.
You can end the torture by taking the time and effort required to untangle
these beliefs. Attempting to avoid or ignore them will only constantly
backfire on you.

The average Jane spends more time in her life figuring out the perfect
angle to take a selfie than she does figuring out what she really wants out
of life, what it will cost her, and how she ought to increase her income to
make it happen.

To become rich, you don’t need to dive into endless work hours, but think
first what kind of work will make you wealthy.

Society teaches you to work harder because money will somehow come
if you put in more work. That is not true. Rich people don't make their
wealth working themselves to the bone. Instead, focus on the quantity of
money that you desire and what you need to do differently so you can
earn it. You are more likely to succeed that way. Something about what
you do has to transform if you need to change your financial situation. It

97
 could be setting up a new business. It could be taking on a new job you
don't fancy but could be the ideal stepping stone for you. You cannot play
it safe if you want to be rich. You need to play to win instead of playing not
to lose.

Conclusion

Getting rich is very easy. There are only some things that you need to do
to hit the goldmine of your life. Even if you weren’t born with a silver spoon
in your mouth, you can become rich by changing your mindset regarding
money.

Begin first by being clear on the reason you desire your riches and then
determine how much “rich” is to you. No one can have everything, and no
one needs to. Next, decide what you should do or change about what you
are doing right now to earn your riches. Perhaps, you have some
dangerous misconceptions or prejudice against money or the kind of
relationship you can have with it. Carefully examine your mind to detect
and eliminate them. Many people tend to underestimate the influence our
thoughts have on the external reality, and that is why no matter how hard
they work, they still cannot achieve the level of wealth they desire.

And while you are on your journey, have the right mindset about money.
Create and maintain a healthy relationship with it. Vibrate at a frequency
high enough to begin to attract to yourself the opportunities, the people,
and the resources that will help you along your path. Connect with
Universal Intelligence. It is in the business of bestowing gifts on
humankind.

98
 You will be rich beyond your wildest imagination. A welcome side-effect
of that can be a boosted level of self-confidence and trust in your strength.
Once you manage to overcome yourself, money will no longer be an issue.

Try this:

● Pick up your journal and describe in detail the authentic life you
desire. What amount of money will get you there? What would you
do or change about what you are doing presently to get you there?

● Is your wealth mindset in top shape? Do your beliefs, thoughts, and

words align with the authentic life you dream about? If they donʼt,
what are you doing about it?

● Write out three areas of your financial life where you opted for the
“either-or” life. Now write out how you would transit from the “either-
or” life to the “and” life in these areas.

99
 Do the Work:

Overcome Resistance and

Get Out of Your Own Way

Steven Pressfield

Read to boost:
Promptitude

Task management

Setting goals

Mental involvement

What’s in there for me?

Do you often get swept away by the seemingly uncontrollable waves of
procrastination? Are you often waylaid by resistance that stops you from
reaching your goals? Good news, help is near. Author Stephen Pressfield
reaches out to let you know that you can conquer these limitations. Do The
Work teaches how to set aside distractions of all kinds, focus on your work,
and get it done.

Stubbornness works better “Whatever you can do or dream you

than perseverance. When can, begin it. Boldness has genius,
we are stubborn, the idea of power and magic in it.”
quitting doesn’t appeal to us.

GO!

and get it

100 in 15-min!
 1. Move through daily resistance

Achieving success is not an easy feat. There are so many odds working
not to let that happen. And right in the middle of these limitations stands
resistance. Resistance is what prevents us from getting our work done. It
is a negative repelling force that aims to shove us away, distract us, and
ultimately prevent us from doing our work.

Resistance is the mother of procrastination. It is what makes us

procrastinate on work, even though it is very important. Resistance is a
force to reckon with, it is the enemy and we must do our best to fight it off
so as to lead productive lives.

Alongside resistance, rational thought, friends, and family also stand in

the way of one’s progress.

Many forces stop you from doing a lot of things but these forces can only
have power over anyone who lets them. Anybody — and everybody —
can successfully take on their work, and even move on to bigger projects.
The question is, “How?” This summary — designed to show the way out
of the webs of the many forces of failure — provides an answer to that
question. It teaches us that nobody has to be a prisoner to failure by taking
us through overcoming it.

2. Resistance and other forces often stand in the way of our

work

As creatives, artists, and entrepreneurs, we are faced daily with

distractions that often tempt us from doing a swift and efficient job. As a

101
 matter of fact, all humans are riddled with this problem. These forces often
come in different forms, the first of which is resistance.

“Resistance is a repelling force. It’s negative. It’s aim is to shove us away,

distract us, prevent us from doing our work.” ~ Steven Pressfield

Resistance is one monster that stops one from doing the needful. It usually
comes in the form of fear, self-doubt, procrastination, addiction,
distraction, timidity, narcissism, self-loathing, and perfectionism. Acts that
elicit resistance are acts that reject immediate gratification in favor of long-
term growth, health, or integrity. They are acts that derive from our higher
nature instead of our lower. Examples of those acts include the pursuit of
any calling in writing, painting, music, film, dance, or any creative art,
however marginal or conventional, the launching of any entrepreneurial
venture or enterprise for profit or otherwise, any diet or regimen, any
program of spiritual advancement and education of every kind.

The characteristics of resistance are:

● Resistance is invisible: it can’t be seen but can only be felt as an

energy field radiating from a work-in-potential

● Resistance is impersonal: it is a force of nature; it acts objectively.

● Resistance is insidious: It will perjure, fabricate, seduce, bully and

cajole…anything to keep you from doing your work.

● Resistance is infallible: Resistance never fails. It always succeeds

in getting into your head.

● Resistance is universal: Everyone experiences resistance.

● Resistance never sleeps: It’s a battle that has to be fought anew

everyday

102
 ● Resistance plays for keeps: Its goal is not to wound or disable;
resistance aims to kill.

Next to resistance, rational thought is also an enemy to creatives.

Sometimes, we make mistakes by accommodating rational thoughts. We

think they are helpful but only bad things happen because these thoughts
come from the ego. You should instead work from the self; from instinct
and intuition. Friends and family sometimes stand in the way of our
productivity and quest for change. This is because these loved ones know
us as we are and invested in maintaining us just as we are.

3. There are a few factors that encourage us to get our work

done

The odds aren’t completely against us. We do have these factors on our
side:

● Stupidity: In very rare cases such as this, it does help to be clueless.

A creative must be ignorant enough to have no idea of how difficult
a job is going to be and yet cocky enough to pull it off anyway. The
only way to achieve this state of mind is by being — and staying
stupid. Don’t think! Just act!

● Stubbornness: While committed to an action, we often get tempted

to stop. The one thing that keeps us from stopping is a great deal of
strong-will.

Stubbornness works better than perseverance. When we are stubborn,

the idea of quitting doesn’t appeal to us.

● Blind Faith: There is a spiritual element to creativity. It does help

103
 greatly to believe in something we cannot see, hear, touch, taste or
feel. And even though resistance seeks to rattle that faith, we must
not let it.

● Passion: Passion makes us geniuses at whatever we do.

Sometimes, fear overshadows the passion in us so that we are
made to believe we lost it. This isn’t true. When we conquer our
innate fears, we discover a boundless well of passion.

● Assistance: Assistance is the universal, immutable force of creative

manifestation, whose role is to translate potential into being, to
convert dreams into reality.

● Friend and family: At the end of the day, when art, inspiration,
success, fame and money have come and gone, who remains?
Family.

4. Start before you’re even ready

Our enemy is not lack of preparation nor is it the difficulty of the project.
The enemy is our chattering brain, which, if we give it even the littlest
chance, will start producing excuses, alibis, and a million reasons why we
can’t or won’t, or shouldn’t do what we know we need to do. Therefore,
we need to start before we’re even ready because truth is, we never can
be fully ready. So, we might as well begin now.

It is also important not to get caught in the web of seeking too much
research. While research is important, we must not go over the line as
research can become resistance, if prolonged. Just a short research, no
underlining, no highlighting, no thinking or talking about the documents
later. Let the ideas percolate.

104
 Let the unconscious do its work. After plunging into action, there is always
time to come back and do serious and heavy-duty research.

The creative art thrives on primitivity. Conception usually begins at the

primal level.

Indeed, it is better to be primitive than to be sophisticated; better to be

stupid than to be smart. If you and I want to do great stuff, we can’t let
ourselves work small with hesitance. We have to swing for the seats from
the start or we’ll never be able to achieve great feats.

The lesson is simple. Don’t think. Don’t over-prepare. Don’t let research
become resistance. Don't make the mistake of paying attention to those
rambling, disjointed images, and notions that drift across the movie screen
of your mind. Instead of spending six months compiling a thousand-page
tome detailing the emotional matrix and family history of every character
in your book, outline it fast. Do it quick, and on instinct. And whenever
you’re in doubt and about to give up, look at what you’ve accomplished
already and let it drive you to do even more.

We always think that if we practice enough, we’ll be perfect; so perfect

that we won’t ever have problems with our work in the future. This isn’t in
any way true. It is okay to be worried or afraid but you have to know not
to stop when this feeling of fear seeps in. When you’re afraid, don’t stop.
That is the true test of your strength.

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius,
power and magic in it.” ~ Steven Pressfield

105
 5. Resistance is a force to reckon with when it comes to
working toward our goal

One thing we should never do is to take resistance lightly, to

underestimate it or fail to take it into account. We must acknowledge and
respect resistance, accepting that even though we can never eliminate it,
we can outsmart it. By enlisting allies that are as powerful as it is, we can
outsmart resistance.

Just understand the power of momentum. Don’t worry about quality. Act,
don’t reflect. Don’t stop, don’t look down, don’t think. Momentum is
everything. Bury your inner critic and set forth without fear and without
self-censorship. Just make sure you get something done, however flawed
or imperfect.

It is also important to understand that ideas do not come linearly. The logic
of ideas isn’t rational. We may get the middle before the end, or get the
end before the beginning. Rather than resist, be ready for it. You can make
it work for you by recording ideas the minute they come to you. Keep a
pocket tape recorder or even a notepad. Recording ideas can be very
helpful as you will have something to turn to for reference when you forget.

Nothing gives more relief than turning on the recorder and hearing your
voice telling you a fantastic idea that you’ve completely forgotten you had.

The writing/composing/idea generational process progresses in two

stages; action and reflection. In writing, action means putting words on
paper while reflection means evaluating what we have on paper. Our job
is not to control the idea that comes to us; our job is to figure out what our
idea is (and wants to be) and then, bring it into being. Our job is to tune in

106
 to that frequency and find the idea. Ignore every doubtful thought and birth
the idea anyway.

Did you know? Communism, fascism, along with other ideologies evolved
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

6. Master the seven principles of resistance

To get to the other side, you need to master 7 principles of resistance:

● There is an enemy: Society tries to brainwash us into thinking that

there is no such thing as evil. Humans generally have been
conditioned to think that the darkness that we see in the world and
feel in our own hearts is only an illusion. This isn’t true. There is an
enemy. There is an active malign force working against us.
Recognition of this fact is the first step to getting to the other side.

● This enemy is implacable: This hostile malicious force is not a joke.

It is relentless and not to be taken lightly. It is like cancer and it seeks
to kill. Know that the enemy is intelligent, protean, inextinguishable,
relentless, ruthless and destructive.

● This enemy is inside you: Resistance is not a peripheral opponent.

It does not arise from rivals or bosses or terrorists or political
adversaries. It comes from us. The enemy is inside of you and me.

● The enemy is inside you but it is not you: You are not responsible
for the voices of resistance you hear in your head. It is not you. You
have done absolutely nothing wrong.

No moral judgment is attached to the presence of resistance in one’s

head. We all have resistance the same way we have a heartbeat.

107
 ● The “real you” must duel the “resistance you”: Look at it this way —
you are the knight and resistance is the dragon. You can’t be nice
to the dragon neither can you try to negotiate with it. Battle is the
only way.

● Resistance arises second: Before resistance comes idea. This

means that before the dragon of resistance reared its ugly head and
breathed fire into our faces, there existed within us a force so potent
and life-affirming that it summoned this beast into being, perversely,
to combat it. The urge to act came first. That urge is love; love for
the material, love for the work, love for our brothers and sisters to
whom we will offer our work as a gift. This love is our higher nature.
It surely helps to remember her and hang onto her in the face of
resistance.

● The opposite of resistance is assistance: This seventh principle

provides that we can align ourselves with the universal forces of
assistance — the dream and passion to make manifest the
unmanifest —and ride them into battle against the dragon.

Another weapon needed to combat the enemy called resistance are these
two tests. When in doubt, ask yourself these two questions:

● How bad do I want it?

● Why do I want it?

By the time you answer these questions, you must have found a way to
reenergize yourself and take on the task.

108
 7. Do not let fear overcome you

A lot of people are caught in the web of fear. We often fear success so
much, we stay away from things that will pave the road to our success.
This is resistance’s primary game.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that
we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that
most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small
does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so
that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to
shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God
that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we
make ourlights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to
do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence
automatically liberates others.” ~ Marriane Williamson

Resistance permeates every aspect of our lives and poisons them in ways
we’re either blind to or in denial about. The trick is in making us feel
exposed and naked. Resistance makes us feel exposed and manipulates
us into thinking that when we open up, we’ll be judged. Now, nobody
wants to be judged or rejected so we get scared. We get so scared and
we let the fear overcome the importance of the work at hand. We do not
do the work. Resistance wins.

The fear of success is the true essence of resistance.

Do not allow this. Beat resistance to its game and you’re free because
once you’ve beaten it once, you know you can beat it again. Finish
something for once and you’ll find that you’ll never find too much trouble
finishing it again. Yes, you read right. If you can do it once, you can do it

109
 again. You should be proud of yourself. It doesn’t matter if you fail with a
project along the way, it doesn’t matter if you fail a million times. What
matters is you have conquered the enemy and by so doing, you have
created a new life. You become different and pulling off tasks becomes
much easier.

However, do not let your guard down. Remember, resistance never

completely disappears. Sooner or later, you’ll hear its voice in your head.
So, be prepared. And when resistance rears its head again. Remember
how you did it the last time and pull out your tricks once again.

Conclusion

You are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. Are you going to
sit back and watch the swift passage of time? Or are you going to take
matters into your hands? Are you going to let resistance throw you off
track? Or are you going to put fear aside and do the work?

This summary is a reminder that there is an artist within you. An amazing

one. And you must encourage that artist to do the work. Regardless of
anything that is going on, you must remain focused on your goals. There
is a force aiming to shove you away, distract you, and prevent you from
doing your work. Do all you can to make sure that force doesn’t win. Your
success depends on it.

One thing successful people have in common is drive. They take on tasks
with all the energy they can pull. They don’t listen to the whispers of
resistance in their head. They just act. You should train yourself to be like
that.

110
 Whatever project you have been stalling on, pick it up and start working
on it right now. Start with the shaky idea you’ve got. There is always time
to make adjustments and corrections. Start again before you’re ready,
beat resistance and finish the work. Then, give yourself a standing
ovation. You did it. And you can do it again. So, get back to work, begin
the next one, stay stupid, trust the soup, start before you’re ready and
don’t forget to just do it.

Try this:

Be too dumb to quit. Let your stupidity push you to keep doing the work.
Don’t think. Just do it!

111
 Why We Sleep:

Unlocking the Power

of Sleep and Dreams

Matthew Walker

Read to boost:
Health

Stress relief

Self-care

Sleep quality

What’s in there for me?

Matthew Walker, Ph.D., is a scientist and professor of neuroscience and
psychology. Steve West is an award-winning English voice actor. Together,
they shed light on a topic that promises to challenge you to lead a healthier
lifestyle. Why We Sleep is the culmination of many years of research on
sleep and sleep therapy. It answers all your questions about sleep and
helps you understand why you need to get more of it.

The consequences of sleep “An all-round reduction in quality of

loss in the form of insomnia life is the result of sleep
are hypertension, anxiety, deprivation.”
cardiac failure, and great
stress.

GO!

and get it

112 in 15-min!
 1. Sleep is one of the most important determining factors of
your body’s health

You probably read this topic thinking you already know what sleep is, but
when is the last time you slept for 8 straight hours? If this question makes
you cringe, don’t feel bad, a lot of adults don’t get a lot of sleep. There’s a
growing “sleep shortage” in the larger population of adults, which is why
many people are tired and sick.

People in modern society often push sleep aside for the “more important
things,” but what can be more important than sleep? In the next few
chapters of this tidbit, you will understand why sleep is necessary for a
balanced life.

Tons of accidents are actually a result of a fatigued driver at the wheel;

even cases of Alzheimer’s have been attributed to a decline in individuals’
sleep.

The Earth runs on a 24-hour rhythm, and our brains have a sleep clock,
which forms the circadian rhythm that syncs with the 24 hours of the day.
This feat is achieved by a part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic
nucleus. This cluster of neurons is located atop the eyes and relay light
from the sun at sunrise and the dimming at sunset. Walker’s research
showed that without the sun’s light to prompt the brain, humans operate
on a clock that is slightly off from 24-hours. The circadian rhythm isn’t the
same with everyone. We’re essentially differentiated into three groups:

● Morning Larks: people who retire early to bed and wake up early the
next day. They make up 40% of the population.

● Night Owls: people who have a hard time falling asleep at night and
wake up late into the next morning.

113
 ● The In-Betweens: who can swing from being a lark to an owl,
although without their own control, they adjust to either depending
on the situation

What really happens when we feel the need to sleep? Well, it’s simple:
The suprachiasmatic nucleus sends signals to your brain in the form of a
hormone known as melatonin, which tells your brain and body it needs to
sleep.

Keep reading to understand how different hormones control our sleep

cycle, how you can get the most out of your body, and why it is important
to practice the right sleep hygiene.

Did you know? Melatonin can be used as a remedy for jet lag as it induces
sleep when you shouldn’t normally be resting.

2. There are different levels of sleep, and in these levels, the

brain does the important work of saving your memories and
dreams

There are two types or levels of sleep: NREM — non-rapid eye movement
— and REM — rapid eye movement. The former refers to a sleep type
that has long, slow, and steady brainwaves and is characterized by a non-
conscious state. While REM describes a conscious yet not awake state
that is characterized by sharp, erratic brainwaves. These two levels of
sleep occur about 90 minutes apart and are necessary for a person to
enjoy a complete sleep cycle.

REM and NREM have different functions. The role of NREM is to untangle,
unclutter the unnecessary neural pathways created during the day as you

114
 sleep. REM sleep serves the purpose of strengthening the necessary
connections and saving precious memories and learning skills.

If you don’t sleep well, it’ll be difficult for you to organize your thoughts and
emotions during day-to-day tasks.

To put you to sleep, your brain starts off by sending your body deep, slow
NREM waves that put you in a hypnotic state, and you can’t help but sleep.
After which, it sends much quicker, sharper REM waves that put you in a
wake-like state known as dreaming. Dreams cover a large variety of
experiences that might be impossible in real life. Not everyone dreams,
but it can be an interesting experience if you do.

3. As we grow older, our sleep patterns experience changes

Our sleep patterns change through our lifespan, from gestation to

adulthood and old age. When a person is a fetus, they spend a great deal
of their 24 hours in deep REM sleep due to a very important task the brain
undertakes known as synaptogenesis. Synaptogenesis refers to the
creation and development of synaptic pathways and neural networks that
will be essential for the infant when it is born. However, when it grows to
become a young child, the sleep pattern changes and becomes an erratic
struggle between deep REM and awakening, meaning the child will wake
several times during the night. This is because the brain hasn’t synced
with the Earth’s rhythm.

Many external factors prevent one from having adequate sleep, and it is
crucial to learn how to control those factors.

Moving forward to adolescence, the child starts to experience more of a

decline in REM and an increase in NREM, meaning they’d most likely

115
 sleep for much longer up until the end stage of adolescence when there
is a spike in REM sleep. All of this changes though, when you reach
adulthood, there is a much greater difficulty to fall or stay asleep, one of
the chief reasons why is a weaker bladder that keeps getting full during
the night’s sleep, thus causing you to wake to pee more often.

As you grow, many things about you change. It is up to you to identify the
patterns that make you feel good about yourself and engage in activities
that promote a healthy lifestyle.

4. When we sleep, we give the brain and the body time to

rest and heal

Sleep is good for your brain; in fact, the brain is the chief beneficiary of
sleep. Firstly, it helps the brain to unburden itself of excess unwanted
information picked up during the day. As we go through the day, our
senses pick up on so many stimuli in our environment. This can be a
conscious or unconscious process. As we sleep, we rid our brains of
excess information.

NREM sleep is responsible for freeing up space in your brain so you can
learn new things the next morning.

Secondly, sleep is very important for the conclusion of a day of learning

as it helps strengthen and establish stronger neural links and pathways
associated with the newly learned data (REM). This second benefit of
sleep also extends to increase proficiency in acquired skills like math,
open-heart surgery, riding a bike, or flying a plane.

In addition, sleep increases creativity, which is another example of REM

sleep, because when you are in deep REM, your brain recreates and

116
 replays the day’s activities and memories and whatever data you
encounter in a colorful manner. This is usually the birthplace of the most
outlandish, most creative ideas.

“Oftentimes, our dreams aren’t really one thing we saw, heard, or smelt; it
is your brain’s way of making art from the pieces you gave it.”
~ Matthew Walker

5. When we choose to lose sleep, it comes back to haunt us

in very serious ways

There are a ton of dire consequences of insufficient sleep. Just as a full

dose of sleep can be beneficial to your brain, the lack or reduction can
adversely affect the brain. A few of the ways that lack of sleep affects us
are as follows:

● High chances of car crashes come with insufficient sleep. Reports

say that fatigue-related accidents are more than alcohol or drug-
related deaths.

● Emotional irrationality is also a result of lack of sleep; rash

comments and actions will increase as you deny your brain of rest.

● Increased tiredness and forgetfulness are other symptoms of sleep

deprivation as well.

● A high risk of Alzheimer’s arises when you deny your brain the
needed sleep hours. This previously undecipherable illness has
been found to have a link to sleep or the lack thereof. Walker urges
that we take our sleep-health seriously or risk this dilapidating
condition.

117
 ● Insufficient sleep can weaken your immune system and leave you
prone to life-threatening diseases such as cancer. With your
immunity on a low, it is increasingly easier for just about anything to
crawl into your bloodstream, even something as dire as cancer.

● Heart attack cases might be associated with high cholesterol and

genetics, but Walker established through research that a chief
culprit is insufficient sleep. It actually leads to weak metabolism and
aids the buildup of unwanted food in the heart’s passageways, and
causes obesity which ultimately leads to a heart attack.

If you keep going through life without adequate sleep, your brain will slowly
deteriorate, and so will your body, and this will lead to the weakening of
your vital organs.

6. Dreams are the result of your brain playing with your

thoughts, imagination, and memories to create marvelous
new stories

Dreams are a marvelous manifestation of our thoughts and sensory

information and a result of deep REM sleep. Brilliant minds such as
Sigmund Freud theorized that dreams are a wish-fulfillment endeavor, and
according to modern science, we might be able to prove he was right or
wrong. We’ve come to learn that dreams are in fact a mixture of
logical/illogical thought processes mixed with our experiences of the day,
week, or the last three decades of our lives.

“An all-round reduction in quality of life is the result of sleep deprivation.”

~ Matthew Walker

118
 The brain alters deep NREM waves and sends deep REM instead to
initiate a dream. But how? When we enter deep REM sleep, four areas of
the brain are turned on; the part controlling visual perception, the part
responsible for movement, the part responsible for autobiographic
memory, and the part that controls emotions. These 4 parts work hand in
hand to trick your mind into believing what you see, hear, feel, and smell
are very real. This is also because the part of the brain responsible for
logical reasoning, the prefrontal cortex, will be shut down throughout.
These four zones are actually 30% more active when we dream, meaning
that to dream is to feel more awake than awake.

So what exactly happens in a dream? Sigmund Freud postulated that they

were unfulfilled wishes manifesting in disguised forms, a way to bring our
hearts desires to pass in our sleep since we can’t get them in real life. But
this theory isn’t based on science and as science has told us, the function
of dreams, or REM sleep, is to strengthen neural pathways made during
the day.

Dreams have been known to alter brain chemistry and make you feel
refreshed and better in the morning.

Dreams help to decode details of that earlier day, as mentioned in

previous chapters as a benefit of REM sleep. This breeds creativity, as
shown in a study done by Walker. Patients were made to solve puzzles
and unscramble words before and after sleeping, with one half getting
REM and the other getting NREM sleep, respectively.

Surprisingly, the group that had REM sleep was far more creative than the
one who only had NREM sleep. They were more eager to solve problems,
and they undertook tasks with little stress while their counterparts were
notably flat and uninspired.

119
 7. There are many sleep disorders and conditions, and these
can affect sleep patterns in different ways

There are various sleep disorders, medical conditions that either occur
during sleep as a result of sleep or in the hindrance of sleep. Sometimes,
these conditions are usually misdiagnosed, and a truckload of sleeping
pills is prescribed. Some of these conditions are explained as follows:

● Somnambulism: This condition refers to sleep — Somnus —

disorders that involve some form of movement — ambulation. It
encompasses conditions such as sleepwalking, sleep-talking,
sleep-eating, sleep-texting, sleep sex, and, very rarely, sleep
homicide. This is often associated with REM sleep, but it actually is
a malfunction during NREM sleep where the body experiences a jolt
of nervous experiences.

● Insomnia: this is the inability to sleep. It is often set off by either a

psychological strain or an emotional strain. It has two variations:
onset sleep insomnia and maintenance sleep insomnia. The former
refers to the inability to fall asleep, while the latter is the inability to
stay asleep, these two conditions can affect one person sadly. It
shouldn’t be confused with willful sleep deprivation; insomnia is a
very serious condition and if you know anyone who has it, take them
to a professional for help.

The consequences of sleep loss in the form of insomnia are hypertension,

anxiety, cardiac failure, and great stress.

● Narcolepsy. This is a condition that is characterized by a total

detachment from society and a nonchalant attitude towards
anything but sleep, manifesting as excessive daytime sleeping,

120
 apnea/sleep paralysis, and cataplexy. The first symptom is a state
of “sleep attacks” where the patient is forced to sleep against their
wishes regardless of where they are or what they’re doing. The
second symptom refers to the inability to move or talk when you’re
asleep; this is as a result of deep REM sleep; dreaming. Cataplexy
is a pseudo-sleep state that mimics REM sleep and leaves you
paralyzed.

● Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI): this is a genetic sleeping disorder that

is caused when there is an attack on the Thalamus. This keeps the
sensory signal awake always and keeps the patient from ever being
able to sleep.

Despite these devastating consequences of not sleeping or sleeping

enough, there is such a thing as too much sleep. The healthy amount of
sleep you need is around 6.75 to 7.2 hours. Anything higher can actually
increase and not reduce your mortality risk.

Conclusion

Sleep is as important to any living creature as oxygen. Its benefits are too
vast and profound for us to keep cheating ourselves from the chance to
get them. As we live out our days, we encounter more and more reasons
why sleep is either unimportant or inaccessible. You need to cultivate a
habit of sleeping; it can literally save your life.

Our daily lives pose a danger to our sleep-health. Some non-medical

things actively steal our sleep; a few of these modern causes of insufficient
sleep include the advent of constant electric light as well as LED light,
regularized temperature, pharmaceutical sleep treatments, caffeine,

121
 alcohol, alarms, and an early work schedule. There are so many external
factors that can ruin your sleep, but it is up to you to take note of them and
try to mitigate their effects. Eat healthy foods, set a time for sleep each
day, and try to stay away from your electronic devices when it’s bedtime.

If you feel unwell, it is best to see a doctor immediately. If you do not sleep
enough, you cannot be a good parent, spouse, or employee. Nothing
beats taking care of your health at all times.

Try this:

Take time to manage and monitor your sleep schedule and ensure that
you get at least 6.75 hours of unassisted and unmedicated sleep from
today and for the rest of your long life.

122
 Free to Focus:

A Total Productivity System to

Achieve More by Doing Less
Michael Hyatt

Read to boost:
Attentiveness

Leadership

Willpower

Focus

What’s in there for me?

Michael Hyatt is a bestselling author, podcaster, and founder of Michael
Hyatt & Co., a leadership development firm. He shares a three-step
productivity system to help you become a well-rounded professional who
wins at work and in life. You will learn why productivity is not about working
faster but smarter, cutting unnecessary distractions, having time for things
outside work, and designing your ideal week.

If you're down on “In a world where information is

productivity, the solution is freely available, focus becomes one
not to work more, but to pull of the most valuable commodities in
back and re-strategize. the workplace.”

GO!

and get it

123 in 15-min!
 1. Productivity is not about getting more things done

21st century workers are the most distracted in history. Study after study
shows that people are hardly committed to work for the entire eight hours
they stay in the office. One study of UK and Canadian workers reports that
employees work an average of 1.5 – 2.5 hours out of the eight they are
supposed to be working.

The numbers are indeed staggering. And it's not only true for employees.
Business owners and self-employed people also struggle to stay
productive. It's not even that we're disengaged with work — a good
number of us love the work we do. We're passionate and proficient, just
too distracted by emails, phone calls, slack messages, data feeds, and
the likes.

We try to get around this productivity problem by Googling tips and hacks
and investing in productivity solutions. These tactics help, except they
aren't sustainable. If you're honest, you'll probably admit to trying several
productivity hacks that don't work. Michael Hyatt was in your shoes
several years ago. After he rose to the position of CEO at Thomas Nelson,
Michael found that he was splitting himself between too many tasks. He
was doing so many different things in a day that he almost always ended
up drained and exhausted after work.

He tried productivity apps and tricks, but they didn't help much. This made
him start studying the subject of productivity for himself. He created a blog
where he shared ideas he got along the way with his readers. Soon, he
was being known more as a productivity expert than the CEO of a
company.

124
 “Focusing on everything means focusing on nothing.” ~ Michael Hyatt

Michael distilled his years of learning and personal experience into a

three-step productivity system, and that's what you're about to learn in this
summary. The first step is to stop and decide what you want then create
an action plan. Step two is cutting out unnecessary work and focusing on
work that inspires you. Finally, step three is where you take action.

If you're down on productivity, the solution is not to work more, but to pull
back and re-strategize.

Don't worry, we will go through all steps in this summary, but first a
disclaimer: this summary may rubbish everything you think you know
about being productive. Get ready for it.

Did you know? Research shows we get interrupted or distracted every

three minutes on average.

2. The secret to winning the productivity game is to have a

clear vision for your work life

There is an old statement that is often referenced by some productivity

experts and work-life balance advocates. The statement was made
popular by American Rabbi Harold Kushner and it's often attributed to
former U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas. You've heard it before. It says
“Nobody on his deathbed ever said, 'I wish I had spent more time at the
office.'”

That statement may be true for some people, but you can't just generalize
it. Work constitutes a major part of our lives. Yes, some people go to work
just because they have to pay the bills, but some others are excited about

125
 work. They're happy when they get up in the morning because a new day
is another chance for them to make a dent in the universe through their
work. This category of people don't regret spending time at work. And no,
they don't have to be Steve Jobs or Elon Musk or another famous
inventor/creator. They are salespeople, writers, lawyers, accountants,
etc., who are happy with the work they do. They cherish their profession
because it's a vehicle for helping someone achieve something.

The difference between these people and those who hate their jobs is the
difference between productivity on an inspiring job and fake work on a job
you dislike.

A good chunk of employees are disengaged with work. But this shouldn't
be so. You're wasting your time — and by extension, your employer's time
— working on a job you don't like. You may be on a job you hate because
circumstances have you there. Maybe because it pays the bills. But let
that be a temporary arrangement. Create an exit plan and start working
on it as soon as possible.

Your time on earth is limited; don't spend it working on a job you dislike.

What if you're doing work you like but it's encroaching into your nights and
weekends? You may need to create a prevention system around it if your
goal isn't to work long hours every week.

Start by creating a vision of your ideal workweek.

How many hours would you like to spend on work? How will you spend
your ideal 24 hours? How many of them will go for self-time, family time,
recreation, work, and play? How about your weekends? Create this ideal
timeline and keep it where you can see it.

126
 You may not have the resources to make it happen now, but let it become
something you're working towards.

3. There are four different zones of work

Contrary to what many people think, productivity is not all about doing
more. In fact, it's the opposite. True productivity means getting the right
things done and leaving everything else. This may sound hard to believe,
but as we proceed with this summary, you will understand more and
realize just how true it is.

Let's consider the four zones of productivity. It will give you better insight.
We will begin with the zone we all hate.

● Zone 4. This is called the drudgery zone. This zone is made up of

tasks that you hate doing and can't do well. In other words, you lack
the passion and proficiency for these tasks. Can you name some
daily tasks in your drudgery zone? If you think hard you probably
will. The good news is, what's grunt work for you is exciting work for
someone else. That's why division of labor works.

● Zone 3. The disinterest zone. Tasks in this zone are things you're
good at but have zero passion for. People can get stuck working in
this zone simply because it pays the bills.

● Zone 2. The distraction zone. Work starts to get interesting here. In

this zone, you're passionate about your work. You can do it all day
without getting tired, but you're not skilled at it. Because you lack
proficiency, it becomes hard to make worthy contributions through
your work. But of course, if you're in this zone, you can spend money

127
 and time to get more skills so you can transition to zone 1, the best
zone of all.

● Zone 1. The desire zone. This is the zone where passion meets
proficiency. People who work here love what they do and are able
to make notable contributions to their company, their industry, and
the world at large.

“If you design your life so that you spend most of your time working on
things you are passionate about and proficient at, the discipline to do
those things comes easily.” ~ Michael Hyatt

Your goal should be to work in the desire zone. Of course, for most of us,
that will take some time and effort, but give it a go. Maybe you're working
on a job you're skilled at but not passionate about. You could start thinking
of changing jobs or switching tasks within the company so you get into the
role where your passion and proficiency are top-notch.

Design your ideal life, then tailor your work to meet that lifestyle goal.

The time and effort required to transition to zone 1 will differ depending on
where you are right now. But no matter what it takes, the transition will be
worth it.

4. Be intentional about re-energizing your mind and body

When you're on the clock, you understand how time is such a limited
resource. We all know that, but what we often fail to realize is that energy
is also limited.

Your energy can flex — that is, you can switch between energy levels
quite easily — but it's still a limited resource. You don't have infinite

128
 amounts of emotional, mental, and physical energy, so taking steps to
conserve what you have is a wise thing to do.

Are you intentional about conserving and renewing your energy or do you
just take whatever you see because “There is no time"?

In the distracted economy, people run around getting things done on the
clock, failing to rest and re-energize, then they burn out and take sick
leave, only to repeat the same vicious cycle over again. This explains why
our productivity rarely matches the hours we clock in.

Don't sacrifice your body and mind on the altar of work because it will turn
back to haunt you.

What if you created a holistic system that ensures you work when you
need to work and unplug to re-energize when you need to? What would
that mean for your personal and professional life? Surely, among other
things, it will mean getting quality work done for the time plugged in and
having more personal time. Isn't that what we all want?

Well, here's how to achieve it. Get intentional about the following seven
practices.

● Get quality sleep every night. Experts recommend sleeping eight

hours per night, try not to fall short of that.

● Eat healthily. If you need to see a dietician for recommendations, do

it.

● Move your body. Create a weekly exercise regimen and stick to it.

● Connect with family and friends daily and weekly.

● Play. Engage regularly in your hobbies. Don't push them to the back
burner.

129
 ● Reflect daily. You can do this through meditation, writing, or
worshipping.

● Unplug. Life is not all about work. Find time at least once a year to
just unplug from work and enjoy life.

5. Practice saying “No”

We have an inherent desire to help others and contribute to important

projects.

This can be both a curse and a blessing, depending on how we use it.
People will come to you directly or indirectly for help and if you're not
careful, you will keep saying yes till you fill your hands with too much than
you can handle.

You must learn to say no.

It's not up for debate if your goal is to be a super performer who excels in
every area of life.

Not every request deserves your yes.

Did you cringe at the thought of turning down requests? That's a

completely normal reaction from your mind. You might even feel guilty for
saying no to people, and that's a natural feeling too, but you must grow
past it…

Because we're always saying no without realizing it.

For every yes you say, there is a no behind it. For every request you
accept, you're turning down another. Let's imagine a potential client asks

130
 you out for lunch on the same day you're supposed to be at your
daughter's dancing competition.

Saying yes to the client means saying no to attending your daughter's

event.

Always consider the trade-off before accepting invitations and requests.

Use this affirmation strategy for turning down requests you can't afford to
accept.

● First, say yes to yourself and everything important to you. Also,

affirm the other person, so they don't feel shame for requesting.

● Second, say no to the request. Make it clear that you can't do it now
or any other time.

● Third, say yes again. Not yes to the request but yes to your
relationship. Affirm your relationship with the person and offer to
help find a solution or someone else that could help.

Let's say someone asked you to watch over their kids for a day, but you
can't because despite working remotely, you have a tight deadline to meet
that day. Using our model, you start by saying yes to yourself and the work
you do; that's the only way to get the mental stamina to say no to them.
Next, turn down the request by telling them about your tight deadline. And
finally, you can offer to help find a babysitter.

6. Automate your activities

Your days are filled with attention pulling requests from work, the internet,
family, friends, and even strangers. You will never get anything done if

131
 you decide to pay attention to everything. And some of those things are
important and urgent such that you can't afford to postpone them. So what
do you do?

Find ways to automate.

In this chapter, we will consider four automation methods you should use
to make your life easier. Let's get started.

Self-automation

The mind is a powerful automation tool. Some of the most effective

automation machines were created by replicating how it works. Once you
do something in a particular way over some time, your mind learns it and
you begin to do it with little to no active thoughts. For example, if you've
been using an app on your phone for a considerable length of time, your
mind will teach your body to identify the position of that app on your phone.
The process of finding that app will become automated. The same
explanation goes for your morning routine. The reason you do the same
things after getting out of bed every morning is that your mind has learned
how to do it and has taught your body.

The mind learns through routines, so to automate things, start building

routines around your activities.

Template automation

Every knowledge work you do can be automated using templates. Either

create templates that suit your workflow, or Google to find useful ones.
For example, if you're sending the same type of emails daily, you could
make that into a template so you don't have to type out every email. It
saves you time.

132
 Process automation

This refers to detailing the process of getting things done so you or

someone on your team won't have to waste precious hours figuring things
out each time they have to get the same task done.

Tech automation

This is by far the most common automation people know. There is at least
one software that can help you do your office work faster. Invest in
software products to save time and energy. The secret of succeeding with
tech automation is refusing to stick to just one solution. Be flexible enough
to change when your current solution no longer serves your needs.

7. High performers use megabatching to stay productive

You've probably heard of batching before. If you haven't, it's a productivity

tactic where you lump the same or similar activities and get them done at
the same time with no distractions. Megabatching is doing the same thing
on a larger scale.

You can think of this tactic as a solution to multitasking. Contrary to what

we think, the brain isn't designed to multitask. You get much more done
when you're focused on one activity per time than when you try doing
multiple things at a time.

When you jump from one activity to the other in a multitasking spree, the
brain takes time to reconcile the new activity with the one you were doing
before. Parts of the brain will therefore be split between both activities and
it becomes counterproductive if the tasks aren't similar. Use
megabatching instead.

133
 Regularly decide on a group of activities that are the same or at least
similar and block out time to execute them together.

Let's say meetings are a normal part of your week. Rather than spreading
your internal and external meetings throughout the week, you can decide
on a day or two that will be dedicated to meetings while other days will be
for something else. For example, Thursdays and Fridays can be your
meeting days, while the first three workdays will be dedicated to working.

“In a world where information is freely available, focus becomes one of

the most valuable commodities in the workplace.” ~ Michael Hyatt

We live our lives in stages. Taking inspiration from As You Like It play by
William Shakespeare, Michael categorized our lives into front, back, and
off stages. The front stage is where you do the work you're paid for. It's
the professional part of you that the world sees. If you're a coach, for
example, your front stage work is client meetings and drafting content.
Then there is the backstage work. This is where you do the groundwork
that prepares you for the front stage. Using the coaching example, this
could be billing or updating your website. Finally, there is the off stage.
This is your rejuvenating time; the time you spend relaxing, connecting
with friends and family or playing.

Determine the activities that fit into your front, back, and off stages then
plan your ideal week to megabatch them accordingly.

134
 Conclusion

The concept of productivity was made popular by industrial-age efficiency

experts like Frederick Winslow Taylor. The experts of that age advised
companies to increase efficiency by making workers do more work faster.

It worked for factory workers then because when you work faster in a
factory, you naturally produce more products. But the concept is
ineffective in our knowledge economy.

If you're a knowledge worker, your job is not about directly working with
machines to produce things. Your job mostly involves solving problems
and coming up with new ideas. The problem is that problems and ideas
don't run out. When you solve one problem, a different one emerges. You
can be having dinner with family and an idea for a project you're working
on pops into your mind. So, if you follow the efficiency metric from the
industrial age, you will never stop working.

Productivity in our economy is not about getting more things done faster.
It's about focusing on the right things and getting them done at the right
time then cutting out other tasks that don't fit into your ideal work. It's about
working in your desire zone — where your passion and proficiency are at
their peak — while delegating the tasks outside this zone to people who
are good at and passionate about them.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed and unproductive, recall the three-step

system: stop, cut, and act. Stop to think about your work and chart a
course of action, then cut out unnecessary tasks, and take action. We've
discussed several points under the three-step system in this summary.
Hopefully, you've learned actionable insights that will help you make the
most of your personal and professional life.

135
 Try this:

Make megabatching a weekly habit. Think of all the weekly activities

you're certain to always perform. Group similar ones together, then create
time to execute each group at specific stretches.

136
 To-Do List Formula:

A Stress-Free Guide To Creating

To-Do Lists That Work!

Damon Zahariades

Read to boost:
Self-optimization

Time management

Goal-setting

Scheduling

What’s in there for me?

To-Do List Formula is a self-help guide meant to relieve stress and boost
your productivity. Damon Zahariades, hailed as a “Productivity Specialist,”
spent many years in Corporate America before making it on his own. He
teaches time management strategies, reviews productivity apps, and
instructs how to create habits to help you get more done while enjoying
more free time.

A delay in completing the “The easiest way to accomplish

tasks on a to-do list can
lead to a dangerous cycle of
procrastination.
your daily to-do list is to assign a
‘why’ to each item found on it. Know
the reason the thing is listed.
Determine why you need to get it
done. Write the reason down next
to the task.”

GO!

and get it

137 in 15-min!
 1. It can be difficult to stick to completing our designated
tasks for the day; to-do lists help make it easier

The average individual gets plagued with accomplishing all the tasks for
their respective day, be it at work or home or even a run to the grocery
store. This problem arises when we fail to identify the individual tasks and
prioritize them to suit their urgency.

Without proper planning and discipline, it is pretty easy to get swamped

by a multitude of uncompleted tasks.

The failure to decide leaves us rushed and harried, tired and unproductive.
This strain is why Damon Zahariades wishes to introduce readers to the
wonders of a to-do list. A to-do list is a list outlining tasks slated for the
day or a period, with each job arranged in order of urgency; with regards
to time or importance.

A good to-do list should relieve the pressure associated with engaging in
multiple tasks in a day and guarantee completing these tasks.

“Lead each task with an active verb.” ~ Damon Zahariades

Ideally, a good to-do list will do these things for you:

● Give you control over your workday

● Allow you to meet your deadlines

● Let you do the right things at the right time

● Prevent you from wasting valuable time

● Reduce stress

● Improve focus

138
 ● Reduce frustration

An excellent task management is a critical part of every to-do list; a lack

of it leads to chaos. When a task management system is ineffective, it
leads to a "Productivity Paradox." This paradox means that even though
to-do lists get created to organize tasks, all efforts towards productivity are
futile with a wrong system. But don't worry. In this summary, you will be
introduced to research backed productivity systems that work. You will
learn different methods for creating effective to-do lists and how to go
about executing them. We will begin with addressing mental blocks that
strain productivity, then go over the to-do list systems and end the
summary with an execution strategy you can start applying right away.

2. There are many factors that prevent you from finishing

your to-do list

The logic behind making a to-do list is to check off all the items in the list
at the end of a set period. There are reasons why people do not finish
tasks on a to-do list. Damon Zahariades carefully identified the following
reasons:

Reason #1: You are not focusing on the goal of your to-do list

A lot of people do not understand the aim of a to-do list. A good to-do list
ensures that there's more pressing tasks than less important ones.

Reason #2: You forget to assign deadlines

A to-do list that doesn't have a definite deadline is technically only a wish-
list. It is easier to complete tasks when there is a strict deadline to meet.

139
 “The easiest way to accomplish your daily to-do list is to assign a ‘why’ to
each item found on it. Know the reason the thing is listed. Determine why
you need to get it done. Write the reason down next to the task.”
~ Damon Zahariades

Reason #3: Your lists are too long

The dangers of a long list are that it can ultimately become quite
distracting. Meaning that you can lose focus because there are too many
options.

A bad to-do list focuses too much on irrelevant tasks and fails to prioritize
correctly.

Reason #4: Your lists contain too much randomness

Having too much variability means there's no connection with the tasks in
the list. This situation gives rise to high-priority jobs getting placed beside
low priority tasks or urgent tasks set near trivial tasks.

Reason #5: You give yourself multiple options

A surplus in options makes even the most straightforward choices tough

to make.

Reason #6: your tasks lack proper context

We often write items down without specifying the time needed to complete
them, or the priority makes it hard to know which task deserves immediate
attention.

It is advisable to outline your tasks in the to-do list, so you have the context
to their varying importance.

140
 Reason #7: Your tasks might be too ambiguous

Broadly defined tasks have the problem of being quite vague and can
create difficulty in measuring success.

3. How negative emotions impair your productivity

It is necessary to understand that emotions play a significant role in our

lives; they can increase or inhibit our productivity. When you're unhappy,
hungry, tired, stressed, or fearful, your productivity is negatively affected.
You feel detached from your work and are less creative and have more
difficulty making decisions. Then, you lose focus and become easily
distracted.

Of course, you will go further away from accomplishing your goal this way.
If you're feeling so unproductive, try to identify what is causing it. Take a
step back to reevaluate how you're feeling. To relieve the pressure you
feel you must identify the exact task that is causing the stress.

It gets increasingly harder to complete a to-do list if one's emotions are

not in check. The motivation we need to be productive gets heavily
influenced by our emotional state. A dip in productivity means a to-do list
with many boxes left unchecked. This outcome often causes anxiety
which further impedes productivity as well.

A delay in completing the tasks on a to-do list can lead to a dangerous

cycle of procrastination.

The key to taking on and completing the tasks in the to-do list is mastery
of your emotions through transparent and honest introspection. If we

141
 cannot indeed access our minds and assess the emotions we feel or
express, then we cannot hope to control them.

4. There are 9 most popular to-do list systems

There are multiple approaches to building a to-do list, depending on what

suits an individual. Here are 9 popular methods:

● The massive, all-Inclusive list

As the name implies already, It is merely a list of every single task you
have in your head.

To-do lists are as unique as the individuals creating them; it is advisable

to find the one that works best for you.

● The task + starting date + due date list

In this approach, you make a list of the task, its starting date, and the due
dates. Knowing this will boost performance.

● The to-do list twosome: master task list + daily task list

This type of list is somewhat similar to the Massive, All-Inclusive List,

except that it also has a Daily Task list and the master list.

● The 3+2 strategy

This to-do list has a basic working formula: 3 big tasks and 2 small tasks.

● The 1-3-5 rule

Here, the tasks are into 3: big tasks, medium tasks, and small tasks.

142
 A viable to-do list should not overwhelm you with pending insurmountable
tasks.

● The project-based system

This system sorts tasks based on their respective projects.

● The kanban method

This method is unique because it takes a more visual approach to make

the to-do list. So, what you do is, write a new task on a sticky note, add it
to the "To do" column; as soon as work begins on this task, move to the
"Doing" column. Then as soon as you complete the job, move it to the
"Done" column.

● The matrix system

The matrix, as its name implies, is made up of four quadrants that are
titled as follows:

Quadrant 1: important - urgent

Quadrant 2: important - not urgent

Quadrant 3: not important - urgent

Quadrant 4: not important - not urgent

● Getting things done (GTD)

Just like its name suggests, this list ensures you get things done. The
features of this system include you creating a master list, then sorting the
items on the list based on importance, after which you perform a weekly
report.

143
 Did you know? Benjamin Franklin gets referred to as the godfather of the
to-do list. He is an excellent example of someone known for using lists to
encourage his self-improvement.

5. How to create the perfect to-do list

Finding the correct to-do list for you from an array of suggested lists might
be a tiresome task. The desire to have a unique list and not simply a "one
fits all" setup usually plays a considerable role. By virtue of this, each
individual must seek out the best list for themselves instead.

A to-do list needs a personal touch; individuals need to be more intentional

with the making of said list.

Creating the perfect list isn't a herculean task and can be done effectively
with the right amount of guidance and personal introspection. The trick,
however, is to follow through with the process. If you can diligently follow
the suggested structure, you can create your unique to-do list for your
particular tasks.

The following steps, if followed diligently, will ensure that the to-do list
created will be highly effective:

● Isolate current tasks from future tasks

● Define to-do items by desired outcomes

● Break projects down into individual tasks

● Assign a deadline to each task

● Limit the number of current jobs to seven

● Organize tasks by project, type, or location

144
 ● Prune your list of unnecessary tasks

● Estimate the time each task will consume

● Lead each job with an active verb

● Note the tasks require input from others

6. How to maintain a well-oiled to-do list system

After learning how to create a to-do list, you need to maintain the list as
the next step. Firstly, you have to group similar tasks into a single batch
to address them in a single work session. Having a long list can be
overwhelming, so the next thing you would want to do is stay in control.
Defining your to-do list by context, as explained earlier, will also help
specify what to do next and, as such, make the decision-making easier.

Continued dedication to the completion of a to-do list is an essential duty

for success.

Conducting weekly reviews serves to show the flaws and strengths of the
system, so you would want to do that. Updating your list of goals will make
you accountable and focused. Try different ways to do tasks instead of
being stuck trying a particular method. Follow a system that suits your
needs and be consistent.

Understanding the above tips will be very useful but, should you stumble
along the way, the key is to acknowledge that no one is perfect. So accept
your faults and get back to trying again.

145
 It is essential to review your list(s) to gauge your level of commitment and
diligence so far.

Keep in mind that you may be confused about creating your to-do list, be
it offline (on paper) or online (applications). You have to figure out which
method perfectly works for you as there is no perfect way to go about it.

7. It is possible to complete the tasks you’ve set out to do

and take record of each one

A to-do list exists so that individuals can execute the tasks written on it.
The list is not meant to stay undone forever and demands completion. As
such, your responsibility after creating the list is to dutifully follow through
with ticking off each task off as "done." This action will bring fulfillment and
build your willpower to accomplish other tasks in the future.

Completing the tasks on a to-do list can spur one to go on and accomplish
even much more complex tasks in the future.

Once the tasks on a to-do list are completed, by verb tenses, it stands to
reason that it is no longer a "to-do" list but, in fact, a "done" list. This
change of title is because the tasks set out by you to do have gotten done.
It can be the same sheet you wrote the initial set of tasks or even a new
one altogether.

A done list records the tasks completed throughout the day. For some
people, it serves as motivation because it shows that you have achieved
set goals. It is not compulsory for all because it does not have the same
effect on everyone. Damon Zahariades, for instance, does not use a done
list.

146
 This difference is because many people can get complacent instead of
inspired with a done list pasted on their fridge door. It can cause them to
lose the zeal to do anything since they'd be too busy patting themselves
on the back.

Conclusion

Often, we face overwhelming workloads or tasks we want to accomplish

in a day. This difficulty is because we fail to prioritize, and it causes all
sorts of chaotic pressure and performative anxiety, which in turn impedes
productivity. But the author has come up with a workable and
straightforward solution to this age-old problem; the to-do list.

A to-do list is a simple outline of the tasks you can do in a day, arranged
in order or time, or importance. It affords one the freedom to plan one's
day effectively while having enough time to rest and be in high spirits as
well. The need to maintain high spirits is that our emotions can get in the
way of our productivity and might make it harder to finish the to-do list.

Making the perfect to-do list involves considering your schedule and
factoring in your strengths and weaknesses, so you don't overwork
yourself.

By now, you should be feeling in control of your workday as the author

has given you the essential ingredients that will enable you to create a
robust to-do list with whatever method you choose. Bear in mind that
productivity is not about being busy; instead, it is about getting the right
things done based on your short- and long-term goals.

Finally, once you have created a reliable system, all you need to do is to
stay consistent and vigilant.

147
 “Items are written down without any indication about the time needed to
complete them, their priority, and the roles they play in achieving specific
goals.” ~ Damon Zahariades

Try this:

When you are feeling unproductive or unaccomplished because of your

inability to reach set goals, don't push it away, don't give up. Create a to-
do list with each of the tasks in, and only quit when you’ve ticked off every
one of them.

148
 Spark Joy:

An Illustrated Master Class on the

Art of Organizing and Tidying Up

Marie Kondō

Read to boost:
Tidying up

Self-discipline

Orderliness

Decision-making

What’s in there for me?

Tidying might seem easy, but it isn’t — especially if you don’t know where
to begin and how to go about it. The truth is that unless you familiarize
yourself with cleaning and tidying techniques, you’ll remain disappointed.
Marie Konmari Kondo is a world-renowned author and a private Japanese
organizing consultant who shares her techniques to help you structure your
tidying, making it easier and more efficient.

Cleaning and tidying “Keep only those things that speak

transcend getting your
space neat. You can clear
your mind and rejuvenate
your soul by discarding all
unnecessary things in your
life.
to your heart. Then take the plunge
and discard all the rest. By doing
this, you can reset your life and
embark on a new lifestyle.”

GO!

and get it

149 in 15-min!
 1. Successful cleaning and tidying requires doing things the
proper way

Tidying is not a talent that comes naturally; it’s a process you learn that
develops with dedication and experience. Organization skills aren’t tied to
your age, and unless you pay attention to the proper techniques, you’ll
make avoidable mistakes. If you want to be very good at tidying, you need
to be familiar with its techniques and the problems you can face in the
process.

When you discard the things that are not important to you, you create
enough space for other valuable things in your life.

Tidying and storage go hand in hand. While you are thinking of which
objects you want to discard, you are also thinking about where to store
the ones you keep. Bear in mind that sorting clutter, discarding
unimportant things, and creating storage doesn’t mean you’ve completed
or mastered the art of tidying. Simply arranging all your books doesn’t
mean you’ve tidied your space; what you’ve done is move the clutter from
one place to another. Remember to discard first! That way, you won’t
repack the unnecessary clutter you planned to get rid of. Mastering the
strategies behind tidying will make your life better in numerous ways.

In this tidbit, tidying techniques are detailed for you so that you can clear
your space effectively. Subsequently, in the following chapters, you will
realize the importance of organizing your space and why you need to get
rid of unnecessary things.

150
 2. More often than not, those who believe that they are not
good at cleaning simply don’t know how to do it

The problem with discarding starts from not knowing the difference
between cleaning and tidying. Cleaning and tidying are mainly used
synonymously, although they are two entirely different things. The first
step to achieving a tidy home is to recognize the difference between the
terms.

While it is true that both aim to make a room sparkle, tidying has to do with
taking out objects while cleaning means removing dirt. The responsibility
for the mess and the clutter associated with tidying lies with the individual.
Clutter does not multiply in your home of its own accord, but only if you
bring or allow it in. Tidying up means looking inwards and confronting
yourself.

Cleaning, on the other hand, is caused by dirt. Dirt accumulates on its

own, and it is normal for dust and dirt to pile up. Therefore, unlike tidying,
cleaning requires you to confront nature.

While tidying requires you to keep things that bring you joy, there’s nothing
to keep when you clean. It would be best if you tidied first before cleaning.
The easiest and most efficient way to identify what does or doesn’t bring
you joy is to compare.

The best way to identify what brings you joy is to discern how close it is to
your heart.

Although it’s hard to decide if something brings joy to you when you look
at it initially, you can always get the best results by comparing. When you
compare an object with a similar one, your feelings become clear. For
example, if you are unsure of which shoe to keep, you can compare it with

151
 other shoes. By selecting the one you like, it becomes easy to discard the
other.

“The garbage can is for things that have no importance. If it did have some
value, it no longer has any.” ~ J. R. Ri

Tidying is not limited to deciding what to keep and what to get rid of.
Rather, it’s a great opportunity that allows you to reevaluate and fine-tune
your relationship with your possessions and create the lifestyle that brings
you joy.

3. Your physical space is a significant determinant of your

life’s quality

When you discard things, you’ll have nothing left but a space that brings
no joy to your life. The main goal in tidying should be to create an
environment filled with the things that make you happy.

The first step to creating a beautiful home is to decorate it with the things
you love. Although you shouldn’t hold back, you should also avoid
overdoing it when it comes to decorations. Too much interior decoration
is also cluttering.

Secondly, you must pay attention to things that have been loved and
cherished by you and have acquired elegance over a period. When you
surround yourself only with these things, you can easily transform your
home into a place filled with precious artifacts.

Surprisingly, despite its abundance around you, one thing most often
missing in your life is color. While many people opt for colorful wall designs

152
 and curtains, the best way to add color is through flowers. Flowers give
you beautiful energy and make everywhere look more peaceful.

It’s more important to decorate your home with the things you love than to
keep it so empty it lacks anything that brings you joy.

When you finish tidying, your home may look quite empty, but a few
months later, the changes will be clear to see. Things you love will be
displayed prominently. The true purpose of tidying is to find and keep the
things you truly love, display these proudly in your homes, and live a joyful,
fulfilling life.

It’s not ideal to temporarily put things in a confined space so that you can
justify throwing them away. To set them aside is to let yourself hold on to
things that don’t make you happy. There are only two choices: keep it or
discard it. And if you’re going to keep an object, you must make sure to
take care of it.

4. Sort and store your items by category so that you can

easily find them when you need them

When tidying seems to be going smoothly, it’s easy to get distracted. It’s
also easy to be suddenly overwhelmed with anxiety, especially when you
have reached a point where you have a lot to discard. You can reduce the
volume of things you own yet remain undecided about where to put what’s
left. Until you have finished sorting everything, you can’t truly grasp how
much you have and identify the appropriate categories. This means that
all storage should be seen as temporary until you finish tidying. An
important point during this process is to make sure everything is kept in
one category. For example, stationery goods or medical supplies should

153
 be temporarily stored in a box-like container so you can see what you
have decided to keep. This will give you a better idea of how much you
have left.

You can start temporary storage with three main material categories:
cloth, paper, and electric equipment. These categories are easy to identify
because they are the most numerous and often scattered around the
house. Items that fall under the “cloth” category should be stored near
clothes. Items like documents, notebooks, and envelopes should be near
bookshelves. The “electric” category should consist of electrical
appliances, wires, cords, memory sticks, etc. Other items can be
subdivided and placed where they’ll most likely fit in.

Don’t throw things around the house. Store them where they belong so
you can easily fetch them later.

There are four principles to storing the items under the three categories
mentioned above:

● Fold it

● Stand it upright

● Store in a spot

● Divide your storage space into square compartments

Anything soft and easily bent or foldable should be folded — clothes,

gloves, plastic bags, etc. Anything that’s foldable, soft, and pliable
contains air, and folding helps to compress this air. Air compression
reduces volume and maximizes the amount you can store. Everything that
can stand on its edges without falling over should be stood upright in a
drawer rather than flat. This allows you to take full advantage of the height

154
 of your storage space, and it is also the best way to know what is stored
where.

5. The best way to tidy is to start with clothes

Starting with clothes is important because they consume a lot of space

and are most likely the biggest clutter in your home. First, gather every
item of clothing you have from every corner of the house and put them all
in one spot, making sure nothing is left out.

Once you are through with the first step, move to the “joy check” stage,
where you’ll hold each item in your hands and select the ones that spark
joy. Some clothes do not spark joy, yet you are reluctant to let them go. In
these instances, you can define things that spark joy as things that make
you happy.

If you love an outfit because it keeps you warm, you can keep it with
confidence.

proposed by Marie Kondo. This method is divided into three steps.

● Fold both edges of the body of the garment toward the center to
form a rectangle.

● Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise.

● Fold this in half or thirds.

Long-sleeved tops should be folded from the edges toward the center to
form a rectangle. The trick to doing this is to bring the sleeve over to the
opposite edge and fold the sleeve down toward the bottom. This makes
the cloth flatter, which consumes less space. Hoodies and turtlenecks

155
 should be folded on both sides toward the center of the garment to make
a rectangle and then folded into the rectangle.

Other garments must also be folded properly. The best way to fold most
fabrics is to make sure that the clothes are folded into a rectangle.
Rectangular folding creates more space and allows for easy sorting.

6. Tidying up your books is the best way to increase your

reception to joy in every area of your life

It’s possible to believe that you cannot do away with books; they are
special, and it’s particularly difficult to do away with them, especially those
you’ve not read. The most common reason you can’t bring yourselves to
discard a book is that you believe you might want to read it again. However,
if a book doesn’t spark joy for you now, there’s little to zero chance it will
later. More often than not, you’ll never re-read it.

As for the books you’ve read halfway or haven’t read at all, it’s best to get
rid of them all. Precious books that are symbolic (religious books, culinary
books, etc.) can be kept. When you’re left with only the books that you
love, you’ll realize that the quality of information you receive changes
noticeably. The room you make by discarding unwanted books can create
enough space for you to efficiently store more important ones.

The best way to store books is to place them in a bookcase or on a set of

shelves placed out of sight, in a storage room, or a spacious cupboard.

The basic principle of arranging books is to keep items that belong to the
same category together. Books used in a specific place or specific
occasions can be kept where they are used, such as storing cookbooks

156
 in the kitchen. It’s not ideal stacking up books in a pile; you must make
sure to stand them up.

While it’s easy to arrange books, organizing sheets of paper can be more
tasking. A single sheet of paper could be overlooked, making it possible
for more papers to accumulate before you realize it, but only those with
clear purposes should be kept.

7. You can get rid of miscellaneous items by comparing

them to things that bring you joy

When deciding on storage spaces, miscellaneous property, also called

komono in Japanese, is the most difficult category because of the
overwhelming number of subcategories. Storing stationery supplies,
cleaning supplies, kitchen goods, food, cosmetics, laundry items, etc., can
confuse and exhaust you.

“Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge
and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset your life and embark
on a new lifestyle.” ~ Marie Kondo

The key to easy and efficient komono tidying is to know your categories
and adopt the sorting process, as explained in the previous chapters. The
process is largely similar to other storage techniques, but the difference is
that it’s more challenging to get rid of komono because it doesn't spark
joy, yet it is necessary.

When you come across these items, the best thing to do is to try praising
them to the point where they’ll spark joy. Praising an object means
thinking of how it makes your life easier and how wonderful its features

157
 are. As you do this, you will begin to feel grateful for how it helps you and
see how important it is.

The most difficult category of komono to discard is the one that consists
of things that you’ve kept without really knowing why. Some of these
things include metal parts that you’ve never used, like extra pins or straps
that came with a wristwatch, hairpins, spare buttons, old cell phone cases,
a changed part of an electronic, and random keychains.

By storing each item in a category similar to what they are used for, you’ll
remember to use them when you need them.

You must either discard all of them or keep them where they’ll be used.
Once they have a storage space, things that formerly seemed lost without
a fixed address regain their shine.

8. You cannot maintain a tidy space if you only move clutter

from one space to another

When getting rid of clutter, there are three things you must note. First, it
makes no sense to send sentimental items to your parents’ home. If you
continue sending your clutter to other people’s homes, they only end up
with more clutter, making it difficult for them to tidy. Moreover, most of the
items sent home, especially in boxes, are rarely opened again.

Secondly, if you cannot bring yourself to get rid of something, keep it. It
might be a shirt designed by your school class for a school program, for
example, but if you can’t throw it away, keep it. Don't beat yourself up for
not being able to discard something as simple as that. Rather, try out your
instincts, which you have already fine-tuned by choosing what to keep and
what to throw away.

158
 Finally, make sure you make good use of what you have decided to hold
on to for the next stage of your life.

If you’re going to go through the stress of choosing items that bring you
joy, then it’s important to store them in a way that lets you enjoy them.

Getting rid of photos can be mentally exhausting. Photos represent

memories, and letting go of memories is difficult. As usual, you should
gather all the pictures and select them based on the ones that spark joy.
Let go of any picture that is similar or that has like scenes to another. Two
family photographs are enough, as long as it’s the same people in the
pictures. Put all your selected photos in an album that you really like and
place them close to where you store your books.

9. Tidying influences your life in ways more effective than

having a clean space

It’s preferable to keep your entranceway as empty as possible; having

clutter gives off negative energy anytime you come home. Seeing your
doorway cluttered can wear you out mentally, and it makes your home
look very rough. If you want to decorate the entrance to your house, make
sure the flowers are not too much, and save the other things you love for
decorating for the rest of your home, especially the interior.

The last place to pay attention to when cleaning or tidying is the kitchen.
Always remember that moisture and oil will make your kitchen dirty. Wipe
them off as often as you can. Avoid keeping anything near the stove or
sink that can spill or pour over. Keep pots and pans to a bare minimum,
and make sure to put them where they belong once you are done cooking.
All your cooking utensils should be in one spot and store your foodstuff

159
 vertically in a compartment. Decorate your kitchen, too, by adding bright
colors and wall decorations that match culinary.

Cleaning and tidying transcend getting your space neat. You can clear
your mind and rejuvenate your soul by discarding all unnecessary things
in your life.

Little things like clearing papers can free you mentally. It keeps you
focused because now you know that everything around you is important
to you in one way or another. Tidying also influences your relationship
pattern in ways you might not pay attention to. Those who aren’t in
relationships tend to accumulate many old clothes and papers, while
those in an undefined relationship tend to be careless with their things.
However, those in defined relationships are more aware of their
surroundings. Your relationships with things heavily influence your
relationship with other people.

Did you know? According to the Wall Street Journal, 89% of American
homeowners say they’re not satisfied with their garage and want to
improve it.

Conclusion

Tidying is more than physical cleansing. It is a mental and spiritual

exercise that helps you discover the things you like around your home.
When you have a tidy house, you’re more likely to experience some peace
of mind and approach situations with a clearer view.

To avoid clutter, try not to mix dirty clothes with clean clothes. Designated
places for your belongings make it easier for you to have a clean space.
Put your bags and luggage where other bags are, take your dirty clothes

160
 to the laundry or throw them in the laundry basket, and hang your jacket
or sweater where they belong.

It’s best to pursue simplicity when it comes to storage. Avoid hiding things
or pushing them into small spaces. Big storage compartments might make
your space look nice, but more often than not, they are not ideal to use.
They take up a lot of space and can be difficult to store. Also, it’s not
advisable to scatter storage spaces. Put similar items in place so that
you’ll know where to find them if you need them. If you live alone, it is
easier to clean and tidy than if you have a family with you. If you have
family members staying over, you must create designated storage spaces
for each individual. This makes it easier for them to know where to check
if they want anything of theirs.

You can spark joy in your life and your family when you commit to making
your space tidy. As you focus on cleaning and decluttering, your soul will
be more content.

Try this:

Create enough time for yourself, pack the stuff you want to tidy, sort
them using the tidying techniques mentioned above, and regularly
evaluate the result to know where you stand. Whenever you get home
from work, place your belongings in designated places as you enter the
house. Appreciate each item for helping you for the day.

161
 The 12 Week Year:

Get More Done in 12 Weeks

Than Others Do in 12 Months

Brian P. Moran, Michael Lennington

Read to boost:
Productivity

Task management

Determination

Energy

What’s in there for me?

Commitment determines everything about your life and how productive you
can become. Brian P. Moran has over thirty years of expertise as a CEO,
consultant and coach. Michael Lennington is a co-author and a life coach
of the 12 Week Year plan. They help individuals and corporate
organizations achieve their set goals and triple their productivity with
simple, actionable steps.

People lose or win by scores
and statistics. Having a way
to measure your ability is
very important to know
where you stand.
“The number-one thing that you will
have to sacrifice to be great, to
achieve what you are capable of,
and to execute your plans, is your
comfort.”

GO!

and get it

162 in 15-min!
 1. Your inability to commit to set goals is the major reason
you are not productive

External factors do not determine the lack of productivity in your life; it’s
as a result of the decisions you make every day. There’s no magic to
success, but with an actionable plan and a desire to commit, achieving
the impossible might become possible.

The decisions you make today determines the results you get tomorrow.
If you want a great future, you need to make better decisions.

Making better decisions comes with having a commitment towards

something. When you’re committed, you’re in charge and in control of the
whole process. Commitment to someone or something means you’re
making a conscious effort to be better every day.

Each day of your life is essential, and that’s why you must make conscious
use of your time. Time won’t ever wait for you, which means you must be
strategically positioned to maximize your opportunities.

Brian Moran and Michael Lennington have developed a 12 Week Year

plan that allows you to bring forth your most important interests for the
year and act on them within three months. There’s no limit to what you
can achieve as long as you are committed to it.

Commitment is not an easy task, and it’s meant for people who are
absolutely willing to brave the storm to reach the golden sky. If you’ve ever
wondered how some people accomplish so much while a lot of people
accomplish less, your answer lies in this summary.

“The number-one thing that you will have to sacrifice to be great, to

achieve what you are capable of, and to execute your plans, is your
comfort.” ~ Brian P. Moran

163
 2. The most difficult challenge people face is not the lack of
knowledge, but the lack of execution

According to Steven Pressfield, the author of “The War of Art,” “We all
have two lives; the one we live and the one we’re capable of living.” The
life we are capable of is often suppressed by us because we lack the will
to execute the knowledge we have. There’s a famous saying that
“knowledge is power,” but that’s not entirely true. Knowledge without
execution is futile and useless. The key to experiencing growth is
understanding the power of execution. When you always do what’s
expected of you, you’ll have no problem increasing your productivity.

A lot of Americans are obese and overweight despite knowing what to do

to avoid it. There are thousands of books on the internet that teach how
to reduce weight, but the problem is people don’t follow the steps or are
not consistent with it.

Once we can consistently focus on what works, we’ll be able to do things

quite easily. According to Thomas Edison, “If we did the things we are
capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”

Each day is important to our lives, and that’s why we must be careful of
annualized thinking. It’s very common for us to believe at the beginning of
the year that we have a lot of time left to achieve our set goals. However,
when we fall short of these goals, we blame ourselves and still make the
same mistakes the following year. A lot of people don’t feel the need to do
something until there’s a deadline. Deadlines motivate us to do many
things because of the thrills associated with it. Create a feasible deadline
for yourself today and work assiduously towards achieving it.

164
 Achieving effective execution isn’t as complicated as we think, but it’s not
as easy as we believe it is either. The problem most individuals or
companies have with effective execution is that it requires taking new
actions. In a lot of cases, new actions are uncomfortable and very difficult.
The difficulty in achieving the set goals in new actions can be very
overwhelming to the extent where it seems like a good idea to abandon it.
We need to attach a strong emotional stake to the long-term outcome of
a plan by making sure that our life visions and business visions are
aligned. We can do this by highlighting and creating an operational
strategy that saves time, reduces mistakes and provides focus.

Having a plan without executing it is a futile attempt at being productive

— the most productive people are those who have plans and work towards
achieving them.

Did you know? By 2019, figures from the CDC found that more than one-
third (36.5%) of U.S. adults and 17% of children were obese.

3. Consistent action is the key to getting what you desire

most in life

The actions we make now determine the future we are creating. If we want
to know what the future holds for us, all we need to do is to look at our
actions because they best predict the future.

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no
plans.” ~ Peter Drucker

If you want to predict your health, take a look at what you eat and how
well you exercise. Same applies to your marriage, career, business, etc.
Your actions tell your story to a considerable extent.

165
 When you adopt a weekly plan, you will be great at a few, selected things,
rather than focus on many irrelevant things. A weekly plan doesn’t give
you the room to waste your time. It helps you focus on the elements
contained in your plan. If you can complete the weekly plans for 12 weeks,
you will find out that it’s easier to achieve your goals if you’re committed.

Your goals are there to keep you on track with your vision. Without a goal,
you’ll end up achieving nothing. When your goals are aligned with your
vision, it becomes easier for you to increase your productivity without any
negative effect.

Too often in our businesses or daily lives, we fail to keep score. We end
up losing track of where we stand, so we barely know when to improve
and when to relax. The major reason why sports is exciting to people is
scorekeeping. In sports, scores are kept as data, giving the individual,
team, spectators, etc., an idea of where they stand and what they need to
do.

People lose or win by scores and statistics. Having a way to measure your
ability is very important to know where you stand.

You should create a weekly scorecard that helps you to understand how
well you’re developing.

Time is also of essence to your life. As Benjamin Franklin said, “If we take
care of the minutes, the years will take care of themselves.” You must
value your time by understanding the importance of saying yes or no.
Learn to move away from things that will unnecessarily waste your time
and focus on the more productive things.

Valuing your time helps you to understand the true meaning of

accountability. Accountability is not holding someone responsible for an

166
 action, but owning to the results of the choices you make. The only
accountability that should exist in your life is self-accountability — hold
yourself responsible for your actions because every decision you take is
as a result of the choice you made.

4. We often mistake interest for commitment when it comes

to developing ideas and formulating them

Developing an interest in something doesn’t automatically translate into

committing to that thing. If you’re really interested in something, you must
take actionable steps to show your commitment to it. A lot of people are
interested in losing weight, but they are barely committed to the exercises
and dieting involved.

The four keys to a successful commitment are; strong desire, keystone

actions, cost counting, and the desire to act on commitments rather than
feelings.

● Strong desire arises from having a clear and personally compelling

reason to do something. Without a strong desire, you will falter when
things get very tough.

● Keystone actions involve knowing the core actions that will produce
the results you are after. Find the essential activities in your plans
and work on them.

● Count the costs by considering the costs of a commitment. It helps

you to prepare mentally and physically for the task ahead.

● Act on your commitments and not your feelings. It might seem very
difficult and daunting to do some things, but what makes it a

167
 commitment is knowing how to override your feelings to keep
yourself motivated.

Another mistake we often make is that we concentrate on too many things,

thereby losing focus on the most important things in the process. There’s
a huge chance that you are always multitasking, trying to do everything at
once. This is not an ideal way to live — it’s not suited for your body in any
way. Don’t rush trying to make up for a lost time.

Take each day as it comes and make full use of it. If you’re hell-bent on
making up for a lost time, you’ll end up losing the present and the future
in return.

To effectively maximize your interests and time, it’s important to find a

balance between your work and your life. Work-life balance is only
achievable by the choices you make in life. If you find yourself in an
environment where your work negates your life or vice-versa, the decision
to quit or stay rests in your hands. Work-life balance can never be equal,
and you should know that. There’s no way you can equally balance the
time you spend at work with the time you spend for yourself — one has to
be higher than the other. The only way you can achieve a balance is by
setting up a plan for yourself on how you can maximize the time you spend
on each aspect of your life. With the little time you have for yourself, map
out a plan that helps you to enjoy it thoroughly, and vice-versa.

5. The execution system helps you to make conscious

decisions about your life

The execution system is based on eight elements; vision, planning,

process control, measurement, time use, accountability, commitment, and

168
 greatness in the moment. These elements are further divided into two
groups;

● The three principles

● The five disciplines

The three principles determine your success and the effectiveness of the
12-week year plan in your life. These principles are; accountability,
commitment, and greatness in the moment.

● Accountability is owning up to your successes and failures. It’s

accepting ownership of the situations in your life because most of
the things that happen to you are as a result of the decisions you’ve
made.

● Commitment is putting in a lot of effort into keeping to the promises

you made to yourself.

● Greatness in the moment is in realizing that committing to a

particular thing is an act of greatness itself. Achieving a result is not
the greatness; it’s only a confirmation of your commitment. True
greatness is attached to your commitment to a plan.

The five disciplines complete the full cycle of how you can make use of
the 12-week year plan. The five disciplines are; vision, planning, process
control, measurement, and time use.

● Vision. Before embarking on any life-changing journey, you need to

create a sustainable vision for yourself. Creating a vision means
you’re establishing a reason why you should stay committed to
achieving a set goal.

● Planning. A working plan helps you focus on the most important

169
 things in your life.

Create an effective plan that makes long-term goals your priority.

● Process control. These are the plans you have put in place to
facilitate successful processes to an event. They are the set of tools
that successfully align your daily actions with the results you tend to
achieve. If you need to wake up early, set the alarm.

● Measurement. Measurement helps you to know your stance so that

you can evaluate your position. It’s a feedback system that tells you
if you’re on the right track or not.

● Time use. You must be clear with your intentions in regards to your
time. Time is a continuum, and you must make the best use of it.

When you combine and incorporate all of these elements into your 12-
week year plan, then you have no choice but to achieve steady growth in
all areas of your life.

6. The most successful people in life know that it takes

courage to admit to a mistake and do what’s required to
correct it

Owning to your mistakes doesn’t make you weak; it means you’re bold
enough to hold yourself accountable for your actions. As stated earlier, we
define our own moments and the choices we make as a result of the
decisions we made. People who paint themselves as victims always limit
their success to the actions of others. They are always under the shadow
of an external force, and because they are quick to blame someone or
something else, they are forced to see life as a struggle.

170
 Accountability gives you control over your life because you’re able to
determine what works for you and what doesn’t. It gives you leverage over
difficult situations because rather than blaming the process, you’ll be more
focused on improving yourself.

The commitment you make doesn’t necessarily have to be huge or

magnanimous; it could be something simple and ordinary. If you commit
to doing something simple daily, you won’t realize how difficult it is until
you have done it consistently for weeks or months. Sometimes, some of
the things that look ordinary become extraordinary when we commit to it.

Swimming might be fun for you, but the moment you commit to it, it
becomes a passion, then it becomes a sport and a career.

Commitment gives life to things that might otherwise seem lifeless.

The first few days of your 12-week year plan might seem like hell — you’ll
experience a lot of reproach and resistance — but you must not deter from
your set goals. Look toward your long-term goals instead of the short-term
comfort. While it’s good to be committed, don’t overcommit and hurt
yourself in the process. Set realistic goals only to avoid consistent failure.
Set proximate targets that can be realistically met. The moment you give
up, you’ve missed a commitment. Also, it’s never too late to try and commit
to something.

As mentioned earlier, commitment involves taking new, difficult steps.

This requires getting rid of old habits that are not beneficial nor do they
add value to your life. Old habits will pull you back unless you get rid of
them.

171
 Celebrate your wins no matter how small, and use the 13th week to review
your success. If you feel you have not achieved enough, it’s never too late
to start again.

“If we did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound
ourselves.” ~ Thomas Edison

Conclusion

Living a productive life comes from having a plan and executing it. You’re
as good or bad as the decisions you make. Whatever you want to achieve,
you must be committed to it

It’s not enough having a plan or developing an interest in something —

you need a framework to achieve that thing, and that’s what the 12-week
year plan is for. Compressing a year into 12 weeks requires a maximum
level of concentration, and that’s the level you need to be. You don’t have
to do many things to have a successful life — stick to the few things that
work, and you’ll witness exponential growth.

Excellence is not an act but a habit that needs persistence. See a year
like it’s made up of 12 weeks. This means that whatever you plan to
achieve within a year, see how well you can do by trying to achieve it in
12 weeks. A 12 Week Year plan helps you to create a greater focus by
highlighting the value of each week in your life. The plan compresses your
year into twelve solid weeks, making the value of each day more
meaningful.

172
 Try this:

Make a list of all your interests and rank them based on their importance.
Choose the most important ones and commit towards them using the 12-
week year plan. Enforce your commitment by applying the eight elements
of commitment, as explained in this summary.

173
 Smarter, Faster, Better:

The Secrets of Being Productive

in Life and Business

Charles Duhigg

Read to boost:
Energy

Self-growth

Achievements

Productive capacity

What’s in there for me?

What makes a person successful? Why are some people more productive
than others? All these questions and many more are discussed in this tidbit.
Charles Duhigg, writer and award winning investigative reporter for the
New York Times, explains the secrets of productivity and gives practical
tips on how to achieve it.

Productivity is not the same “Productivity refers to the attempts

every day; it’s best to
appreciate your daily
efforts.
we make to figure out the best uses
of our energy, intellect, and time as
we try to seize the most meaningful
rewards with the least wasted
effort.”

GO!

and get it

174 in 15-min!
 1. Everyone can be productive, but not everyone will know
how to be

Every day, there is a task to accomplish, and there are many ways to do
it. The distance between any given task and success is the choice you
make. Our choices are an important part of life, and these choices make
or mar our productivity.

Productivity is not the same every day; it’s best to appreciate your daily
efforts.

You may then wonder: What is the solution? How can normal people be
successful? Is success for only a fraction of the population? Well, you
need not search too far for the answers to these questions.

This summary explores the 8 secrets — motivation, teams, focus, goal

setting, managing others, decision making, innovation and absorbing data
— that seem most important in expanding productivity. Connecting these
secrets is a powerful underlying principle: productivity isn’t about working
more. It’s not a product of spending longer hours at your desk or making
bigger sacrifices. Productivity is about making certain choices in certain
ways. This tidbit is about how to recognize the choices that fuel true
productivity — how to become smarter, faster, and better at everything
you do. If you continue through the following chapters, you will find out
how Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer prize winner, answers all the questions you
might have in more ways than one.

“The way you choose to see yourself and frame daily decisions; the sense
of community you build among teammates; the creative cultures you
establish as a leader: These are the things that separate the merely busy
from the genuinely productive.” ~ Charles Duhigg

175
 2. If you want to be productive in life and business, you need
to stay motivated

In the past, most workers reported to a boss; now, a lot of people are self-
employed or do other jobs that don’t require them to answer to a superior
authority in a complex setting. This means that fewer bosses are breathing
down your neck while you work, which leaves you to decide how you
allocate your time and energy. It’s up to you to determine the goals you
want to achieve for a set period and the decisions you will have to make
to achieve them.

Motivation is activated by making choices that demonstrate to yourself

that you are in control.

Motivation is not a gift you are born with; it is a skill that improves with use.
The more you practice, the better motivated you will be for future
situations. You can enhance your motivation by following these steps:

● Make choices that put you in control: you need control to self-
motivate. When you believe you are in control of a situation, you
tend to work harder to achieve more.

● Make meaningful decisions: ask yourself why a decision is important

to you and why you should make it. This proves again that you are
in control of your life and make your decisions worth taking.

When you don’t improve on your level of motivation by taking these 2

steps, you’re at the risk of “emotional numbness” — the absence of
motivation. Always reward yourself for making decisions however those
decisions turn out, which tends to boost how you feel about yourself and
the situation.

176
 “An internal locus of control emerges when you develop a mental habit of
transforming chores into meaningful choices, when you assert that you
have authority over your life.” ~ Charles Duhigg

3. Teamwork will only make the dream work if everyone feels

safe enough to contribute

Researchers from Yale, Harvard, Berkeley, and the University of Oregon

have indicated that norms — traditions, behavior, standards, and rules —
determine how you feel in a team. Coordinating a team is easy when good
norms exist.

For any team to be successful, it is important that everyone feels some

level of psychological safety. This is the feeling of trust that exists within a
team. This means that everyone is comfortable enough to express their
opinions and still be united with the team. You know you have a good
team if everyone can take risks, be honest, and be themselves without
fear.

Members of a good team usually speak in the same proportion and

understand each other’s facial expressions and emotions.

Each team member is special, and it is what they can do together that
counts, not what they can individually achieve. This is the essence of a
team: solving a problem together.

It is important for teammates to be open with each other and to feel like
they can speak up if something’s wrong.

Teams need the following to be successful:

● The belief that work is important

177
 ● The feeling that their work is meaningful

● Clear goals and defined roles

● Psychological safety

If you ever find yourself as the team leader, ensure you set the right
examples for your team members by taking the lead in doing the right
things. This is what will inform whatever decisions they make for the team.

Did you know? According to McKinsey Global Institute, productivity

increases by 20-25% in companies with connected employees.

4. You cannot afford to lose focus if you want to be

productive

Many times you are faced with an emergency, and suddenly it’s like your
brain is in the spotlight, and you get confused. The first instinct is to
concentrate on the most obvious stimuli, even though it might not be the
right thing to do. This is when a lot of mistakes happen. This is the concept
of “cognitive tunneling.” Cognitive tunneling will have you focused on what
is before you, cutting off the other more important things that you need to
do.

To become genuinely productive, you must take control of your attention;

build mental models that put you firmly in charge.

It is necessary for you to create a picture in your mind of what you expect
to see daily. Constantly envision what will happen from start to finish every
day in the form of stories or mental pictures so that whenever cognitive
tunneling occurs, it won’t overpower you. Every employer wants someone
who can manage a difficult situation, and your ability to tell yourself stories

178
 as life happens to you ensures you are never caught off guard and you’re
always productive. If you want to achieve more, think ahead. Create the
vision in your mind, and you will never be unprepared for a task.

“If you want to be better at paying attention to what matters, get into the
habit of telling yourself stories.” ~ Charles Duhigg

5. Your goals are capable of helping you succeed, but they

can also lead to failure

There’s a good feeling that comes with having the solution to a problem,
confidently judging an important issue, or making the right decisions in
good time. This is termed “cognitive closure” and is an important attribute
if you crave success; however, it can be detrimental to you in large doses
because it keeps you focused on the big goals that you miss the other
details that should count, too.

Since the 1980s, the ideal goals have been SMART:

S- Specific: your goals should be clearly defined and unambiguous

M- Measurable: it is crucial to have quantifiable goals, so that you can

track your progress and be motivated as you get closer to achieving your
goals

A- Achievable: your goal must be attainable and possible to achieve

R- Realistic: your goal must be relevant to your purpose

T- Timeline: your goal should have a target date. You need to have a
deadline to focus on and something to work toward

179
 While this is a good template for a goal, it is not altogether perfect. A lot
of the time, more time is spent making sure a goal fits into the
requirements of the SMART goal while spending less time making sure
the goal is worth pursuing. There is also the problem of choosing only
easy tasks and the obsession with finishing projects while relegating
priorities to the background. This is a wrong thing to do if you want to be
productive. If you think small, you’ll achieve small things. You need to
shake yourself out of focus on the short-term objectives and plunge
yourself into a zone that has no limits and combines rapid growth with the
freedom to think big.

Bigger thoughts result in stretch goals — seemingly hard to reach

objectives that can spur productivity. A stretch goal can be scary because,
at first thought, it seems impossible, but with a change in mindset and
more hard work, it is achievable. On the other hand, a stretch goal can
also dampen your spirits and make you feel terrified if you don’t pair it with
a SMART system. So, the secret is to dream big but smart. Break stretch
goals into smaller units that you can easily measure and note progress.

Merely writing down grand aspirations doesn’t guarantee you will achieve
them; you still need to work hard.

6. Everyone wants to feel needed — you need to make

people feel safe to win their loyalty

People always want to be associated with a team that cares about them,
where they feel included. Whenever you have to manage a group of
people, always remember this.

It is human nature to crave safety or assurance that it at least exists.

180
 Research done by Stanford professors in 1994 showed 4 different
workplace cultures:

● Star culture: this model had the best of talents, spent lavishly, and
had expensive tastes

● Engineering culture: there were no stars, just people who solved

difficult problems all the time

● Bureaucratic culture: they had everything spelled out, followed

rules and rituals

● Autocratic culture: the CEO was always in charge, and employees

did everything based on his command

● Commitment culture: this culture believed in the culture, valued

employees, and had a better relationship

A good culture doesn’t guarantee that an idea will bear fruit. But it’s the
best bet for making sure the right conditions are in place when a great
idea comes along.

The commitment culture had the highest success rate because the level
of trust among employees, managers, and customers influenced how
dedicated they were to solving problems. Also, since the commitment
culture companies focused on the lifelong plans that were beneficial to the
employees, there were hardly any layoffs. This made them feel important
to the growth of the company.

Whenever you have to manage a group of people, bear in mind how they
feel is pivotal to achieving your goal. Manage how the team works, not
just who is on the team. Create a good system and watch everyone
commit to it.

181
 7. There are no limits to the things you can do, so do not put
your mind in a box

From what toothpaste brand to buy at the store to which project needs
immediate funding, you will have to keep making decisions. To make a
choice, you need to predict the future. In doing so, there may be a
tendency for you to get many things wrong because no one knows the
future. Dealing with this uncertainty requires skills, and one of such skills
is “probabilistic thinking”. Probabilistic thinking is the ability to hold
numerous, contradictory outcomes in your mind and estimate their
chances of occurring.

You need to question assumptions as they come so that you can make
the right decisions.

Your beliefs have a higher chance of being right when exposed to a wide
range of experiences — the iconic good, bad, and ugly. Even when the
experience is hard, it will help you in forecasting the future more
accurately.

There are so many ways to view the future; create multiple scenarios and
possibilities and see the future in more ways than one. Your forecast of
the future will not be 100% accurate, and you might end up making wrong
decisions, but with more practice, you can increase your chances of being
right.

“Good decision making is contingent on a basic ability to envision what

happens next.” ~ Charles Duhigg

182
 8. Be creative with your ideas; doing the same thing over
and over again will only give you the same results

You can’t keep recycling the same old techniques for different situations.
You need to be inventive with your answers to problems. Creative people
are people who have learned to pay more attention to problems and how
they have been solved previously. They know that being scared is a good
sign because it affords them the opportunity to trust themselves and let
the creativity out.

Creativity can’t be reduced to a formula. At its core, it needs surprise,

novelty, and other elements that cannot be planned to seem fresh and
new.

Successful people have learned to be innovative by applying the following

steps:

● Transfer knowledge: no knowledge is a waste. Previous

knowledge can be combined with new knowledge. Try everything to
achieve a goal.

● Understand your experience: pay attention to how concepts and

ideas make you feel. Recognize when you are panicked or stressed;
this is a sign that something new is happening. Often, anxiety is
what pushes us to see an old idea in a new way.

● Be careful: the relief that accompanies a new idea or breakthrough

can be fulfilling but can also prevent you from moving forward and
seeing other alternatives.

To be innovative, you cannot afford to think within the box. You need to
do extra. Think beyond what you are used to; this is how you achieve

183
 extraordinary results. The relief accompanying a creative breakthrough,
although sweet, can also blind us to seeing alternatives.

9. Take your time, understand what you need to do, then go

ahead and do your best

With the internet now a major part of our lives, and the tremendous growth
in technology, we consume a huge amount of data daily. Processing all
this information effectively becomes important because you’re at risk of
“information blindness” — occurs when you are unable to take advantage
of a lot of data — if the information isn’t correctly managed.

If utilized accurately, data can make our lives more fruitful and less
stressful, our diets healthier, and our schools more effective.

Understanding and absorbing data can be done easily in the following

steps:

● Break data into smaller pieces: large pieces of information can be

difficult to understand and may seem ambiguous. Learn to break
them into the smallest possible units.

● Transform data into something new: whenever a new situation

arises, transform it into something new. Make sense of all the data
that comes at you every day, and try to create something unique
from it.

Your choices in life determine how much success you will make, so see
every situation as a new opportunity to learn and make a change. We live
in a time when data is abundant, inexpensive to analyze, and easier to
translate into action than ever before. Smartphones, digital databases,

184
 websites, and apps make information to be easily accessible. But it only
becomes beneficial if we know how to make sense of it.

Conclusion

Ordinary people do ordinary things. But you do not want to be ordinary.

You want to be successful, so you need to go the extra mile. The secret
to becoming smarter, better, and faster is doing what other people will not
think to do and considering the “small” things. These seemingly “small”
things can change your life.

Productivity is about identifying choices that other people often overlook.

The way you choose to see your own life, the stories you tell yourself, and
the goals you push yourself to spell out in detail; the culture you establish
among teammates; the ways you frame your choices and manage the
information in your life. Productive people ensure that they make choices
most people are content to ignore.

Productivity emerges when we become deliberate about thinking

differently. It doesn’t suggest that every action is efficient nor does it mean
that waste will never happen. In fact, sometimes creativity is born out of
tension. Also, occasionally a misstep is the most significant footfall along
the path to success. But in the long run, if you learn how to identify certain
choices that might not be obvious to many, then you can become smarter,
faster, and better as time goes on.

Anyone can become more focused, more creative, better at constructing

their goals and making smart decisions. Teams can be educated on
how to learn more from mistakes, or use anxiety to their advantage, or
use misspent hours as lessons that gets them closer to their goals.

185
 You can be successful; you have everything you need.

Try this:

Write these 8 secrets (motivation, teams, focus, goal setting, managing

others, decision making, innovation, and absorbing data) and place them
somewhere visible. Be more conscious of your decisions and measure
your daily progress using the SMART goals — specific, measurable,
achievable, realistic and timebound — approach for your stretch goal.

186
 Finish:

Give Yourself the Gift of Done

Jon Acuff

Read to boost:
Timeliness

Performance

Setting priorities

Immersion

What’s in there for me?

In Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done, New York Times best-selling
author Jon Acuff shows chronic starters how to actualize their goals in this
age of infinite distractions and endless opportunities. In this summary, you
will learn how to move past "the day after perfect," get focused, and
actualize your goals, which will allow you to short-circuit perfectionism and
make it through to the end of every task and project.

Make sure that what you’re “Perfectionism will do all it can to

chasing is actually what you knock you off your feet when you
want to catch. work on a goal.”

GO!

and get it

187 in 15-min!
 1. To start getting things done, you have to embrace
imperfection

If you ask most people the reason why they gave up on their goals, they’ll
probably give the same excuse: “I fell behind and couldn’t get back on
track.” “Life got in the way, and my plans got derailed.” The words might
be different, but they’re all saying the same redundant thing: “When it
stopped being perfect, I stopped, too.”

They missed one day of their diet and then decided the whole thing was
a stupid idea. They were too busy to write one day, so they put their
unfinished book back on the shelf.

The first lie perfectionism tells people about goals is this: quit if it isn’t
perfect.

Nobody wants "good enough" anymore. We all want to achieve excellent

results on any goals we set, especially if they are goals we've thought
about for any amount of time. We will be more than ready to give up the
whole thing when we find out we've made a mistake. More than that, the
fear of imperfection will make some give up even before they've begun.
The problem is that perfectionism magnifies your mistakes and minimizes
your progress. It does not believe in incremental success.

According to Jon Acuff, 92% of resolutions fail because people always aim
for something better when they set a goal. We want to look better. We
want to feel better. But then better turns into best because we don’t want
small growth. We want huge, overnight success.

Your goal will not be perfect. You'll experience one or two failures along
the line, but that is okay. Doing something imperfectly won’t kill you.

188
 Moreover, developing a tolerance for imperfection is the key to going from
being a chronic starter to being a consistent finisher.

The less you aim for perfection, the more productive you become.

In life, the road to accomplishment is filled with ups and downs. Some
days, you will have a smooth sail without a single impediment. Nothing
will stand in your way. On other days, some completely unforeseen,
abrupt situation will cross your path and frustrate you.

You must learn to move forward imperfectly. The fact that you had a less
than perfect day doesn't mean you've failed. No. You get to try again —
today, tomorrow, next week until you reach the finish line.

2. Increase your chance of success by cutting your goals in

half

Our innate perfectionism tends to push us to supersize our goals. It gives

us this "go big or go home" mentality and makes us feel bad whenever we
set small goals.

Once you've set an audacious and unrealistic goal, the perfectionist in you
kicks in and says you have to do it perfectly. And if you feel you can't do
it perfectly, you'll tell yourself it's better to quit now instead of wasting your
time and failing in the end.

The second lie of perfectionism: Your goal should be bigger.

The truth is, the bigger and more overly ambitious a goal is, the likelier it
is that you will get overwhelmed halfway through and abandon it. Many
people fail at their goals because humans tend to set foolishly optimistic
goals. We all fall prey to what scientists call the “planning fallacy.”

189
 Planning fallacy is our innate tendency to display an optimism bias and
underestimate the time needed to complete a future task.

People tend to overestimate what they can accomplish in a set period of

time. When they fail to hit the massive goal, it leads to discouragement,
which results in people quitting and never finishing.

The remedy? Cut your goal by 50%. This is a counterintuitive approach to

achievement, and it's not the same as doing half the work. In fact, cutting
your goal in half will encourage you to do more and achieve more.

For instance, if your goal was to lose 10 pounds and you lost only eight,
you would have failed by two pounds. If you’d cut the goal in half to five
pounds and then lost 8, you’d have been a lot more likely to continue
because of your initial victory.

“Goals are a marathon, not a sprint.” ~ Jon Acuff

If you can get yourself to do a little one month and win, you’re more likely
to do a little more the next month and win even more.

What if your goal can't be halved? Say you have to pay down $50,000 in
credit card debt, and paying just $25,000 is not an option? If you can't cut
your goal by 50%, you should double the timeline allotted to achieving it.

Ask yourself: “What’s the worst that would happen if you cut your goal in
half or give yourself more time?” The truth is, the world won't fall apart if
you started small or it took longer. You’ll only increase your chance of
success.

Did you know? In a survey conducted by Jon Acuff, those who cut their
goal in half increased their performance from past similar goal-related
challenges on average by over 63%.

190
 3. Use strategic incompetence to prioritize your strength
and focus on the right things

The only way to achieve a new goal is to feed it our most valuable
resource: time. And even though we don't like to admit it, when we give
time to something, we're simultaneously taking it from something else. To
be good at one thing, you have to be bad at something else. This brings
us to the third lie of perfectionism: you can do it all.

The truth is, nobody can do it all. Though we know this deep down, there’s
still a part of us, a part run by shame, that thinks we’re one or two apps
away from doing it all.

This is why most people are always reading books about time
management. Perhaps if they approached the day just a little differently
or combined an audiobook with the treadmill while also flossing, they
could manage to get it all done. But it's all a lie. You can’t get it all done.
In fact, you can’t even get most of it done. And the earlier you admit that
fact, the better.

You’ve most probably spent most of your life choosing to do more than is
possible and blaming yourself for your inability to keep up. The worst part
of trying too much is that when one of the things you're trying to juggle at
once fails, you feel ashamed and abandon the whole goal altogether. You
feel ashamed and give up when you realize you can't do it all.

If you’re going to avoid the shame trap, you need to decide ahead of time
which activities in your life you can be bad at.

Josh Davis, author of the book “Two Awesome Hours,” calls this “strategic
incompetence.”

191
 Strategic incompetence is the act of admitting you don’t have time to do
everything, and something will be deliberately overlooked during this
season of your life.

Strategic incompetence means deciding ahead of time that you don’t care
about how bushy your lawn is or how congested your inbox gets.

When Jon Acuff started to work on his goals more aggressively and chose
to be bad at four things: Keeping up with TV conversations, Snapchat,
email, and mowing his lawn. For Jon, strategic incompetence meant
making peace with these four things so that he can have time for the things
that really matter.

To start practicing strategic incompetence, spend a few minutes thinking

through your day. Identify the things that are not essential to your goal and
choose to be bad at them. This will help you prioritize your strength and
help you focus on doing the things that will make it easier to hit your goal.

4. If you’re going to finish, you have to identify your hiding

places and ignore them at all cost

At the beginning of any goal, perfectionism focuses on destroying it. It tells

you that you should quit if the goal isn't perfect. It says your goal isn’t big
enough. It criticizes you for even thinking about making it fun.

However, if you hold on and refuse to allow perfectionism to destroy your

goal, it will change tactics to try to distract you. The closer you get to
finishing, the more interesting everything else in your life becomes.
Suddenly, it’s as if you’ve put on distraction goggles.

192
 Things you never noticed pop up and dance tantalizingly across your
vision. "Wouldn’t it be better to organize your bookshelf than finish that
project?" "Have you shared a nice Instagram post in a while?" When we
dare to focus, a thousand other things beg for our attention.

When trying to distract us, perfectionism offers us hiding places.

A hiding place is a safe haven you go to hide from your fear of making
mistakes. It is something that lets you get your dose of perfectionism by
making you feel successful even as you avoid your goal. For instance, if
you’re binging shows on Netflix when you're meant to be doing something
productive, that’s a hiding place. You’re afraid to face reality, so you’re
hiding from it by doing something that requires no skill.

A hiding place is an activity you focus on instead of your goal.

However, some hiding places can camouflage themselves as productivity.

They make you feel like you’re doing well when in reality, you’re not getting
anywhere on your most important projects.

Whenever Jon Acuff is trying to avoid writing, he turns to his inbox and
starts responding to his previously unread emails. Sure, replying to emails
feels like something productive, but it's not a wise way to spend your time
if you have an important project to complete.

“Goals are simple but they are not easy. You must leave your hiding
places.” ~ Jon Acuff

If you’re going to finish, you have to identify your hiding places, take the
time, energy, and money you’re spending in the hiding place, and spend
them on the activities that help you meet your goals.

193
 If you want to write a book, do the things it takes to write a book. Like
every human being on earth, you have a limited amount of time, energy,
and money. Try as much as possible to use yours doing the things that
matter.

5. Discard the secret rules that are secretly holding you back

To finally get rid of perfectionism, you must rid yourself of some of your
preconceived notions about goals, success, and life in general. If you like,
you can learn a million strategies and tricks on how to finish, but if you’re
taking them into a mind full of irrelevant biases, none of it matters.

These personal biases with which most of us approach life are what Jon
Acuff calls “secret rules.” Essentially, secret rules are the ideas that we
carry around in our heads that aren't true and get in our way in life.

Secret rules are the invisible scripts that prevent us from taking
appropriate actions in any given situation.

That friend of yours who has stayed engaged to her abusive boyfriend for
nine years believes the secret rule that she doesn’t deserve better. That
family member who hates his job but doesn’t feel qualified for anything
else — his secret rule tells him he’s lucky anyone would hire him at all.

In our society today, secret rules come in different names. Some call them
baggage, and some refer to them as limiting beliefs. No matter the name
we choose to call secret rules, however, the fact remains that they make
the lives of people who hold them miserable. And it would be useless to
learn a thousand ways to finish when your secret rule is going to trip you
five feet from the finish line every time.

194
 To deal with our secret rules, Jon Acuff suggests we do three things:

● Identify them

● Destroy them

● Replace them

The problem with secret rules is that they’re often buried deep within us,
hidden by years and years of misbelief. You don’t even know you’re
following them. In the next chapter, we will take a look at how we can
identify and discard secret rules.

6. Identifying your secret rules requires you to do some

mindful soul searching

To really smoke out your secret rules, ask yourself these four questions:

1. Do I even like this goal I’m pursuing?

The favorite secret rule of perfectionism is: “Only miserable, difficult goals
count.” This is the rule that drives every person who jogs to lose weight
when they would really rather be doing Zumba, but it’s too fun and easy
to count as a goal.

Don’t wait to be honest with yourself if you realize you no longer like what
you’re working on. Don’t let perfectionism keep you stuck.

2. What’s my real goal?

If you’re not excited about your goal right now, ask yourself, “What’s my
real goal?” As you progress with your goal, try as much as possible to

195
 come back to this gut-check question because it’s really easy to get off
track despite your best intentions.

Make sure that what you’re chasing is actually what you want to catch.

3. Does the method I’m using match who I am?

A very common secret rule is, “What I’m naturally talented at doesn’t
count.” Perfectionism likes to make us assume that if something comes
easily or comfortably, it must not be good. The moment people start
believing perfectionism’s lie that things that come naturally are cheating,
they’re doomed to pursue difficult goals they’re sure to quit. If you don’t
have a lot of joy in your goal right now, make sure you’re using a method
that plays to your strengths.

Pursuing the right goal the wrong way will land you in the wrong place.

4. Is it time to quit?

Another secret rule that perfectionism likes a lot is “Winners never quit.”
Of course, they do! People quit stupid things all the time. We’re often so
wrapped up in our secret rules that we find it difficult to see that quitting
might be the best option for us.

Finishing a goal you absolutely hate isn’t a win.

What are your secret rules? Perhaps you believed your dad when he told
you that your degree in creative arts would never make money. Maybe a
friend's offhand comment about your looks years ago has mutated into a
secret rule you still live with every time you look in the mirror.

“Winners never quit!’ might look good on a poster, but it’s actually a lie
and a dangerous secret rule.” ~ Jon Acuff

196
 Whatever your secret rules are, identify them and kill them all today. If you
don't examine yourself mindfully, you may assume that your failures to
meet your goals are due to your laziness or bad strategy, when in reality,
they are caused by the secret rules that make your finishes impossible.

Conclusion

Starting a new goal is easy, but finishing it is hard. The reason why most
people never see their goals through to the end is not laziness, lack of
passion, or lack of strategy, but perfectionism. Whenever we set out to
achieve a goal, perfectionism comes at us from all angles trying to destroy
the goal or make us ignore it halfway. It makes us believe that anything
less than perfect is a failure and that fun and easy goals don't count.

Perfectionism says your goal isn’t big enough and criticizes you for even
trying to play to your strengths. To go from being a chronic starter to being
a finisher, you must stop letting perfectionism have its way with you. You
must learn to move forward imperfectly. The fact that your day didn’t go
according to plan doesn’t mean you've failed. You get to try again until
you reach the finish line. As we discussed in the summary, here are some
tips that can help you reach the finish line:

● Embrace imperfection

● Halve your goals

● Be deliberately bad at some things

● Make your goals fun

● Destroy your hiding places

197
 ● Discard your hidden rules

Try this:

Think about some of your secret rules and write them down. Write the
truth next to each secret rule. Create a new rule to replace the old one.

198
 15 Secrets Successful
People Know About Time
Management

Kevin Kruse
Read to boost:
Planning

Stress relief

Setting boundaries

Assertiveness

What’s in there for me?

From New York Times bestselling author, Kevin Kruse, discover the secrets
the world's most successful billionaires, Olympic athletes, top students,
and go-getting entrepreneurs use daily to allow them to dedicate time to
themselves, without an ounce of guilt. Learn with ease how to work
smarter, harder, and understand that your personal time is just as important
as your work time.

Stop trying to achieve “There will always be more to do,

perfection that doesn’t and always more that can be done.”
exist. Take some time out
for yourself and the
significant things

GO!

and get it

199 in 15-min!
 1. Time management is a concept that could change your
life
There are 1440 minutes in every single day, and whether you’re a
millionaire, unemployed, a student, or anything else, we all have the same
amount of time. We run around not noticing what we’re doing, unbeknown
to the fact that we’re wasting precious time. What do you do with your
1440 minutes? 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time
Management unlocks the door to less procrastination and a more
productive lifestyle.

Kevin Kruse tells the story of when he worked in management, and he

found that he never really had the time to focus on his job because there
was a knock at the door every 5 minutes from someone asking, “have you
got a minute”? In the end, he taped “1440” on the door as a reminder to
himself about the value of time. By doing this, he taught himself to use
every minute wisely. Maybe that’s something you could do!

You do not get to take a minute back if you use it poorly; it’s time to think
about how you regularly utilize your time and whether you should be
spending it in a better way. Do you spend too much time at work when
you should be spending time with your children?

Think about how you spend your days; could you spend more time with
family or doing things you love? Use your time carefully and get more out
of it.

You can do a lot in just one minute, e.g., send a text to someone you care
about, drink a glass of water to rehydrate your body, water a plant, and
enhance its chances of survival. It’s all about how you focus on each
minute, and successful people understand this very concept. This
summary helps you to learn how to make the most of the time you have,

200
 effectively giving you more hours in every single day. Is that something
you need? Keep reading to know more.

“Time is your most valuable and scarcest resource.” ~ Kevin Kruse

2. Effective time management is all about priorities

Do you know what your main goals are? If not, it’s time to sit down and
identify them. From there, you need to place your MIT, which is your “most
important task.” By focusing on this, you’re more likely to work towards
what you want.

An important task is time-sensitive or something which you need to

complete to make progress with a larger task.

Many people agree that those who have a daily MIT achieve greater
happiness levels and have more energy. So, what can you do today which
will take you closer to your overall goal? Understanding this point, knowing
that it is going to set you on the path towards what you want, will make it
harder to avoid doing it.

Kevin Kruse also suggests performing your MIT as early in the morning
as possible, as most people are at their best in the morning, cognitively
speaking. However, everyone has an individually productive time. Keep a
diary and work out when you are at your most productive. Then, schedule
in your most focused tasks for those times to make the most of the hours
you have.

Did you know? Eat The Frog is a time management technique that means
you identify the task you don’t like or don’t want to do, and you get it out
of the way first thing in the morning.

201
 3. To-do lists aren’t the most productive way forward

Do you regularly write to-do lists? If so, it’s time to stop! Do you see multi-
millionaires walking around with a to-do list, ticking off items as they go?
No! To-do lists stress you out and cause you to remember all the things
you need to do but don’t currently have the time for. It creates a vicious
circle of negative thinking which won’t get you anywhere in life.

It’s a far better option to try scheduling or other time management

techniques. When you schedule, you book time in your diary to actually
complete the task. You’re not just scribbling it down on a piece of paper
and then forgetting about it. Instead, you look at your schedule and you
find a suitable time to complete it.

When using this technique, it’s important to be realistic. Don’t try and cram
too much into one day because that will simply lead to disappointment and
stress when you don’t manage to finish everything you planned. Also
remember to schedule for any travel you need to do, or any elements of
the task that need to be considered timewise.

The reason that to-do lists don’t work is that they make it too easy to
procrastinate. You’re simply writing it down and telling yourself that you’re
going to complete it at some point in the future. You don’t specify when
and you don’t make a plan. By doing that, it’s very easy to just say “oh, I’ll
do it tomorrow”, and then when tomorrow comes, you just put it off for
another day, and another day. The cycle continues!

Avoid putting things off. Procrastination is the root cause of stress! Be

realistically focused and scheduled.

202
 4. It’s time to kick procrastination out of your life

Procrastination is the enemy of productivity and occurs when you put off
specific tasks to do more fun or more straightforward tasks. It’s effortless
to procrastinate in this day and age, thanks to the constant lure of social
media, but procrastination isn’t about laziness; it’s about a lack of
motivation.

Kevin Kruse suggests the “time travel” method for avoiding

procrastination. This involves doing battle with your future self, someone
who is far more likely to procrastinate. Your future self is likely to sabotage
your best efforts to plan and get things done. For instance, your present
self might plan to avoid eating junk food for a week because you want to
be healthier and perhaps lose a little weight.

It would help if you counteract the actions of your future self by thinking
about what you might do, e.g., you might eat junk food in the kitchen at 2
am because you’re hungry. In that case, you can avoid that sabotage by
getting rid of all the junk food in the house. This theory can quickly be
adopted for scheduling and tasks you need to complete.

Procrastination can become addictive. Yet, having more to do the

following day will give you a major headache.

A few other methods Kevin Kruse suggests are:

● Focus on what you will get from doing the task and think about the
pain or stress you will feel from not doing it. Visualize the bad
feelings, and you will find the motivation you need

● Find an “accountability partner,” e.g., someone you can perform the

task with and gain motivation from them

203
 ● Reward yourself for tasks completed, but also punish yourself when
you don’t do something

● Kick out perfectionism and learn to do just enough

Did you know? A little procrastination can be used as motivation, but too
much and it becomes a problem.

5. When it’s time to leave the office, make sure you leave

Most people struggle to leave the office on time without feeling a

tremendous amount of guilt, usually due to the thing they haven’t yet
completed. By staying at work late, you’re eating into the time you should
be spending with your children, family, friends, etc., and you’re also not
dedicating enough time to yourself. It’s essential, therefore, to learn how
to leave the office on time and not feel guilty about it.

“There will always be more to do, and always more that can be done.”
~ Kevin Kruse

You’ll quickly learn that staying until midnight every day will still not give
you the feeling of accomplishment you’re blindly chasing because there
will always be something else to do in addition. You cannot be everything
to everyone, and you cannot achieve perfection. Understanding these
concepts will allow you to kick out the guilt and acquire a quality home and
work-life balance.

Spending time with family and friends is vitally important to overall health
and wellbeing. If you spend every waking hour at work trying to finish off
a seemingly never-ending to-do list, you’re going to feel like you’re
swimming in mud. It’s not possible to concentrate when you don’t take a

204
 break. Everyone needs to spend time at home, do the things they enjoy,
and basically switch off and just “be!”

Stop trying to achieve perfection that doesn’t exist. Take some time out
for yourself and the significant things

6. The humble notebook is your friend

How often do you come up with ideas that you try and remember but
ultimately end up forgetting? Richard Branson, one of the most successful
entrepreneurs of our time and the founder of the Virgin Group, always has
a notebook in his pocket. When he has an idea, he scribbles it down, and
that way, he never forgets anything.

How do you know that the idea you came up with and forgot wasn’t a vast
life-changing idea that could have been developed further? You don’t! By
writing things down, you’re taking that thought out of your brain, keeping
it safe, but you’re also freeing up significant space for other ideas and in-
depth thinking. When you’re trying to remember something, it’s almost
impossible to focus on anything else.

Keep a notebook in your pocket and jot down any ideas as they come to
you. Some may turn out to be unimportant, but some might be vital!

The Greek shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, does precisely the same
thing as Branson, proving this is a great productivity and memory-boosting
tip. It’s a good idea to give your brain a break now and again, and jotting
down things you don’t want to forget takes a literal load off your mind.

Kevin Kruse recommends using a manual notebook and pen and not an
app on a device, as this will allow you to add more detail and scribble

205
 down raw thoughts and ideas easier. There is also something far more
organic about writing something down manually; the act itself cements the
intention that this thought might be something essential and that you need
to come back to it at a later time.

Did you know? Research on the Forgetting Curve shows that it takes most
people one hour to forget something they’ve just learned.

7. Free yourself from your email obsession

How many times per day do you check your email inbox? You could be
wasting hours! By constantly checking your inbox, you’re wasting time,
and you could be doing something truly productive.

A study by the McKinsey Global Institute revealed that office workers

spend around 2.6 hours reading and answering messages from their
inboxes every day. That’s a considerable amount!

Checking your emails too much damages your productivity. Reduce the
amount of time you check your inbox and streamline your daily activities.

Kevin Kruse suggests the 321 Zero method for reducing the amount of
time you spend checking your emails. This involves deciding upon 3 times
every day when you’re going to regularly check your inbox, accounting for
the “3” in the name. From there, you’re going to set the timer on your
phone or another device for 21 minutes, accounting for the “21”. You’re
going to spend no more than those 21 minutes processing your emails.
The zero stands for the fact that you’re aiming to get your emails down to
zero within that time.

Alongside that method, you should think about the 4 Ds:

206
 ● Do it

● Delegate it

● Defer it

● Delete it

Choose one and move on to the next email.

By focusing on how much time you’re checking your emails and working
to reduce it, you free up time to do all the things you couldn’t get around
to before. Emails can also quickly sabotage your day by sending you down
a different route. You may open an email that is of virtually no importance
but feel you need to reply and then end up having a day-long conversation
with a client about something which could have waited.

8. Do you really need that meeting?

Nobody loves meetings, and they’re often a waste of time. Most meetings
go on for too long, the discussion gets sidetracked, the wrong people are
invited, and final decisions aren’t made. A 2015 survey by Clarizan
revealed that 35% of people believed their weekly meetings at work were
a waste of time. That’s a lot of wasted hours you could be spending in
better ways.

Meetings are often unnecessary and take too long. Work out other ways
to communicate more effectively.

Mark Cuban, the hugely successful businessman and owner of the Dallas
Mavericks, has a rule that means he never goes to meetings unless
someone will be writing a check. He picks the most important and says

207
 “no” to the others. Co-founder of Facebook, Dustin Moskovitz, has a day
per week when he refuses to go to meetings.

Steve Jobs had stand-up meetings, working with the findings in the
Journal of Psychology which states that sit-down meetings are up to 34%
longer and yield no better results than stand-up meetings, which are
always shorter. Richard Branson is another lover of the stand-up meeting
technique.

Walking or standing meetings have been used as a successful

productivity tool by many big-name business entrepreneurs.

By standing up or walking while discussing an issue, you’re far more likely

to get to the crux of the situation. Nobody wants to be that active for longer
than necessary! Be sure to have a notebook handy to scribble down
anything you need to do on the way, and be mindful of discussing sensitive
issues while outdoors, e.g., walking meetings.

9. It’s time to learn how to say “no”

Saying “yes” to everything will eat into your time in a big way, leaving you
no time for the things which matter. We’re constantly connected to the
world via social media and email, and that makes it even easier to give in
to temptation and agree to everything. If you want to find more hours in
the day and get more done, you need to learn how to say “no.

“Focusing is about saying no.” ~ Steve Jobs

Saying “no” is something most of us struggle to do. Still, it is a word which

can create success. By saying “yes” to everything, you’re saying “no” to
something else, possibly something very worthwhile or essential, such as

208
 spending time with your family. This is about priorities, something which
was touched upon a little earlier.

Learn to say “no” to things you don’t want to do or don’t have the time to
do.

It’s easy to say “no” the more you practice, and you can do it in a polite
way, which doesn’t burn bridges or hurt anyone’s feelings.

Alongside this, the Pareto Principle is something you can try. This is a
method which many successful people implement to utilize their time
better, and it was discovered by Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto, a
famous economist, and philosopher in the 1800s. Pareto found that 80%
of the results come from just 20% of the action or effort. This is and effort
but still get the results you want.

For instance, in the business world, you could stop doing business with
80% of your least profitable clients and instead focus on the 20% who
regularly place large orders and remain loyal to you. As a freelancer, you
could stop working with 80% of clients who pay very little or always pay
late and focus on the 20% of clients who regularly communicate and
always pay on time. You can use this principle for any task, be it in the
workplace or your personal life.

10. Try the 3 D’s to boost productivity

You should ask yourself 3 questions that will allow you to boost your
productivity levels beyond your imagination. They are:

● Drop ― What can I drop or stop doing altogether?

● Delegate ― What can I outsource or delegate to someone else?

209
 ● (Re) Design ― What can I continue doing but do in a more time-

efficient way?

Kruse suggests outsourcing tasks that you don’t have the time for or
functions that you don’t necessarily need to oversee yourself. This frees
up time for you to focus on other areas but still gets the job done. There
are three reasons not to outsource, however — when you enjoy doing a
job, continuing the task yourself is part of your values or goals, and when
it will cost you more to outsource than to do it yourself.

You should also ask yourself whether you often go back to the same task
in a day. Perhaps you start something, become distracted, and then go
back to it later, only for the same pattern to occur. Successful people have
a “touch it once” mentality. This means they focus on the task once, do
what they have to do with it, and then move on to the next one. This can
free up a considerable amount of time and mental energy.

Multitasking wastes time; it doesn’t save it.

If you have a task that will take you less than 5 minutes, do it immediately.
If you have a list of tasks to complete, work through them methodically,
do what needs to be done, and then put it down and move on to the next
one. This way, you’re actioning tasks constantly, without going back to
them two, three, or even more times.

Conclusion

We all have the same amount of time every single day, but it is what you
do with it that counts. By understanding how to utilize the time you have
and how to adopt the right mindset, you will be able to achieve far more

210
 in the hours you have and still have time for yourself and the things you
want to do in your personal life. Remember, your personal life is
meaningful too!

Being productive isn’t about working every hour sent your way; it’s about
streamlining and working smarter rather than harder. Some of the world’s
big-named entrepreneurs have worked out their secrets and stick to them
daily. It’s time for you to learn yours by taking Kruse’s advice.

Procrastination is a significant issue in most lives, but by learning how to

overcome it, you can unlock endless amounts of time that you didn’t
realize you had. A high-quality home and working life balance is
something we should all aspire to, and that doesn’t mean working every
single hour that heads your way or avoiding work at all costs.

Balance means enjoying life and working in a role that you find challenging
and enjoyable too. It sounds like a complex blend to achieve, but it’s far
easier than you might think.

To-do lists need to be thrown out of the window. Instead, schedule

realistically and effectively, setting a time when you’ll actually complete
the task. Time management isn’t a boring subject, it’s one which will help
you to be more in control of your day, and as a result, more confident and
healthier too.

Remember that feeling of being overwhelmed with work and turn it on its
head; why not feel totally in control instead?

211
 Try this:

● Throw out your to-do list and find a quality calendar app or software
package

● Create a morning routine, consisting of one hour, which focuses on

you and your personal development

● Start to say “no” to things you cannot do, don’t want to do, or don’t
have the time to do

212
 The 1% Rule:

How to Fall in Love with the Process

and Achieve Your Wildest Dreams

Tommy Baker

Read to boost:
Commitment

Self-engagement

Motivation

Fulfilment

What’s in there for me?

In the 1% rule, Tommy Baker, writer, speaker, author, coach, and host of the
Resist Average Academy podcast, argues that we need to debunk some
common myths about success. He claims we need to develop a lifelong
mindset that allows for incredible achievement and a deep-rooted
fulfillment regarding the basic human desire of wanting to be better today
than we were yesterday.

The 1% Rule states that 1% “We don’t rise to the level of our
progress plus daily expectations; we fall to the level of
application, persistence and our training.”
time equals success.

GO!

and get it

213 in 15-min!
 1. The core principles of those who execute ruthlessly can
help you close the gap between where you are and where
you want to be

So many great people with amazing intentions never move the needle
long enough to produce results. They retreat to their normal routine and
cannot achieve their health and relationship goals. Far too many people
fail to gather the momentum they need to truly live and be alive.

“The 1% Rule was born from watching so many great people with amazing
intentions never move the needle long enough to produce results.”
~ Tommy Baker

Gradually, their dreams fade away and they remain stuck for years on
end. Eventually, they tell themselves that they were destined to stay the
same. Should this be?

If you find that you are out of touch with your dreams, there is hope. There
is a better way to close the gap between where you care today and where
you believe you’re able to go. “The 1% Rule” helps you gain a new
perspective, release the immense pressure you’ve put on yourself, and
gives you a system you can use for the rest of your life.

In this summary, you’ll find out why some people achieve massive
success in everything they do while others can’t lift a finger. You’ll discover
what separates those who get excited and inspired for a season, and
those who are consistently fired up. You will learn the differences in the
behavioral patterns of those who execute ruthlessly and those who remain
on the sidelines.

214
 By freeing ourselves from the crucial yet common myths that have held
us back and embracing certain core principles, we can step into a place
of powerful execution.

If applied, these principles will help you experience a shift in your life. You
will let go of the old patterns of thinking and doing you’ve created and step
into new realities and experiences. Whatever your context may be —
physical health, transformational experience, entrepreneurship and the
principles of wealth production — you’ll realize that nothing separates us
from those we admire and look up to at the top of the mountain.

2. Deeply rooted in our culture is a myth that success is a

momentary experience that happens overnight

The success myth makes us believe that if we don’t get what we want
when we want to get it, then it is probably not for us. Social media pictures,
magazine covers, and the movies we watch all reinforce this myth.

There are a host of other myths that have also seeped into our minds
making it difficult for us to be truly great. They include:

● The expectation myth

● The be-all, end-all myth

● The perfect-timing myth

● The challenge myth

We have high expectations of ourselves and everyone else. So, at the first
sign of struggle, we tend to give up. When we set out on a new venture,
we feel pumped and fired up for the task ahead but this steam is lost when

215
 we don’t get results. What’s worse is that we blame others for not getting
results.

“The first iteration of your goals is never the end result — the magic is in
the pivot.” ~ Tommy Baker

In life, growth, success, and achievement are not linear. Life is messy,
unpredictable, and chaotic. While we are in the mess, we question
everything. When we come out on the other side, we realize that those
things were meant to happen.

We need to alter the mechanisms we have built around success to make

it easier to find a more fulfilling path.

Those who have successfully disrupted the industries they are in

experienced a life-altering pivot outside their expectation. YouTube,
Instagram, and Flickr are massive companies now who did not get it right
the first time.

Without starting and jumping into the cold water, you’ll never clearly see
the pivot and the opportunity in front of you, no matter what area of life
you’re in.

The 1% Rule helps you to set expectations designed to serve you and
create the awareness of the pivots leading to your ultimate success.
Instead of taking the path of least resistance, you can rewire your mind
and begin to recognize adversity as a catalyst for progress.

Did you know? YouTube started as a video dating site but pivoted when it
realized people wanted to share content instead. Instagram started as a
digital check-in app but pivoted when it discovered people loved taking
pictures of where they checked in.

216
 3. The perception of progress is the one undeniable
motivational force that keeps us inspired and on track

Extrinsic motivation from YouTube videos, seminars, or visualizations are

usually short-lived. Unfortunately, we look to these sources to stay
motivated because we have false expectations, a distorted sense of
reality, or use failures as proof that we’re not worthy of accomplishing our
goals. Consequently, we are held back from our goals.

But when we feel we’re moving forward in life, we stay motivated. A

research finding published in Harvard Business Review in 2011 found that
making progress in meaningful work is the single most important
motivation for knowledge workers.

Everyday progress, no matter how small, is the greatest source of

motivation to stay on course.

It is also the basis of the 1% Rule. The Japanese philosophy of “kaizen”

— continuous improvement over the long haul solidifies this rule.

The 1% Rule states that 1% progress plus daily application, persistence

and time equals success.

Mathematically, this can be expressed as:

1% progress + consistency + focus + endurance = success

When you focus on small daily action tied to the larger vision, you will feel
invigorated and inspired but when you focus on the end result, chances
are you will feel depleted and suffer from paralysis by analysis.

The 1% Rule is a universal force that creates exponential growth designed

to transcend space and time. 1% daily improvement, when combined with
consistency, persistence, and time, does not produce 365% increase at

217
 the end of the year. Instead, it compounds and produces a 3700%
increase.

It means you can be 37 times better in your physical vitality, business,

relationship, and spiritual connection by the end of the year.

4. While many people understand the value of

compounding, what they lack is the key integration piece
that helps create a system that works

Integration is the process of going from knowing to doing and, ultimately,

to being. Without it, we remain stuck in a world of intellectually knowing —
but nothing else. Learning must go through the three processes of
knowing, doing, and being before personal development can take place.

Knowing is the starting point. You learn a concept intellectually. Doing is

where you put all your knowing into practice. This is where you face
challenges, adversity, and carry out endless practice. Being is when the
concept becomes personified in you.

Mastery comes from deepening your skills by repeating the cycles of

knowing, doing, and being.

Take your grand vision and break it down to a level where the only option
is to execute. A strategic blueprint for consistently living in a world of doing
and being makes this possible.

To maximize every part of the 1% rule concept, the following code will
help:

● Fall in love with the process

218
 ● Do it every single day

● Celebrate your commitment

● Track your metrics and data

● Master your craft

Take some time to think about what has held you back from implementing
the powerful information you’ve consumed. What are you committed to
doing differently using the 1% Rule?

Despite the fact that we have more access to life-changing information

today, we have fewer results to show for it. What’s happening is that
people who are already stressed are given more activities to carry out to
lead a successful life. The result is that the foundation crumbles.

“The 1% Rule helps to build an unbreakable, undeniable foundation for

your life, stacking brick after brick until you’ve got a masterpiece.”
~ Tommy Baker

When you trust the process and embrace the daily consistency required
to build the foundation of your dreams, you’ll experience a shift in your life.
You’ll create an environment where there’s a deeper sense of knowing, a
grounded, rooted confidence and certainty about your path and how all
your dreams are slowly coming to life.

5. The 1% Rule teaches you to make small incremental

changes in your life

Commit to improving by 1% daily to become the kind of person you’ve

always dreamed of becoming. John Grisham is one of the world’s most

219
 prolific authors with over 45 titles to his name. He committed to writing at
least one page per day, no matter what happened. In doing this, he broke
down the enormous task of writing to the simplest common denominator.
A page per day equals about 200 words or 1000 words a week. Doing this
consistently for 2 years ensures you have a book ready.

We only truly value that which is earned — and specifically, that which we
earn through the process of becoming.

Earn, Process, and Becoming are 3 key words that form the prerequisite
for assigning value to our goals and outcomes. Anything we get easily is
hardly ever valued. The 1% Rule is about taking steps daily to reach the
version of yourself that is already out there waiting for you. It is about the
process of becoming, slowing going through a metamorphosis.

Change is uncomfortable but when you truly love who you’re becoming,
you become unstoppable.

To get started, you need to take a leap of faith. But this isn’t easy because
humans prefer to stay in what’s known and comfortable — even if it’s
painful. Fear of the unknown keeps us holding firmly to the familiar chaos
and mediocrity.

We have a limited vantage point. We have to see the unknown through

the frame of unlimited possibility — a place where anything can happen.
These require faith, trust, and a detachment from the external world. To
help us take a big leap, we need to get used to taking the small ones.
Faith is a muscle that must be built by repetition. The 1% Rule builds this
faith every day with micro-leaps and commitments so that when the big
leap moment appears, you’ll be ready.

220
 The 1% Rule is designed to cut out distractions and help you improve your
internal signaling system. You’ll know what to do in every single moment
because you’ve built an inner trust with yourself.

Take an objective inventory of your life. Be honest about where you are.
Score yourself on a scale of 1-10 in terms of your physical, financial,
social, and spiritual life.

6. Without a code — a foundational philosophy of virtues

and values — we crumble

Having a code establishes certainty and clarity around why we’re here in
the first place, while ensuring we’re going to last the test of time. The code
keeps you grounded throughout life’s challenges. A code reminds you of
where your intention, focus, and limited energy should go on a daily basis.

Living by a code simplifies your path and helps you overcome the problem
of indecision.

The 1% Rule has its own code which can become your foundation. It is a
5-step process that can help you become a master of anything. The steps,
as mentioned earlier, are:

● Fall in love with the process

● Do it every single day

● Celebrate your commitment

● Track your metrics and data

● Master your craft

221
 The first part of the rule is about falling in love with the process of
becoming who you desire to be. Most people give up on their goals just 2
days after making a decision. When we expect difficulties to happen, and
embrace them, it helps us stay on track.

Make progress that counts. It doesn’t matter how big or long you do what
you do. Do it daily. When you’re in love with the process, repeating it will
be easier. Most people give up right on the cusp of a massive
breakthrough, not because they don’t know how to succeed but because
they stop doing what they do.

“If you stay with it when it gets hard, you can have breakthroughs to new
levels in all areas of your life.” ~ Dan Millman

You can create your life instead of reacting to life or waiting to feel
inspired, excited, and ready by flexing the muscle of progress every day.

Celebrate your wins, no matter how small. Most of the wins in our lives go
unnoticed or unacknowledged. Celebrating micro-wins creates the
momentum and clarity required to get us to the more expansive wins and
outcomes we are chasing. It feeds our inner hero instead of our inner critic.

Tracking your metrics and data help you see the input and output of your
work. Tracking makes decision-making easy. You know when to pivot and
know what’s working or not working. A focus on metrics and data
combined with extreme levels of accountability makes it possible to create
a strategy and game plan as we grow.

222
 7. Regardless of what your craft may be, the mindset and
components of mastery are proven to transcend skill and
scope

The last part of the code that forms the foundation of the 1% Rule is a
commitment to mastery. Mastering your craft is about having the patient
to develop the crucial components it takes to achieve success in life. Your
ability to focus on a specific craft will separate you from your competition.
There are some crucial components to mastering your craft.

● Deliberate practice that gets you into the discomfort zone where real
growth takes place

● Invest thousands of hours in sharpening your skills

● Long-term consistency keeps you going when it becomes boring

● Choose one thing to master and step into it every single day

The number one obstacle that stands between people and their dreams
is a lack of focus.

While many people are busy, they are not productive. This lack of
productivity is because of a lack of focus. The monkey mind makes it
extremely difficult to do deep work.

Engaging in deep work increases the quality of your output and increases
the level of your feelings of purpose and fulfillment. Our minds will use any
excuse to avoid deep work, but if you harness it, you’ll blow the lid open
on what’s possible for you to accomplish.

To harness the power of focus, you need to apply some non-negotiable

rules.

223
 ● Create ruthless boundaries

● Double your rate of saying “No”

● Commit to a practice

Focus requires high amounts of attention and it needs to be tracked. The

Pomodoro technique, popularized by Francesco Cirilo, is based on
performing 25 minutes of completely undistracted work, followed by a 5-
minute break. That’s one Pomodoro. After doing 4 cycles of Pomodoro,
you’ll take a 15 to 20-minute break.

For starters, you can try one Pomodoro time block daily on your career,
for a passion, or to sharpen a skill. It is not going to be easy because habit
change requires rewiring the neural connections that have been
established by your current set of habits and rituals.

8. Persistence is the grit beneath clarity and inspiration that

keeps you going long after the high of starting has worn off

Angela Duckworth, a researcher, psychologist, and author describes

persistence as “Grit” and defines it as the tendency to sustain interest in
and effort toward very long-term goals. Grit and persistence are qualities
that give meaning to our journey as we face challenges and tough
situations.

To cultivate persistence, you need to know where you are going. You must
be clear about why you do what you do. Next, understand the challenges
inherent in achieving your vision. There are some challenges you can
anticipate and there are those that show up once you’ve begun to move
in the direction of your goal.

224
 Reframe your challenges as opportunities to grow and double down on
your vision to flex the muscle of persistence.

Detach from your feelings so that you do not derail from the path you’ve
set for yourself. Feelings are important but they should not control your
ability to execute and follow through on your goals.

Have a burning desire that pulls at your heartstrings in a meaningful way.

Persistence grows from a deeply rooted “why”. While staying optimistic
and thinking positively are powerful forces, channeling the energy that
comes from those voices trying to stop you can also help build your
persistence muscle. Take time to think what it would mean if you fail to
continue on the path you have chosen.

When we truly, deeply, and authentically desire our visions, we will persist
in the face of extraordinary challenges. Take what you want to create as
seriously as life or death, because it is.

The number one enemy of persistence is complacency. This mindset

destroys persistence and leaves you scattered and spinning your wheels.
Without constantly challenging ourselves, we may end up retiring. The
problem with retirement is that it gives a false sense of security. A thriving,
energized person with a purpose can turn into a disease-filled person with
no zest.

Maximum growth happens at the intersection of support and challenge.

Challenge tells us who we are and provides meaning. The absence of

challenge is the beginning of complacency. Enthusiasm wanes when you
settle into complacency. Good is the enemy of great because it makes
you rest on your laurels and stop growing. It is meaningful work and

225
 progress that cultivates enthusiasm. Drive and ambition are the jet fuel
that keep you going over the long term.

If you can build the muscle of persistence during low-stakes situations, it’ll
become incredibly difficult to show up when the stakes are high. How you
do one thing is how you do everything.

“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our
training.” ~ Archilochus

9. Endurance separates the master from the masses and the

amateur from the professional

Endurance separates those who stay focused and persistent on a long

enough timeline to watch all their dreams come true. Understanding the
messiness of a committed life is crucial to your success and, ultimately, to
your ability to endure.

Behind every overnight success are years of focused effort, struggle,

challenge, and rejection.

Cultivating endurance is a choice. Commitment and expectation must be

properly combined to get to the sweet spot of success. Many people today
have high expectations whether it is in their marriage, business, or a skill
they are trying to acquire, but hardly match their commitments to these
expectations.

Each time you persist in the face of adversity, you build a confidence in
yourself that you will execute and grow when the chaos hits, and this will
serve you for the entire journey. Focus on the present and embrace the
current step.

226
 To endure, you need to fall in love with delayed gratification. We’re
unwilling to delay gratification of our most basic human desires. We come
up with excuses and circumstances to justify gratification but the truth is
that we can choose whether to satisfy it or delay it.

Don’t compare your start or middle to someone else’s ending, or you’ll

never endure. Our society is rigged to make our evolution and compare
ourselves with someone else. Psychologists have divided comparison into
2 buckets:

● Upward comparison

● Downward comparison

Upward comparison makes us compare ourselves to someone who we

perceive has accomplished more than us while downward comparison is
when we compare ourselves to others under the perception we’ve
accomplished more than they have.

A 2006 study shows that upward comparison leads to envy, reduced self-
esteem, or symptoms of depression. We simplify and forget the
complexity of other’s lives, and we rationalize why they were able to
experience success that we haven’t with words like “They got lucky,
they’re not talented”, “They came from money, so everything is easy for
them”, “Their parents must have connected them to that person, and that’s
why they’re successful.”

This perception is highly disempowering and can be reframed to show us

what’s possible for our own lives. Your exact mix of background,
environment, family, brain chemicals, and way of viewing the world is
100% unique.

227
 Did you know? The Badwater Ultramarathon is 135 miles long and it is
known to be the toughest footrace on the planet.

Conclusion

What can you execute right now that will prove that your outcome and
vision are not only possible, but coming true? Answering this question with
intention will open up your world and give you clarity. Your left and right
brain will be engaged to come up with a logical, yet creative solution. You
will overcome paralysis by analysis and get into a place of knowing in a
world of chaos.

The amateur lives in a world of insights and “aha” moments and stops
there but the pro uses these by being in the game and executing on them.
Identify one thing amidst the infinite possibilities. That one thing must be
acted upon and move you in the direction of your dream. Make sure you
are able to make progress or at least have a perception of progress.

Fill your day with high-priority items so that others don’t fill it with low-
priority items. Be hyper specific. Be intentional. Connect to your vision.
Create a domino effect by carrying out a keystone action that serves as
the leverage point for a cascade of momentum.

The 1% Rule and framework shifts your priorities by starting your day off
with intention and purpose around the various aspects of your life —
spiritual, intellectual, professional, emotional, and physical. Create space
in your life for the 1% Rule to work.

228
 Try this:

Think about your own beliefs and assumptions, and your obsession with
the highlight reel of life. Take a moment to reflect and answer the question:
Where does believing this myth show up in my life and how can I change
that starting today?

229
 The Pomodoro Technique:

The Acclaimed Time Management

System that Has Transformed How
We Work
Francesco Cirillo
Read to boost:
Time management

Concentration

Assiduity

Self-control

What’s in there for me?

Francesco Cirillo, king of time management and creator of the hugely
popular Pomodoro Technique, designed a system that could be a true
game-changer. Learning how to manage your time will make you more
effective, teach you how to put your life under control, avoid workload-
related stress, and be able to side-step distractions as they come your
way.

If you feel particularly tired “The appearance of so many

one day, don’t feel like you
need to push yourself
beyond your limits. Tweak
your break times around
and rest regularly.
internal interruptions is our mind’s
way of sending us a message; we
aren’t at ease with what we are
doing.”

GO!

and get it

230 in 15-min!
 1. Cirillo’s attempts to overcome distractions

Picture the scene - A small village just north of Rome in 1987. A young
man is struggling to finish reading a sociology book for his university
exams.The heavy clouds outside aren’t helping his mood. He has three of
these books to finish in a short space of time and the worry is starting to
get to him. He reaches for a simple kitchen timer in an attempt to focus
his mind.

The Pomodoro Technique is born.

After the first short burst of time, which he went on to call a Pomodoro,
Cirillo found himself wanting to start another almost immediately. His
confidence grew, he knew he could finish the task in front of him. The
remaining pages of the book were becoming fewer and fewer.

Bursts of working time are called Pomodoros, mixed with short breaks.
This technique was created back in 1987 and has helped millions of
people worldwide beat procrastination.

Cirillo came to realize that the distractions he was facing were completely
in his own mind. His stress was focused on the need to complete the
series of books and his mind was working against him, trying to throw him
off course with procrastination at every turn. This is surely a situation
you’ve faced countless times yourself.

Learning to focus isn’t easy, with internal and external interruptions

constantly around us. Perhaps you notice your stomach growling and
decide to order some food, or maybe you hear your phone pinging,
informing you of a new email. Learning how to handle these distractions
and interruptions is key to learning how to manage your time more

231
 effectively. The Pomodoro Technique allows you to focus but deal with
anything that comes your way.

Internal and external interruptions are inevitable, but it’s how you deal with
them that counts. Focusing your mind in a structured way will help.

Cirilo suggests scribbling down any intrusive thoughts that enter your
mind, such as the desire to check your social media channels, and dealing
with them whilst you’re on your break. By doing this, you’re not ignoring
them and forcing them to make themselves known, and you’re making
progress at the same time.

“The appearance of so many internal interruptions is our mind’s way of

sending us a message; we aren’t at ease with what we are doing.”
~ Francesco Cirillo

2. Are you distracted by the ticking clock?

There are only so many hours in the day. When you have a lot to do within
those hours, time can seem like it’s working against you. It’s easy to see
a lack of time as a barrier towards doing what you need to do, but you can
make time your friend by organizing yourself more carefully.

For many people, having a deadline to meet or hearing a tick, tick, tick of
a clock is a distraction in itself. This leads toward rushing your work,
making mistakes, and not dedicating enough effort to the task at hand. All
of these are missed opportunities. The Pomodoro Technique aims to help
you align the number of hours you have available in the day with what you
need to achieve. It gives you the power and stops you from feeling like a
deadline is a reason to panic or procrastinate. The technique also allows

232
 you to track your progress and learn how to work more effectively in the
future.

Time as something that is fluid and which can be used effectively.

Cirillo discovered that there are two main concepts that people face when
it comes to time. The first is called ‘becoming’ and the second is a
‘succession of events’. Becoming is often the concept which causes the
most stress and pressure because it always seems like there simply aren’t
enough hours in the day. Becoming is a concept of time that leads to
measuring, e.g. a set number of hours before you have to leave the house
to go somewhere, therefore putting extra pressure on you to complete
your tasks.

Succession of events is simply the things you do as part of your daily

routine, e.g. getting out of bed, having your coffee, brushing your teeth,
getting dressed, etc. Becoming is far more troublesome because it can
lead to a sense of failure. When you feel like you’re not going to get what
you need to get done, you can easily feel like a slave to a total lack of
time.

The ‘becoming’ element of time often causes stress, because it leads us

towards counting hours and minutes, realizing that we only have a set
amount of time to complete our tasks.

The Pomodoro Technique is therefore designed to focus on the becoming

element and to help you feel more in control, therefore reducing the
amount of stress that you will feel. It allows you to focus on the task you
need and to avoid interruptions during your Pomodoros. It also serves as
a motivation and helps you to achieve your overall aims, whether over the
short term or long term.

233
 The Pomodoro Technique has three main aims:

1. To help you to see time in a way which doesn’t cause you to feel
stressed out or anxious

2. To help you use your brain in a more focused and concentrated way

3. Using recording and improvement tools to help you improve your

performance over time

The additional good news is that the Pomodoro Technique is actually very
simple once you get into the finer details.

Did you know? More than 2 million people across the world already use
the Pomodoro Technique to improve their daily performance.

3. The 5 stages of the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique has five main stages. Many people overlook
the additional stages and simply focus on the main work blocks and
breaks. However, this means you’re not getting the optimal amount of
benefit from the technique.

The five stages of the technique are:

● Planning

● Tracking

● Recording

● Processing

● Visualization

234
 Using the five stages of the Pomodoro Technique means that you are
continually improving your performance and not just getting through the
day’s work.

The first stage is the planning stage. At this point you sit down and work
out what you need to do that day, creating a prioritized list. You then work
through your Pomodoros and breaks but track your progress at the same
time, giving you important measurements on how long certain tasks take
and how much energy they require. Recording is a task you complete at
the end of every day, helping you to look back over your performance and
identify patterns.

Processing means you take the data you have compiled from your day’s
work and turn it into usable information, e.g. learning that a set task takes
you x amount of time, or that a specific distraction is a problem for you.
The final step is visualization, giving you clarity of mind to focus on the
following day’s work.

You don’t need any fancy equipment to use the Pomodoro Technique, you
simply need a kitchen timer which allows you to track time, with an alarm
and the ability to see the amount of time you have left. You also need to
have sheets of paper which allow you to track and record information. You
can have pre-printed sheets, or simply track information using a table you
draw out yourself.

All you need is a standard kitchen timer and a few sheets of paper. The
rest comes from focus and concentration during your Pomodoros.

235
 4. Organizing your Pomodoros

When Cirillo created the Pomodoro Technique, he had to play around with
the number of Pomodoros, also known as blocks of work, versus the
number of breaks and how long they should last. He came to the decision
that a full Pomodoro should take 30 minutes, consisting of a 25 minute
long work block, followed by a break of 5 minutes.

A traditional Pomodoro includes 25 minutes of work and a break of 5

minutes, for a cycle of 4 times. After 4 Pomodoros, take a longer break of
between 15-30 minutes.

Your first task is to identify the things you need to complete that day and
write out a list in priority order. You would obviously begin with the most
urgent task first. Then, take your kitchen timer and set it at 25 minutes,
ensuring that you can always see how much time is remaining in that work
block. Begin work and focus completely. Do not stop to do anything else,
simply focus on the task you have identified. Work blocks cannot be split,
and it needs to be a full 25 minutes of work.

Once the kitchen timer starts to ring, stop work, place an X next to the task
you were working on, using the sheet you’ve drawn up, and then take a
break for 5 minutes. It’s important that you take the full 5 minutes and that
you don’t feel tempted to work for an extra couple of minutes. This break
is vital for giving your brain a chance to rest and refocus, ready for the
next block of work.

During your short breaks, do something that benefits you. This can be
getting a drink, stretching, closing your eyes, deep breathing exercises, or
going for a short walk.

236
 During your break times, do something completely different from work. Go
and get some fruit from the refrigerator or a glass of water. Stretch your
muscles, or get up and walk around. Don’t be tempted to think or talk
about work during this break.

Once your 5 minutes are over, set the kitchen timer for another 25 minutes
and get back to work, repeating the process for a cycle of four times. Once
you have completed 4 blocks of work, you need to take a longer break.
This can be between 15 to 30 minutes. During this longer break, you can
check your voicemails or your emails, go for a walk, get a coffee, do some
stretching, but don’t do anything taxing to your brain.

During your longer break, avoid anything which requires a lot of

concentration. Giving your brain a rest means your next block of
Pomodoros will be more productive than the one that came before.

Working in these short bursts with regular breaks has been shown to be
a far more productive and focused way of working than trying to work for
longer periods of time. It also cuts down on the number of mistakes you
make and avoids procrastination.

5. Focus on reducing interruptions

At first, you’ll probably find that interruptions are hard to deal with. It’s likely
that you’ve become so used to allowing interruptions to stop your flow,
that you automatically stop what you’re doing and pay them attention. In
order to become more productive you need to avoid giving in to these
interruptions and instead allow your flow to continue.

Interruptions will always come your way but learning how to handle them
and not let them interrupt your work is vital.

237
 Common work interruptions include stopping to answer the phone,
checking your emails, or a co-worker asking you a question. There are
both internal and external interruptions you have to deal with. Internal
interruptions are within your own mind, i.e. intrusive thoughts and things
you remember whilst you’re working. External interruptions are far more
common, such as an email popping up onto your screen or someone
asking you to help them with a task.

The key to extra productivity is learning how to handle these interruptions

and not allowing them to detrimentally affect your workflow. Cirillo
suggests keeping a track of the number of interruptions you face by
placing an apostrophe next to the task you’re working on whilst recording
your Pomodoro information. This will allow you to understand where the
bulk of your interruptions come from and how often you allow them to push
you off course.

The most important thing to remember is that you should not stop a
Pomodoro part way through and change tasks. For example, if a co-
worker comes over to ask you to help them with something and you’re
halfway through a Pomodoro, you shouldn’t just walk away from the timer
and allow the interruption to stop your flow. You should explain to the
person that you will be with them shortly and continue until the timer rings.

“Once a Pomodoro begins, it has to ring.” ~ Francesco Cirillo

You shouldn’t allow the presence of external interruptions to cause you

extra stress, and simply accept that they can and will come your way. You
can change how you respond to them however. For instance, if the phone
rings, allow it to go to voicemail and check on your longer break. Disable
the email notification function and manually check your emails later in the
day. Put your phone on silent and place it face down on your desk or in

238
 your drawer. Explain to anyone who interrupts you verbally that you will
get back to them shortly.

Acknowledge common interruptions and find ways to reduce their impact.

Once a Pomodoro begins, you have to finish it at all costs.

The Pomodoro has to be completed once it begins, and that’s the vital rule
to the technique.

6. Use the Pomodoro Technique to make teams more

effective

The Pomodoro Technique can be used to help make teamwork more

effective and productive too. This takes a little extra organization, but once
the technique is implemented it works very well to keep everyone on track.

More and more workplaces are implementing the idea of teamwork in

order to be more productive. The problem with teamwork is that there are
often several tasks to coordinate and one goal, which can cause people
to pull in the wrong direction or for work to be delayed. Interruptions are
also more common with teamwork, simply because there are more people
involved.

Using the Pomodoro Technique is very beneficial for teams. Not only does
it keep the team effort on track but it can also reduce the number of
conflicts between work colleagues, cuts down on mistakes, reduces
interruptions, and helps with communication.

Using the Pomodoro Technique in teamwork means the overall team aim
is met whilst improving the effectiveness of the team as a whole.

239
 When using the Pomodoro Technique for teams, the whole team works to
one Pomodoro but if the team is large, dividing it up into micro-teams is
necessary. Having one Pomodoro for a large team simply wouldn’t work
because that would mean everyone having a break at the same time.
However, micro-teams are able to have their breaks at the same time.
Since micro-teams involve only a few people, this also means that you
can accommodate the individual rhythms and needs of team members.

Micro-teams need to be created in order for the Pomodoro Technique to

be effective in this situation.

By using the Pomodoro Technique within teams, you can ensure that
goals are met and deadlines are not missed.

7. Time management changes your whole view of working

time

Whilst the Pomodoro Technique has set rules, it’s important to remember
that every individual is different. You may feel tired on a specific day and
need to tweak your breaks a little in order to ensure that you can continue
to be productive. In this situation, you can take the full 30 minute-long
break at the end of your series of 4 Pomodoros, rather than just 15
minutes. However, sometimes you might feel like you have more energy,
in that case you would simply take 15 minutes for your break.

If you feel particularly tired one day, don’t feel like you need to push
yourself beyond your limits. Tweak your break times around and rest
regularly.

Cirillo also suggests that if you are feeling particularly tired, you can take

240
 up to 10 minutes for your short Pomodoro break, but never to go over this
amount as it will break your concentration level. It’s about pacing yourself
and knowing your own limitations on any given day.

You will start to feel that your perception of what time means to you also
changes as you use the Pomodoro Technique more and more. You’ll find
it easier to concentrate and your confidence will grow because of how
productive you’re being. It’s likely that time will also go faster as you move
into the second or third Pomodoro of the day; it’s not unusual for the first
Pomodoro to feel a little slower, until your focus and energy levels pick up.

The more productive you are, the better you feel. The Pomodoro
Technique will change how you feel about time, putting the control in your
hands.

The ticking of the kitchen timer may cause you to feel annoyed at first but
stick with it because the more you realize how effective the technique is,
the calmer you’ll feel. You’ll come to realize that you’re the one in control
and that you have discovered a method that really works for you.
However, that doesn’t mean every Pomodoro will be super-productive. If
that’s the case, simply know that the next one will be better and be grateful
for what you did manage to complete, despite interruptions or problems in
that particular Pomodoro.

Conclusion

The Pomodoro Technique has revolutionized the lives of many. Learning

to take control of your time and use it in a way which gives you what you
need means productivity is yours for the taking.

241
 The technique focuses heavily on the idea that working for long periods of
time without a break isn’t the most effective way. Your brain needs short
breaks to focus and energize itself for the next block of work. These
breaks also help you to remember items more effectively and cut down on
the number of mistakes you may make.

The Pomodoro Technique can be used for individuals or teams and

despite its rigid set of rules, it can be tweaked slightly to find the best route
forward for you if you’re feeling particularly tired on a given day. You
should also use the technique to help you track and record data which
may help to make you far more productive in the future.

Try this:

1. Focus your mind by writing down a list of all the things you need to
complete and placing them in number order, with 1 being the most
important.

2. Try your first Pomodoro and assess how you feel. Did it make you
feel empowered? Do you feel more in control?

3. Keep a list of the interruptions you regularly face and work out how
you can reduce their effects or avoid them completely.

242
 Million Dollar Habits:

27 Powerful Habits to Wire Your Mind

for Success, Become Truly Happy,
and Achieve Financial Freedom
Stellan Moreira
Read to boost:
Accomplishment

Bravery

Task management

Self-discipline

What’s in there for me?

Did you know that 95% of the things you do daily are habit-motivated? That
means your success or failure depends on your daily routines. In this
summary, you will discover million-dollar habits that you MUST start
cultivating today so you can enjoy massive success in the months and
years to come. This summary is for anyone who knows they can get more
out of life and have the courage to pursue their dreams!

For motivation, affirm this: “Success is not the key to

my habits don't have power happiness. Happiness is the key to
over me; I can change them success. If you love what you are
at any time to suit my goals. doing, you will be successful.”

GO!

and get it

243 in 15-min!
 1. Habits play a major role in the future outcome of your life,
you should take them seriously

We are creatures of habit. That’s just the way our brains are wired. Do
something consistently enough and you would soon realize just how easy
it becomes. But there is a caveat: the habit forming nature of our brains is
both a blessing and a curse.

We’ll get to the curse part later. Let’s start with why this brain function is a
huge blessing. Habits help put our lives on autopilot. When something has
become a habit, you begin to do it almost effortlessly. Waking up and
checking social media for messages and engagements on your content is
a habit. Taking a walk when you’re tired from work is a habit, too. Studying
daily, smoking, exercising, money management, etc are all habits that we
form in the course of our lives.

A habit is an operating system that determines the course of our future.

The downside of habits is that the brain doesn’t differentiate between

negative and positive habits; it just simply picks up something you do
consistently and helps you do it more easily. A negative habit is like a virus
and it can really stall your progress. Habits have destroyed many lives,
businesses, and relationships. This is something very common. Look
around or look at the media and you would see countless examples of
people who have been victimized by their habits.

You may be one of them. And if you are, just know that this summary will
show you a way out.

Perhaps the greatest news anyone could ever hear is that habits can be
formed and destroyed through conscious efforts. If you’re trying to build a
positive habit that will fast track your success, or if you’ve been struggling

244
 with some bad habits and want to finally gain freedom from them, then the
remaining chapters of this summary are a must read.

If you just randomly picked this summary and you have absolutely no idea
what habits are or how powerful they are, just know that you’ve made a
great pick. Your life will not be the same after following through with this
summary. That’s a guarantee.

2. Break negative habits so you can form positive ones

This summary is all about developing ninja habits that will become
ultimate kits in your success toolbox, but it makes sense to start off with
how to break negative ones. After all, for every negative habit, there is a
positive one. And for you to develop a positive habit in an area of your life,
you would almost certainly have to overcome a negative habit that has
been occupying that position.

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines habit as “an acquired mode

of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.” The
involuntary nature of habits is what makes them often hard to break. But
there’s a formula to it, and once you understand how it works, you can
make or break any habit of your choosing.

A habit loop is the technical term used to describe the cycle every habit
follows. The loop is made of three steps: reminder, routine, and reward.

● The reminder (also called cue) is anything that triggers the habit.
Sometimes the cue is obvious, but it can also be subtle. For
example, location is a strong reminder, but emotions like anger or
anxiety are not easily recognized as cues.

245
 ● Routine simply refers to the behavior you've engaged in over time
and made second nature. For instance, your morning routine was
learned over time and it's now part of your life.

● Reward is what you get for engaging in the habit.

For motivation, affirm this: my habits don't have power over me; I can
change them at any time to suit my goals.

If you have the habit of checking social media once in a while during work
hours for example, a stroke of thought could be all you need as a
reminder. When you obey every thought that says you should pause your
work and check if a friend has replied to your DM, that activity done
consistently would soon become a routine. And the reward is the
dopamine release you get. That’s an example of a solid habit right there.

To break any habit, you need to first sit down and analyze it. Determine
the triggers, the reward, and why you do it. (For example, to kill boredom,
relieve stress, etc.) and the routine you follow (do you do this early in the
morning? At night? In a lonely place? How often?).

3. Rewire your system so you can achieve unbelievable

heights of success

Every student of success understands that belief is the foundation of

everything we do.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words,
your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your
habits become your values, your values become your destiny.”
~ Mahatma Gandhi

246
 You’re only sure that something will change for good when you change it
from its root. If you don’t uproot the source of a problem but go instead for
its fruits, branches and stem, you can be 100% certain that the problem
would still show up; it’s only a matter of time.

In the same vein, if there’s a result you’ve been trying to achieve in your
life but it doesn’t seem to be coming through, it only means that there’s a
false belief system keeping you from the life you desire. What is it you
want? More money? More sex? A happier family? A more fulfilling job? A
happy career? Are you a remote worker who desperately needs to be
more productive with their time? What areas of your life have you been
trying to improve on? How long have you been at it with no results?

Here’s a harsh reality that everyone must quickly come to terms with:

You can never have what you want out of life if you have a set of beliefs
that antagonize the results you seek.

We all come to this earth with blank minds, but as we grow up, we start
interacting with our environment and the people around us and then
experience begins to form in our minds. Right from childhood, the words
we hear from family, friends, acquaintances and teachers form our belief
system. We begin to see the limit of what’s possible and what is not.

Most researchers agree that our belief system is fairly well formed by the
time we’re already six.

Before we get into our teenage years, we’ve already formed beliefs about
life, money, relationships, spirituality, work, etc.

Our belief system tells us what is right and wrong. For example, a child
who grows up in a poor family, under parents that resent rich people,
would soon start seeing money as evil. If you grew up in an environment

247
 that rewards and encourages hard work, you would grow up with the right
attitude towards work, that would incredibly fast track your success, and
you would always wonder why some people are so lazy.

4. Identify your limiting belief(s) and do something to

overcome them

Our beliefs are formed through our five senses: the words we hear, the
sights we see, the things we smell, touch, and taste. All these things mix
together to form our beliefs about life. But words are the strongest of them
all.

Words are powerful. The things you hear will affect your thinking pattern
as well as your emotions, both of which play vital roles in the belief forming
cycle. Since old beliefs were formed through words, we can get rid of them
and build new ones through words, too! This is why self help books, tapes
and affirmations work so well.

The sad news is, the world is not perfect. We all grew up with one limiting
belief or the other. The good news is, you can do something about it!

Here is something you need to start doing today: set aside 10 minutes —
preferably the same time every day — to work on your beliefs. Pick a
particular area of your life you want to improve upon, then take a quick
overview of your thoughts in that area and try to pinpoint beliefs stopping
you from being your best. For instance, a common limiting belief that
keeps so many people from being productive at work is “I’m too busy.”
Most people haven’t figured it out yet, but busyness is a myth. The way
you spend your time is a choice. You can choose to put away social media

248
 and office chit chat, refuse to attend less important meetings, and focus
your energy on getting the most work done in less time.

Once you identify your limiting beliefs, you can now work your way to
overcoming them by affirming positive beliefs. For the productivity
example, you can start affirming:

“I’m a super productive and efficient person. I get my work done easily.
I’m focused and energized.” Affirmations like these would begin to change
the way you think about work and it would reflect in your actions.

Did you know? According to research, the average person in a developed

country will spend six months of their lives waiting for the red light in traffic
to turn green.

5. Cultivating habits of gratitude and forgiveness would

save you lots of pain

There is a linear relationship between gratitude and forgiveness.

Generally speaking, the more easily you forgive, the more likely you are
to notice wonderful things in your life and environment that you should be
grateful for.

Unforgiveness is a terrible emotional state to be in because it haunts you

day and night and sucks the life out of you. It’s unfortunate that many
people are trapped in unforgiveness.

Learning to promptly forgive yourself and others who hurt you is one of
the best things you can do for yourself. Not forgiving others doesn’t really
hurt them, it hurts you the most.

249
 When you’re unforgiving, you waste time and energy concentrating on the
hurt and betrayal you feel. This is the same time and energy you could
have channeled into productive work that would make you and the people
around you happier.

It’s not easy to just forgive and let go when you’ve been hurt terribly.
However, there is a simple technique that can help you forgive more
easily. Once you master this technique, you develop a tough skin that can
keep things like hurt and betrayal from getting to you. Make no mistake
about it, humans will always be humans and for as long as you’re alive,
two things are certain:

● You won’t stop making mistakes

● People won’t stop hurting you

So, it helps to know how to drain off negative emotions.

The technique is simple: learn to separate your personality from the

negative emotions you feel. You’re not your emotions. Your emotions are
just feelings that would pass if you don’t obstruct them.

So let’s say your spouse did something that terribly hurt you. It happened
two years ago and they’ve apologized several times, but you still can’t
bring yourself to forgive them. Each time you remember what they did,
you feel like strangling them to death. Okay, here’s what you need to start
doing. Whenever the feeling of hurt and betrayal surfaces again, take a
walk, and as you do so, try to identify the emotion you’re feeling. In this
case, it’s anger, resentment, and hurt. Next up, tell yourself that what you
feel isn’t you. Yes, the emotions are real, but that’s all there is — they are
just emotions. Now, mentally call your spouse and tell them you forgive

250
 them. Do it like this: “John (or Mary), you hurt me deeply, but I still love
you. I forgive you, John (or Mary).”

The depth of your hurt determines how long you will have to repeat this
exercise before you finally get a grip on yourself, but it doesn’t matter how
long it takes. Continue the exercise daily and you will realize you’re getting
better by the day.

Gratitude would increase your empathy, improve your relationships, and

make you more loving and emotionally healthy.

Perform your gratitude practice daily. Do it first thing in the morning and
right before hitting the sack. It’s simple, just think about the three most
important things in your life — these could be people, accomplishments,
or personal qualities — and express your gratitude for them.

6. Learn to be content and happy with who you are

Happiness is all about contentment. It means to be fulfilled and at peace

with who you are, what you do, and what you have done.

Happiness is not acquired by competing with others and hoping you win.
It’s not materialistic either. As a matter of fact, the greatest disservice you
can do yourself is to attach happiness to your goals and aspirations.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If

you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” ~ Albert Schweitzer

If you’re not happy and content with your life and your current
achievements, fulfilling your dreams won’t make you any happier and life,
for you, will become an empty pursuit. For instance, if you attach
happiness to money, no amount of it would ever satisfy you. The more

251
 money you get, the more you will want to work for more of it and your life
will end up in a cycle of frustration. This is why attitude is indispensable to
success.

The right attitude you should have toward your goals is, “I’m happy and
content with my current life, but I want to improve on these areas so I can
become a better version of myself and impact my world with my gifts and
talents.”

Developing the right attitude is a critical success factor.

Conclusion

Habits are those things we do consistently that have, over time, become
second nature to us. The mind's ability to build habits is a powerful
weapon if you understand and use it to your advantage. The problem often
is that people don't know much about habits. Most people live as creatures
of habits, not having a clear cut understanding of how they're formed or
replaced. This keeps them stuck in negative habits for years. The result is
mediocrity and the widespread unhappiness we see in our world today.

But you're different. Through this summary, you've learned what habits
are and how to build positive ones. We considered the habit loop, which
describes how habits are built and replaced. To build any habit, the first
thing to do is set a trigger to remind you to engage in the habit. Next, turn
it into a routine and always give yourself some reward after each activity.
Over time, your brain will start looking forward to the reward. Before you
know it, you've already formed a habit.

Planning and investing are two habits you can’t ignore if you want to
achieve financial success. And think about it, your success isn’t complete

252
 until you have achieved some level of financial freedom. Everything we
do in our world today revolves around money. Having a sound bank
account doesn’t guarantee happiness, but it certainly can improve your
life and make happinesses easier for you. It’s hard to go about your day
feeling all happy and energized when you have no idea where to get your
next meal or how to pay the rent before month’s end.

Financial success doesn’t happen overnight and it’s never solely a result
of earning high income. It comes from proper financial planning and
proper investing. Master these two skills and watch as your net worth
begins to skyrocket.

Try this:

Decide on a positive habit you want to build. Set a timer and a trigger to
remind you to do it. Give yourself some reward for engaging in it.

253
 Tiny Habits:

The Small Changes That

Change Everything
BJ Fogg, Ph.D.

Read to boost:
Self-development

Productivity

Routine

Stability

What’s in there for me?

Do you seek to change? Do you have behavioral patterns you want to pick
up? Tiny Habits results from extensive myth-breaking and persuasive
research on habits and human behavior by behavioral scientist Dr. BJ Fogg.
He teaches the workings of human behavior, what inspires habitual
behavior, and how to cultivate new habits.

The simpler a behavior, the “Starting tiny means you can start
more likely the behavior will making a big change without
become a habit. worrying about the time involved.”

GO!

and get it

254 in 15-min!
 1. When it comes to change, less is more

Many of us believe something is wrong with us when our results fall short
of expectations. We often blame ourselves for failures and push to do
better. However, we are not always the problem — our approach to
change is. It is not a personal flaw but a design flaw.

Acknowledge successes no matter how tiny they are because they help
you grow.

Popular thinking about habit formation and change feeds into our impulse
to set unrealistic expectations. As opposed to these popular opinions,
building habits and creating positive change can be easy — with the right
approach. To successfully form habits and command a change, you need
to 3 things:

● Stop judging yourself

● Take your aspirations and break them down into tiny behaviors

● Accept mistakes as discoveries and use them to move forward

The most imperative of these steps is taking off self-criticism. You change
best by feeling good, not bad.

Self-criticism and self-doubts often pull you back from making real
progress by making you feel bad. However, if you follow the tiny habits
process, you’ll be well on your way to easily and joyfully bridging the gap
between who you are and that person you want to be. Keep reading to
find out how to increase positive habits that lead to change in your life.

“Starting tiny means you can start making a big change without worrying
about the time involved.” ~ BJ Fogg, Ph.D.

255
 2. Creating tiny positive habits is the path to developing
bigger ones

One problem humans face is that of time; there is never enough time. We
always feel so pressed for time that we have a scarcity mindset. This
mindset makes us say no to changes as we feel like we don’t have the
time to cultivate new habits. 30 minutes of exercise a day seems too
much. Writing daily in a journal sounds amazing, but you don’t have that
time.

A solution to this issue of time is starting tiny. Focus on little actions that
you can do in less than 30 seconds. This way, you can quickly wire in new
habits, and they’ll grow naturally. When you start tiny, you can create big
changes in little time.

Starting tiny allows you to get real with yourself and your life. It will enable
you to start right now!

Another positive to cultivating tiny habits is that it’s an approach that

involves less risk. This implies that you can start to change without making
a big scene. This reduces the pressure on you. There are no real failures
in forming tiny habits, and as such, the emotional risk is eliminated. The
saying, “Go big or go home,” isn’t always helpful. Indeed, it is often better
to start small.

One tiny action might feel insignificant at first, but it allows you to gain the
momentum you need to ramp up to bigger challenges.

Cultivate the tiny habit approach called the “Maui habit.” After you put your
feet on the floor in the morning, say with conviction, “It’s going to be a
great day.” The Maui habit gives you a positive and optimistic view of life,
and therefore, gives your day the charge it needs.

256
 3. The Fogg behavior model defines what drives your
behavior

You can change your life by changing your behavior. Motivation, ability,
and prompt are the variables that drive behavior. When these 3 elements
— MAP — converge together, behavior happens.

Behavior = Motivation + Ability + Prompt

Motivation refers to the desire for a behavior; ability is the capacity to do

the behavior, while prompt is the cue to do the behavior. Let’s take, for
example, a man who donated via text to the Red Cross after the massive
earthquake in Haiti. His motivation would be that he wanted to help the
victims of a devastating disaster, his ability being that he was able to reply
to a text message from the Red Cross, which was his prompt.
Convergence of the three elements — motivation, ability, and prompt
made the man’s behavior. However, if one of the three elements hadn’t
been sufficient, there’s a good chance that the behavior wouldn’t have
taken place.

The simpler a behavior, the more likely the behavior will become a habit.

This behavior model is also called the Fogg Behavior Model, and even
though it is hard to believe, it is a universal model. Behaviors are like
bicycles — they can look different, but the core mechanisms are the same.
It is important to note that motivation and ability have a compensatory
relationship. Here are the basic outlines:

● The more motivated you are to do a behavior, the more likely you
will do the behavior

● The harder a behavior is to do, the less likely you are to do it

257
 ● Motivation and ability work together as teammates

● No behavior happens without a prompt

Sometimes, we want to behave in a certain way or want someone else to.

Behavior design gives us a specific set of steps to achieve this:

● Check to see if there’s a prompt to do the behavior

● See if the person is motivated

● See if the person has the ability to do the behavior

Following the behavior model helps you identify what’s driving your own
behavior — or others’. You’ll find that sometimes, it’s an ability problem,
not a motivation problem.

4. Motivation is unreliable in behavior building

One mistake we often make is putting all our eggs in the motivation
basket. Motivation is often unreliable for home improvement and self-
improvement topics like diets, exercise routines, job-hunting, and opening
businesses.

Motivation alone is not the true engine of behavior change.

Motivation is one of the 3 elements that drive behavior. However,

motivation is not enough due to the following reasons:

● Motivation is complex: There are three sources of motivation; what

you already want, the benefit or punishment you’ll receive from
doing the action, and your context. These sources, often classified
as Person, Action and Context, are fundamental to identifying
human behavior, and motivation can come from one or more of

258
 these sources. This complexity of our motivations can result in an
emotional tug of war

● The motivation wave: When motivation surges, you can do hard

behaviors. However, high levels of motivation are unsustainable

● Motivation fluctuation: Motivations are not stable; they shift in

predictable and unpredictable ways. These shifts make you unable
to take full control of your motivation

● Motivating towards an abstraction doesn’t yield results: People often

believe that motivating themselves towards an aspiration will lead to
a lasting change so they focus on aspirations and motivations.
However, that combo doesn’t work. Dreams and aspirations are
good things, but investing time and energy to motivate ourselves
towards abstraction is wrong

● Motivation is not the winning ticket for long-term change: If you focus
only on motivation when building a habit, you ignore two key
components that drive behavior. This is wrong because motivation
alone doesn’t get you there

Getting clear on your aspiration allows you to design efficiently for what
you want.

While motivation is key in behavior design, it could also be a trap. To

outsmart it, one needs to:

● Clarify the aspirations

● Explore behavior options

● Match with specific behaviors

259
 5. Simplicity makes a habit easier to learn

While motivation is unreliable, ability is not. By looking at where our ability

lands on the Fogg Behavior Model, we get a good idea of what behaviors
are more or less likely to become habits. For example, if your ability to do
something is so low, you’ll only do this behavior on days when you are
riding the motivation wave. However, if a behavior is easy to do, you can
be way up the action line even if your motivation is low.

Over time your motivation will differ, but your ability will improve the more
you do your new habit.

Since ability is the most reliable key to behavior design, it is important to

increase one’s ability for a behavior. We can make new habits easier to
do using these approaches:

● Increase your skills: Things are easier to do when you’re better at

them. When you gain skills, either by watching videos on the net,
taking a class, or asking a friend for tips, you turn up the volume on
ability

● Get tools and resources: A behavior will never be a habit if it

frustrates you. Therefore, it is imperative to get the right tools to
make the behavior easier. Find what makes a behavior hard to do,
and use tools to make it easier

● Make the behavior tiny: This approach is a foolproof way to make

something easier to do, regardless of your motivation levels. Start
by taking tiny steps and do not raise the bar prematurely

“Everything big started small.” ~ BJ Fogg, Ph.D.

260
 Even though you don’t have to use all 3 approaches, combining them is a
great way to make your behavior as simple as it can be. Your motivation
levels will help you decide which jumping-off point is best for you. When
your motivation is high, acquiring skills and tools are the best course of
action to take. However, when it’s on the low side, we need to balance
things up by making the behavior tiny.

6. Prompts are the invisible drivers of our lives

Humans experience hundreds of prompts every day, yet we barely notice

them. Prompts come in natural and designed forms and tell us “do this
behavior now” — and we do it. Well-timed prompts are so powerful
because people reliably respond to them when they’re motivated and
able.

To build a habit, combine a prompt with a motivator and ability, and a

behavior is done.

To build a habit, you have to design a good prompt for the behavior you
want. But to do this, you have to first understand the 3 types of prompts
there are:

● Person prompt: This prompt type relies on something inside of you

to do a behavior. Basic bodily urges like grumbling stomach and
bladder pressure are the most natural person prompts. These
prompts are pretty reliable in getting us to take action; however, they
won’t be as effective if your survival is not dependent on your
behavior. The person prompt isn’t a good choice as our memories
are often faulty. So, we need more.

261
 ● Context prompt: This prompt type comes in the form of
environmental cues like sticky notes, app notifications, or a friend
reminding you to join a meeting. A few ways to design a context
prompt include setting the alarm on your voice assistant, putting a
ring on the wrong finger, sending yourself a text message, or even
asking a child to remind you. A downside to context prompts, despite
its effectiveness, is that they can be stressful.

● Action prompt: An action prompt is a behavior you already do that

can remind you of the new habit you want to cultivate. For example,
your existing habit of brushing your teeth can serve as your prompt
to floss. This is a better option than other prompts — all it requires
is for you to tap into the ecosystem of routines you have. You
already have many reliable routines; you just need to make each of
them serve as an action prompt for a new habit. You have to code
things correctly by putting them in the right order.

Designing a prompt isn’t only to aid personal habit cultivation. A well-

designed prompt is vital for business too. There is hardly any service or
product that doesn’t rely on getting customers to take action. To succeed
in business, you need to figure out what will prompt your customers at the
right moment.

Prompts from business often come in the form of context prompts, which
are sent through email, phone calls, and social media. However, these
methods are losing their effectiveness over time. Just like in personal
development, action prompts are the best for customers as you now have
insights into what works with real people. Using this edge, you can help
your clients find where the new habits fit naturally in their lives.

262
 7. Positive experiences reinforce habits

A range of positive experiences can reinforce a new behavior that leads

to a habitual response. There are old myths that repetition creates habits.
This is incorrect. Emotions create habits. This is because when it comes
to behavior, decisions and habits are opposites. While decisions require
deliberation, habits do not. For example, people don’t decide to take their
phones when leaving the house. They just take it without deliberating. It’s
a habit.

There is a direct link between what you feel when you do a behavior and
the likelihood that you will replicate the behavior in the future.

There are many types of positive reinforcement to wire in a habit, but the
real winner is creating a feeling of success. Celebration is indeed the best
way to create a positive feeling that wires in new habits. It is the bridge
from tiny habits to big changes. It is free, fast, and available to all people.

Celebration teaches us how to be kinder to ourselves.

Celebration is a habit fertilizer. By cultivating feelings of success, thereby

promoting confidence, we make the soil more inviting and nourishing for
all the other habit seeds we want to plant. The moments you should
celebrate are:

● The moment you remember to do your new habit

● While you are doing your new habit

● Immediately after doing your new habit

263
 8. Habits do not develop on their own but are cultivated over
time

Cultivating habits is similar to cultivating a garden. You could stand idly

on your back porch and wish that your yard would become more beautiful.
Even when weeks go by, and weeds begin to grow, you only pull out a
few strands here and there and go back to lazing around. Or you could
choose to actively play a part in designing the garden you want. You
identify what vegetables and flowers you’d love to have in your garden,
you choose plants you can easily work with, and you consider which yard
is best for each plant.

While it takes a bit of planning and care to get the delicate little sprouts off
the ground, you make sure they are deeply rooted by celebrating little
successes. Soon, it’s time to watch your rooted vegetation grow bigger. It
is the same with building new habits.

When you’ve established new habits the right way, it doesn’t take much
beyond doing them consistently for them to flourish.

There is no specific measure for how long it takes for habits to grow to
their full expression. The formation-time of a habit depends on 3 things:

● The person doing the habit

● The habit itself (the action)

● The context

The interaction between these elements determines how easy or difficult

it is to build a particular habit.

“Begin where you want to on your path to change. Allow yourself to feel
successful. Then trust the process.” ~ BJ Fogg, Ph.D.

264
 9. You can work on dropping old habits and creating new
ones

Tiny habits are not the answer to serious addictions. But for people with
bad habits that are not serious addictions, tiny habits can be game-
changing. A good way to think about habits is to put them into 3
categories:

● Uphill habits: This category of habits requires ongoing attention to

maintain but are easy to stop. Examples are getting out of bed when
your alarm goes off, going to the gym, or meditating daily

● Downhill habits: Easy to maintain but difficult to stop. Examples are

hitting snooze, swearing, and watching videos on YouTube

● Freefall habits: These habits are like substance abuse that can be
arduous to stop unless you have a safety net of professional help

There are times we want to stop a habit. Reducing motivation and adding
a demotivator is key to consciously putting an end to some habits.

Tiny Habits introduces a system called the Behavior Change Masterplan

to help you get rid of your downhill habits. This master plan designed to
disrupt unwanted habits has three phases:

● Focus on creating new habits

● Focus on stopping the old habit

● Focus on exchanging a new habit for the new one

You create new positive habits first. Then, you work on stopping the old
habit. If it doesn’t work, move on to phase 3.

265
 “When you make a host of positive changes, you move closer to the
person you want to become.” ~ BJ Fogg, Ph.D.

Did you know? According to Phillippa Lally, a health psychology

researcher at University College London, it takes an average of 66days
before a new behavior becomes automatic.

10. We can effectively create a collective change in the

social sphere

Social dynamics are powerful drivers of behavior. The effects are all
around us; how we act while watching a football game, how we talk about
politics, how we treat one another online and in person. Social influence
has always been a part of human existence. But with social media
multiplying and magnifying those influences, our lives have become
increasingly connected. Therefore, it is important to think deeply about
how these social forces are shaping our individual and collective behavior
and ultimately impacting every human life.

Tiny habits help you design new habits that lead to a more harmonious,
healthy, and meaningful life for everyone around you.

With your newly acquired knowledge of how behavior works, you can
identify what’s underpinning those habits you want and the ones you don’t
want. You can design a change in your own behavior to distance yourself
from a group’s negative influences. You can also work together with
others to design a change in your collective behavior or design a change
for others that will benefit them.

You are influencing the behavior of others all the time, often without
realizing it.

266
 One way to solve the problem of effecting change in your environment is
by helping people do what they already want to do. Start people on the
path to change from the place they want to begin. This way, they don’t
see you as the enemy, and chances are they’ll be energized by the
positive changes and start coming up with habits of their own that are
aligned with the change you want to create. When helping other people in
the change process, it is important to:

● Engage in conversations about change with the people around you.

● Support people to do what they already want to do

● Help people feel successful

Conclusion

The quality of our lives on planet earth depends largely on the choices we
make every day. How we live our lives, how we spend our time, and how
we treat ourselves and others determine how well our lives go in the long
run. As a global community, we are increasingly disconnected from
ourselves and other people. We need to factor in a change to fix this
anomaly. The first step toward this is to embrace feeling better. Once you
embrace a better version of yourself, you open your mind to new
possibilities and greater options.

By using tiny habits and behavior design, you can be a force for good in
the lives of others. Start by building your change skills and begin closer to
home. Ideally, you should get cooperation and support when you set out
to change your family, workgroup, or community group. Be kind to others
and watch them listen to you some more.

267
 Habits are a means to an end. They teach us the skills of change, propel
us towards our dreams, and add more shine to the world. We all should
embrace feelings of success and watch ourselves experience profound
transitions from fear to hope. This way, we can regain control of our lives,
knowing we all are capable of making the small changes that change
everything.

Try this:

Break up your aspirations into tiny positive habits. This way, you can easily
build up behaviors that’ll help you and others in the long run. Take a
behavior you desire, make it tiny, find where it fits naturally in your life,
and nurture its growth. To make long-term change, it’s best to start small.

268
 Think Like a Monk:

Train Your Mind for Peace

and Purpose Every Day

Jay Shetty

Read to boost:
Tranquillity

Self-care

Life satisfaction

Harmony

What’s in there for me?

Living a life of happiness means knowing what true happiness is and how
to create it. We control the majority of our lives, which means we wield
enough power to influence the world. Jay Shetty, storyteller, podcaster,
and former monk, is on a mission to share the world’s timeless wisdom in an
accessible, relevant way. His experience as a former monk makes his
methods practical and educational for everyone.

Society’s definition of a “When there is harmony between

happy life is everybody’s the mind, heart, and resolution then
and nobody’s. The only way nothing is impossible.”
to build a meaningful life is
to remove the external noise
and look within.

GO!

and get it

269 in 15-min!
 1. To live a fulfilling life, we must learn to live like monks

Never before have so many people been so dissatisfied and obsessed

with chasing unlimited happiness. We chase fame, money, glamour, sex,
etc., but in the end, none of these things can satisfy us. We’ll seek more
and more, a cycle that leads to frustration, disillusion, dissatisfaction,
unhappiness, and exhaustion. To avoid this, we need to think like monks.

Why should we think like monks? The answer is not far-fetched; If we

wanted to know how to dominate the basketball court, we might turn to
Michael Jordan; if we wanted to innovate, we might investigate Elon Musk.
If we’re going to train our mind to find peace, calm, and purpose, however,
it’s only expected to look at monks.

Monks are the experts. They can withstand temptations, refrain from
criticizing, deal with pain and anxiety, quiet the ego, and build lives that
flow with purpose and meaning. Learning about true love and gratitude
from the calmest, happiest, most purposeful people on earth is a massive
advantage.

While we appreciate the calm, relaxed, and serene attitude of monks, we

mustn’t think it’s easy being a monk. They’re hidden away in quiet settings
where they don’t have to deal with jobs. To think and live like monks, we
must be focused, willing and determined.

Evil cannot drive out evil: only love can do that. We must love
unconditionally to live a fulfilled life.

270
 2. Our identity is mostly shaped by what others think of us
or what we think others think of us

We believe that our self-image is tied up in how we think others see us,
but most of our self-improvement efforts are because we want to live up
to those thoughts. When we believe someone we admire sees wealth as
success, we chase wealth to impress that person.

Humans naturally employ “method acting” as a way of shuffling between

numerous personas. We have individual personas we play online, at work,
with friends, and at home. These different personas have their benefits.
They enable us to make the money that pays our bills, help us function in
places where we don’t always feel comfortable, and they let us maintain
relationships with people we don’t really like but need to interact with.
However, we sometimes switch between these personas so much that we
lose sight of the real us. We sometimes bring our work role home with us,
and we take the role we play with our friends into our romantic life, without
any conscious control or intention. Regardless of how successfully we
play these roles, we feel dissatisfied, depressed, unworthy, and unhappy.

The “happiness” mentality we grow up with makes us small and

vulnerable. We try to live up to what we think others think of us, even at
the expense of our values. When we then try to live our most authentic
life, some of our relationships will be jeopardized. Losing close friends is
a risk worth bearing, and finding a way to keep them in our lives is a
challenge worth taking on.

We are surrounded by images and voices telling us who we should be and

what we should do. We are bound by cultural norms that are expected to
determine who we are. Cultural norms exist for a reason, and there is
nothing wrong with a society that offers models of what a fulfilling life might

271
 look like. However, if we accept these goals without reactions, we’ll never
understand why we are not living a fulfilling life.

The voices of our parents, friends, educators, and media all crowd our
young minds, beliefs, and values. We must learn to create our definition
of success without conforming to society.

Society’s definition of a happy life is everybody’s and nobody’s. The only

way to build a meaningful life is to remove the external noise and look
within.

3. When we become self-critical, we remind ourselves that

we also have positive qualities

During a class in the ashram (the author’s monastery), Gauranga Das, a

teacher, taught "Cancers of the Mind: Comparing, Complaining,
Criticizing". In the class, he talked about negative thought habits, including
gossip. He gave the monks the exercise of writing down ten good things
about someone they had criticized or gossiped about. This exercise made
them realize the power of gossip and its problems. We tend to focus on
people’s mistakes without balancing them against their strengths. We also
tend to focus on our mistakes without balancing them against our
strengths.

When we criticize others, we can’t help but notice the bad in ourselves.
But when we look for the good in others, we start to see the best in
ourselves.

Gossip has its own values: it helps society regulate acceptable behavior,
and we often use it to see if others agree with our judgments about other
people’s behavior and values. However, there are kinder ways to

272
 negotiate questions that accompany gossip. In most cases, we use gossip
to trample on others, making us feel superior to them and bolster our
status in a group. Gossip causes negativity, which is bad for us.

We are all faced with negativity every day. It is why we can’t help but dish
negativity out the same way we receive it. We tend to report the pains and
worries of the day rather than talk about the small joys. We compare
ourselves to other people, criticize people on social media, argue,
deceive, etc. To get rid of negativity, we must always make positive
remarks.

We all have three core emotional needs, which are peace, love, and
understanding. The negativity in our conversations, emotions, and actions
often spring from a threat to one of the three needs: a fear that bad things
are going to happen (loss of peace), a fear of not being loved (loss of
love), or a fear of being disrespected (loss of understanding). From these
fears, all sorts of other negative emotions come to play. These negative
feelings are what springs out of us as complaints, comparisons, and
criticisms.

Bad things do happen. In our lives, we’re all victims at some point, but if
we adopt a victim mentality, we’re more likely to take on a sense of
entitlement and to behave selfishly.

4. We have so much power over the world, but fear and

anxiety disconnect us from our true abilities

Growing up, we were taught that fear is negative. The truth is, we’ll never
live entirely without fear and anxiety. We’ll never be able to build and fix
our economic, social, and political world to eliminate conflict and

273
 uncertainty. However, fear isn’t bad; it’s merely a warning against our
mind, telling us that something might go wrong.

Fear doesn’t necessarily define us; what we do with the signal that it
creates is what matters.

We can use our fear of the effects of climate change to motivate us to

develop solutions, or we can allow it to make us feel overwhelmed and
hopeless and do nothing as a result. There are times when fear is a critical
warning to help us survive the true danger, but most of the time, we feel
anxiety related to everyday concerns about our lives. We allow anxiety to
hold us back by blocking us from our true feelings. The longer we hold on
to fears, the more they grow until, eventually, they become toxic.

Our brains are good at keeping us from entering uncomfortable spaces

and making uncomfortable decisions. But by repeatedly asking a question
rather than rephrasing or running away from it, we can corner our brain. If
we stop viewing stress and fear as negative and instead see the potential
benefits, we’re on our way to changing our relationship with fear.

The most important thing we need to realize about stress is that it doesn’t
do a good job of breaking down our problems. If we give in to fear too
often, all of our stress hormones start to send us downhill, affecting our
immune systems and our ability to heal.

When we deal with anxiety and stress, we realize that we can deal with
fear and hardship. This gives us new confidence that when bad things
happen, we will find ways to handle them. With that increased objectivity,
we are able to differentiate what’s worth being afraid of and what’s not.

To live intentionally, we must dig to the deepest reasons behind what we

want. This requires pausing to think about why we want something and

274
 who we are or who we need to be to get it. We must also find out whether
being that person appeals to us. Most people are accustomed to looking
for answers. In our quest to look for answers, we must not stop asking
questions.

“Fear does not prevent death. It prevents life.” ~ Buddha

5. Purpose and meaning, not success, lead to true

contentment

We all have an image of an ideal life in our heads. We envisage our

relationships, how we spend our time in work and leisure, and what we
want to achieve. Even when we are not affected by external influences,
certain objectives captivate us, and we design our lives around achieving
them because we think they will make us happy. But one essential thing
we fail to figure out is what drives these ambitions, whether they are likely
to make us truly happy or not.

Regardless of how disorganized we might be, we all have plans. We have

an idea of what we have to accomplish in the day ahead, and we probably
have a sense of what the year holds, or what we hope we’ll achieve in the
future. These goals set our paths in life, which is why we must have well-
planned goals.

Hindu philosopher Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes four fundamental

motivations that are essential to us. They are:

1. Fear. This is described as being driven by sickness, poverty, fear of

hell, or fear of death.

2. Desire. It’s in seeking personal gratification through success,

275
 wealth, and pleasure.

3. Duty. It is motivated by gratitude, responsibility, and the desire to do

the right thing.

4. Love. This is compelled by care for others and the urge to help them.

When we allow fear to limit us, success doesn’t satisfy us. When fear and
desire aren’t enough, then duty and love have more to offer. We all have
different goals, but we all want the same things: a life full of joy and
meaning. Monks don’t seek out to find joy like the rest of us. They aren’t
looking for happiness or pleasure. Instead, they focus on the satisfaction
that comes from living a meaningful life.

Happiness can be elusive because it’s hard to sustain a high level of joy.
However, to derive meaning from our actions prove that we’re achieving
a purpose. These actions lead to a worthwhile outcome, and we are led
to believe we’re leaving a positive imprint.

When we are happy, what we do matters, so we matter. Bad things

happen, and life sometimes pulls us down, but it is always possible to find
meaning.

Understanding true happiness means we see the value of being motivated

by duty and love. When we act out of duty and love, we know that we
provide value to our lives and our society.

“When there is harmony between the mind, heart, and resolution then
nothing is impossible.” ~ Rig Veda

276
 6. Exploring our strengths and weaknesses in the universe
leads each of us to our dharma

Dharma is a Sanskrit term that can’t be defined by a single English word,

though to term it “your calling” comes close. According to the author,
dharma is an effort to connect passion and skills to our practical lives
today. It is a combination of varna and seva. Varna is loosely defined as
passion and skills, while Seva understands the world’s needs, and
selflessly serves others. When your natural talents and passions (varna)
connect with what the universe needs (seva) and become your purpose,
you live in your dharma.

When you spend your time and energy living in your dharma, you have
the satisfaction of using your best abilities and doing something that
matters to the world.

Living in your dharma is a proven route to fulfillment. If we’re only excited

when people say nice things about what we do, it’s a sign that we’re not
passionate about the work itself. And if we indulge our interests and skills,
but nobody responds to them, our passion is without purpose. If either
piece is missing, we’re not living our dharma.

When we fantasize about what we want to do and who we want to be, we

often don’t investigate thoroughly enough to know if it suits our dharma. A
lot of us think we want to be in finance because we know it’s lucrative. Or
we want to be lawyers because they are respected and honored. We then
move forward with no idea whether those professions suit us, and if we
will like the process, the environment, and the energy of the work.

Growing up, society fed us with two lies. The first is, “You’ll never amount
to anything.” The second is, “You can be anything you want to be.” The

277
 truth is that you can’t be anything you want, but you can be everything you
are. Fall in love with your current self and find purpose in what you do by
establishing routines.

Routines might seem boring to you, but they are counterintuitive. Instead
of being boring and repetitive, doing the same tasks at the same time in
the same place makes room for creativity. The consistent energy of
location and memory of time helps us be present, engaging deeply in
tasks instead of getting distracted or frustrated. We must build routines
and train ourselves as monks do.

7. Once we quell our external distractions, we can address

the voices inside our heads

By simply becoming aware of the different voices inside us, we can

differentiate between the good and bad decisions we make. When we
begin to sort out the multiple voices in our head, the conflict level will be
relieving.

Our minds should work in our own best interest, but we do not serve our
interests most times. The complication is that we are weighing input from
different sources. Our five senses may end up working simultaneously,
each giving us conflicting ideas and suggestions on the same situation.

In the Upanishads (an authorless Hindu religion), the mind’s working is

compared to a chariot being controlled by five horses. In this analogy, the
chariot is the body, the horses are the five senses, the reins are the mind,
and the rider is the intellect. In the untrained state, the rider (the intellect)
is asleep on the job, so the horses (the senses) have control of the reins
(mind) and lead the body wherever they please. And, horses, when left to

278
 their own initiatives, react to what’s around them. They get distracted
easily and are liable to run astray or deviate from the usual path.

In the same way, our senses are activated at the moment by food, money,
sex, power, influence, etc. If the horses are in control, the rider veers off
the road in the direction of temporary pleasure and instant gratification.
However, in the trained state, the rider (the intellect) is awake, aware, and
attentive, not allowing the horses to lead the way. The rider uses the reins
of the mind to steer the chariot along the correct path carefully.

It is believed that we are forever free when we renounce all selfish desires
and break away from the ego cage of “I,” “me,” and “mine.”

Humility opens us to the numerous possibilities that are otherwise hidden

to us. When we are humble, we are open to learning because we
understand how much we don’t know.

Humility shows that the biggest obstacle to learning is a know-it-all

attitude. This false self-confidence is rooted in the ego. An unchecked ego
harms us, and in our eagerness to present ourselves as the greatest and
smartest, we hide our true nature.

Vanity and ego go hand in hand. Confidence and high self-esteem help
us accept ourselves as we are, but we mustn’t confuse the inflated ego
with high self-esteem. The ego wants everyone to like us. High self-
esteem is sufficient if they don’t. The ego thinks it knows everything. Self-
esteem thinks it can learn from anyone. The ego wants to prove itself.
Self-esteem wants to express itself. Knowing the difference between the
two is key to our happiness.

279
 8. Once we have trained the mind to look inward, we are
ready to look outward at how we interact with others in the
world

When we start our day with gratitude, we’ll be open to opportunities

instead of obstacles. Looking inward draws us to creativity, not complaint.
It helps us find new ways to grow, rather than succumbing to negative
thoughts that only shrink our options. Looking inward helps us understand
the importance of gratitude and why it’s also essential to appreciate
ourselves.

Gratitude helps us overcome the bitterness and pain that we all carry with
us. It allows us to drop some of the burdens we’ve put on ourselves.

Whenever we are grateful, it becomes almost impossible to be jealous or

spiteful. When we feel grateful, our brains release dopamine, which
makes us want to feel that way again, and we begin to make gratitude a
habit.

Gratitude is not only beneficial to the mind but for the physical body. The
toxic emotions that gratitude blocks contribute to widespread growths that
trigger loads ofchronic illnesses, including heart disease. The conscious
practice of gratitude is the way out of the poverty mentality that erodes our
gratitude, and with it, our integrity.

Often, we feel deeply grateful, but we have no idea how to pass it on.
There are many ways and depths of giving thanks and giving back. The
easiest way to show gratitude is to thank you, but being basic doesn’t cut
it anymore. Make your thanks as specific as possible. Say things like
"Thanks for last night. It was awesome!" or, "Thanks for last night — the
food was wonderful, and I loved the funny, sweet toast you made to your

280
 friend." It’s sweeter when we express our gratitude in specific terms. The
minute we are given well-detailed gratitude, the better we feel.

We deflect gratitude when we expect every person to be a complete

package, giving us everything we need. This is setting the bar
incredulously high.

We must learn to trust people if we want them to trust us in return. Four

types of trust will help us keep in mind what we can and can’t expect from
people. They are; character, care, competence, and consistency. We
cannot expect to find these four factors in even our closest friends. We
must learn to trust even the people we do not know in order to boost
diversity. To find diversity, we have to be open to new connections. It helps
us meet new people and explore more possibilities.

Did you know? According to UCLA neuroscientist Alex Korb, we can’t

focus on positive and negative feelings simultaneously.

9. Service is the essence of human consciousness

There are three stages of transformation that every monk must go

through. First, they let go of the external and the ego; second, they
recognize their value and learn that they don’t need to own anything to
serve; and third, they continually seek a higher level of service.

To the monks, the highest purpose is to live in service. Selflessness heals

the self. We must always leave a place cleaner than we found it, people
happier than we found them, and the world better than we met it. We are
obligated to serve, and only in service can we be truly happy.

281
 Unless we know the reality of the world in which we live, how impermanent
and unreal the source of our suffering and delusion is, we’ll keep living a
lie.

When we make the purpose of life to be self-gratification, we get led down

the road of dissatisfaction. Seeing life as a service leads to fulfillment.

Service fulfills us on many levels, beginning with the simple belief that
we’re born to care for others. In “Long Walk to Freedom,” Nelson Mandela
wrote, "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his
skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if
they can learn to hate, then they can be taught to love, for love comes
more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."

Several studies show that when we pursue compassionate goals that aim
to help others or make the world a better place, we’re less likely to have
symptoms of anxiety and depression than when we focus on improving or
protecting our own reputation. The act of giving to others activates the
pleasure center of our brain. This is why those who help others tend to
live longer, be healthier and have a better overall sense of well-being.

Monks strongly believe that the pillar of service makes our lives better in
many ways. Service connects us. When we serve, it’s hard to be lonely.
In most scenarios, we have to go out into the world to help other people.
Service broadens us and increases gratitude. Service gives us a broad
view of all that we have, and it increases compassion. When we serve, we
see that the world needs what we have to offer. Helping others tells us
that we are making a difference in the world.

282
 Conclusion

There is no universal plan for peace and purpose. We achieve peace and
tranquility by training our minds to focus on how to react, respond, and
commit to the things we want in life, in our time frame, and at our own
time.

When life swerves, we must return to the focus of looking inward. If we

wake up resolved to focus on putting our dharma to work and get given
tasks that are not in line with our strengths, it’s up to us to find a way to
put our dharma to use. We are responsible for the type of life we live in.

When we fail with someone or at something, we shouldn’t judge the

process or judge ourselves. There’s no perfect human being, which is why
we should give ourselves time to recover and return to a flexible focus on
what we want. The world isn’t with us or against us. We create our own
reality in every moment.

Try this:

Visualizing the inevitable will give you every lesson you need to live a
fulfilling life. Fast-forward yourself at age seventy or ninety, and imagine
yourself on your deathbed. Ask your future self the following personal
questions:

● What do I wish I’d done?

● What experiences do I wish I’d had?

● What do I regret not giving more attention to?

● What skills do I wish I’d worked on?

283
 Use these questions to plan your life and create a roadmap for your future
self.

284
 The 10X Rule:

The Only Difference Between

Success and Failure
Grant Cardone

Read to boost:
Persistence

Personal potential

Time management

Endurance

What’s in there for me?

The 10X Rule is now a household name in the school of success because it
teaches that for every desired result, you must go the extra mile, which is
done by putting in 10X more action than the average person would. Great
feats require an extraordinary level of action – or what Grant Cardone calls
“massive action." Do YOU want to maximize your potential to create the life
you want?

The 10X Rule says that it
takes you at least 10 times
more action and thinking to
move beyond your current
level of success.
“Any target attacked with the right
actions in the right amounts with
persistence is attainable.”

GO!

and get it

285 in 15-min!
 1. The 10X Rule is the underlying factor behind all
extraordinary feats

You probably picked this tidbit, wondering what the 10X Rule is and if it
can truly help you accomplish all your dreams and more.

Let's begin with a bit of background story. Grant Cardone is a successful

real estate investor. Over the years, he has built many successful
companies; and people always ask him the one secret to his massive
success.

The question has always taken him back. After pondering it, he discovered
that he succeeded because he obeyed the 10X Rule. He always went the
extra mile in all that he did. According to Grant Cardone, he constantly
saw to it that he put in 10 times more effort than the average person would.

The 10X Rule says that it takes you at least 10 times more action and
thinking to move beyond your current level of success.

Many people set lofty goals but underestimate the amount of action or
mindset shift required to achieve that success. This is the reason we often
fall short of our goals. You'll understand this if you've happily set goals on
New Year's Day and pushed your way through to December 31st without
actualizing up to 50% of them.

"Any target attacked with the right actions in the right amounts with
persistence is attainable." ~ Grant Cardone

The 10X Rule strongly emphasizes 10X goals. At best, you're only as
successful as the goals you set — both aspects of the rule work hand-in-
hand. You need to have lofty, extraordinary goals, and you must put in the
right amount of effort to make them a reality.

286
 In the chapters that follow, we’ll go deep into how to set lofty goals and
take the right amount of action needed for an extraordinary life. It's going
to be an interesting and educational ride.

2. Success is relative; not everyone has the same definition

Success is often considered as the progressive actualization of

predetermined goals. But that's a generic definition. When we get down
to the nitty-gritty of it, we'll find that success largely depends on who you
ask.

The parameters change as you grow. As a kid, success probably meant

going to school with candy or staying up past your bedtime. Success to a
teenager is making good grades in school, getting a high school lover, and
earning some good bucks.

A grown-up has different success parameters. Getting married, raising

kids, building a successful company are goals that most adults have in
common. The bottom line is, success has the same meaning for all, but
with different parameters to measure it.

However, irrespective of your success parameter, there are a few things

you need to know about success to succeed and repeat:

● Success is important.

● Success is your duty.

● There is no shortage of success.

Your life will be hard if you don't succeed in your endeavors; you won't
last long in your career, and you'll struggle financially, spiritually, and

287
 relationally. To put it simply, you'll live an unhappy life. There's potential
locked up within you, and your life will be frustrating if you continue the
habit of living below that potential.

However, success won't come to you unless you work towards it.

Nobody folds their arms and waits for success to meet them in their living
room. You have to go all out for it.

Be intentional about success in life, career, business, and family.

Basically, you're automatically reducing your chances of success if you
don't plan and work toward it.

“As long as you are alive, you will either live to accomplish your own goals
and dreams or be used as a resource to accomplish someone else's.”
~ Grant Cardone

Did you know? The management concept developed by Laurence J. Peter

called the Peter principle states that people will keep getting promoted to
higher levels if they continue improving their skills. The point of
incompetence comes when their skills become insufficient for a new role,
and they find themselves stuck there. This is known as “Peter’s Plateau.”

3. Success is not forced but attracted by who you’re

becoming

Things don't just happen to you; they happen because of you. You attract
success because of who you are; failure, too. You need to get it into your
subconscious that nothing just happens and that you are directly or
indirectly responsible for the things that happen in your life.

288
 The 10X mindset doesn't blame people or circumstances for the result it
sees; instead, it takes full responsibility for all that happens.

Playing victim won't help you in the journey to greatness. It will inhibit your
progress. Your life will begin to take a dramatic shift when you cultivate
the habit of taking responsibility for the outcome of your life.

It's easy to take responsibility when you're directly involved, but it

becomes challenging when you don't seem to have control over the
situation. For instance, you're giving a speech, and your audience
suddenly becomes uninterested such that they prefer chit-chatting to
listening to you. It would be easy to blame the organizers for giving you a
boring topic or for not paying attention to the aesthetics of the venue. But
a 10X performer would think differently. They'll search themselves to find
how they could have fueled the disinterest and determine what steps they
can take to prevent it next time.

4. Life only rewards people who take action

So far, we've established that our thoughts and actions are the most
significant drivers of success in our lives. You won't attain great heights if
your thinking is limited; likewise, you may have the most incredible mind
in the world, but it won’t be able to bail you out of mediocrity if you aren't
committed to taking necessary actions.

It'll be outrageous to say the people unhappy with their results aren't taking
action. They are — we all take measures on a daily basis, only the majority
of us don't take the number of steps necessary to birth the kind of life we
desire.

289
 You won't attain your desired result if you put in less work than is required.

It goes to say that you can change the quality of your life by changing your
actions. But you'll be frustrated trying to do this when you don't know what
activity level you're currently in nor how to move onto the level required
for your success. Grant Cardone classifies our action levels into four
groups. We shall consider them in chronological order, starting with level
one:

No action

The people in this group have given up on their dreams. They no longer
take action toward the things they once desired. They're complacent when
it comes to seeking knowledge, networking, or doing things that are
supposed to help them enjoy life. They spend time explaining to everyone
who cares to listen why things aren't working for them.

Retreat

People in this category have, at some point, taken actions that didn't
deliver as expected. The sense of failure makes them retreat —
concluding that the situation is a hopeless one.

Quick advice: don't jump into such conclusions too quickly. You may think
you've failed in business after not reaching your goals twice, but if you
strike again, you might just find that things work out well. Retreaters
should learn to critically examine situations before jumping to conclusions.

For example, it doesn't make sense to refuse to prepare for an exam

simply because you failed several tests in that particular course and
therefore assume there’s no way you could possibly pass the course. The
right action to take would be to attend a good tutorial class prior to sitting
for the exam.

290
 5. Seek consistency and growth rather than perfection

We went over the two lowest levels of action in Chapter 3. In this chapter,
we’ll consider the final two, especially the category everyone aiming for
success must be in.

Normal action

This level of action is the most prevalent in our society today. And it's the
most socially acceptable. The person who takes average action never
aims to be extraordinary. They don't even think of standing out of the
crowd; they move with the bandwagon, consciously or unconsciously
aiming for a normal life.

Such a person is stuck in the middle class and is comfortable because

that is what society advocates.

Living an average life is dangerous because anything can happen. As a

business owner, you can easily go broke if the economy begins to shake.
As an employee, your company won't have second thoughts about laying
you off when the need arises because they can easily find a thousand
other average people like you.

Massive action

This realm of action is considered borderline insanity by many people

because it transcends the societal understanding of hard work or
progressive success.

However, if you look closely at nature, you'll find that massive action is in
the fiber of creation. Think about bees and ants. They're always working,
taking massive measures to secure their future. Did you know that there's
nonstop activity going on beneath the earth you're sitting on right now?

291
 Would you also consider how the ocean never stops moving? How the
entire planetary body never stops revolving around the sun?

Nature is consistently and persistently working. It's the reason why you
can plant a seed and seven days later find that it has germinated.
Everything around us is in constant motion; why should we be any
different?

Massive action is all about relentlessly engaging in activities that move

you, your company, or your family forward. There's no retreat, normal
action, or inaction. It's simply consistent and massive action.

Only this type of attitude can make you rise from obscurity to becoming a
global force.

Massive action is the key to actualizing your dreams and ambitions.

It will attract criticism from mediocre people, but in the end, the results
your life produces will speak for themselves.

6. Setting lofty goals doesn't make you unrealistic

Many people have heard that they're truly unlimited — limitations exist
only in their minds, yet they still settle for average (or "realistic") goals.

Society makes us believe some things are realistic while others aren't.
This is simply not true. There’s no such thing as unrealistic goals for the
extraordinary person — there only exist goals that require massive
amounts of action compared to others.

Don't be afraid to set big goals; they bring happiness and fulfillment to
your life. There's an exciting sense of accomplishment you feel when you

292
 do things normal people consider impossible. You get a chance to prove
to them that impossibility only exists in the mind.

In the stone age, for example, wouldn't it be considered crazy to think you
can sit in one place and have a chat with someone hundreds of miles
away? But how possible is that in the 21st century?

If no one ever set a goal to make communication better for humanity, it

would never have happened. Check the lives of the greatest inventors and
businesspeople, and you'll find that they all had big goals.

Lofty goals provide the momentum to keep you going even in the face of
resistance or setbacks. But it's easy to let go of small goals in such
circumstances.

As a rule of thumb, you should cultivate the habit of reviewing your goals
every single day. This will help you stay on course and commit to bringing
them to pass.

The 10X rule is about thinking and acting 10 times more than the average
person.

Don't compete with others but set lofty goals that will challenge your
thinking and move you to take massive, 10X actions.

Conclusion

Life is a gift to be enjoyed, not endured. Many people go through life

unhappy and wish the world would end the next day because their lives
aren’t producing the results they expect. But ending your existence just
because you feel dissatisfied isn’t the best decision — there is almost no
problem without a solution. And in fact, this summary has handed you the

293
 not-so-secret code to extraordinary achievement. In case you missed it,
the key to lasting happiness and impactful living is going the extra mile to
think and do 10 times more than ordinary people.

For every goal you set, there is the right amount of action required. The
mistake most people make is setting high goals then underestimating the
work required to hit their targets. Because of this imbalance, they get
exhausted and give up before hitting any significant milestone. It's not their
fault, though. Unless the mind is specifically trained, it will never give
accurate estimations. And it's easier to underestimate because small work
makes the brain feel comfortable.

However, if you're passionate about living an extraordinary life, then you

have to become a massive action taker. Resolve in your mind to take
massive action every day towards your goals. Decide to stop at nothing
until you’ve hit all your targets. This is the mindset that will keep you from
thinking small and taking mediocre actions.

“You have to approach the notion of success the way good parents
approach their duty to their children. It’s an honor, an obligation, and a
priority.” ~ Grant Cardone

Try this:

Take an inventory of your life. Are you satisfied with the house you're living
in, your financial status, your overall personal achievement? No? Then
the 10X rule is for you. Pick up a pen and paper and begin writing your
dream life. Don't think of how you'll actualize it. Your assignment is to write
it all down. Pen the exact life you want to live. When you're done, close
your eyes and begin imagining yourself living that life.

294
 Those are your goals for the next 12 months. Repeat the process every
day: in the morning and at night, but this time, allow your mind to develop
10X strategies and actions required to deliver your goals.

295
 Unlimited Memory:

Remember More and

Be More Productive
Kevin Horsely

Read to boost:
Memory

Learning skills

Mind power

Self-discipline

What’s in there for me?

Kevin Horsely, author of Unlimited Memory, two-time Memory World record
holder, professional speaker and learning assistant, provides you with a set
of powerful memory enhancing mindset and skills that will allow you to be
in total control of your learning and life. The book also offers you teachings
on how to use advanced learning strategies to learn faster, remember
more, and be more productive.

Reviewing keeps the “Habits begin as off-handed

information awake in your
mind and enables you to be
able to connect new
information with existing
ones.
remarks, ideas and images. And
then, layer upon layer, through
practice, they grow from cobwebs
into cables that shackle or
strengthen our lives.”

GO!

and get it

296 in 15-min!
 1. Memory is the cornerstone of man's existence

Imagine being born without a memory. What would it be like?

Grandmaster Kevin Horsely answers this question by stating that without
memory, one would be nothing. You wouldn't be able to learn, think or
have intelligence. You wouldn't even know how to tie your shoes!

Memory is the glue that binds everyone's lives together. It is what makes
everyone. Memories determine the quality of our decisions and therefore,
our entire life.

Memory and learning are the two most magical properties of the human
mind.

Learning is the ability to acquire new information while memory holds that
information in place over time. Memory is the foundation to all learning.
Memories are in-built; however, they need to be improved upon as the
stronger your memory is, the better for you. The more you remember, the
more you can create.

2. Excuses are extremely unhealthy for your goals

Many frequently get lost on the path to achieving their life's goals as a
result of a persistent lack of concentration. Concentration is a precursor
to attaining your desired goal in life. Excuse is one major setback that can
deter your level of concentration and attention. These excuses are the
major reasons you have not made a quantum leap in your success path.
Excuses only have one job — prevent you from learning new things as
well as prevent you from achieving your desired goal. Hence, it is crucial
that you break free from your excuses.

297
 Grandmaster Kevin Horsely highlighted some common excuses that
people use to give away their power to excel; they include telling yourself
you are helpless, constantly blaming someone else, and the thought of
too much stress in anything you desire to accomplish. If you continuously
believe your limits, then your life will be constantly be limited by those
limits. It is impossible to have negative emotions without blaming
someone or something for it. We often excuse ourselves from taking
responsibility and also excuse ourselves into living mediocre lives, but you
need to decide now to stop giving power to excuses if you are indeed
willing to achieve your life goals.

Letting go of your excuses, judgements and complaints will help improve

your memory and concentration as well as quicken your learning of a new
skill. Drop them now!

3. Beliefs have a great influence in the accomplishment of

your goals

Your belief is another factor that can either deter or encourage your level
of concentration. Your belief of what your concentration and memory can
do can be your own limited version of the truth. Many never try out the
wealth of potentials in them because they have a limited view of what they
can do. Never believe that lie!

The mind is the only limit you've got — as long as you believe you can do
it, you can.

There are awesome ways in which you can change those terrible beliefs
preventing you from achieving your life's goals. Grandmaster Kevin

298
 suggests five core beliefs you should put on right now to build a better
level of concentration; they include:

● I was born with exceptional memory and concentration

● Memory improvement is important

● My memory is unlimited

● There is no failure, only feedback

● I don't know it all

4. Be here now and attain a great level of concentration

Many people believe super concentration is magical, that it's more like a
gift that few are born with. Grandmaster Kevin, however, disagrees with
this view; he gave an instance saying, “Do you agree with this statement;
‘big muscular biceps are something you are born with?’ No, of course not,
because we know it takes many hours of training in a gym.”

In a similar way, concentration, like any other thing in life requires

adequate practice.

Concentration is a build up of small choices consistently practised.

You can focus your thinking to improve any area of your life. Hence,
concentration should be built upon daily. Building your concentration isn't
difficult; you just need to learn to be here now — when you're at work, be
at work, when you're at home, be at home. You have to learn to be
peaceful to attain your desired level of concentration. Withdraw your mind
from conflicts of thought and learn to build a state of mind peace.

Mind conflicts ruin your level of concentration so you should avoid them.

299
 Take these steps to eliminate conflicts and create more peace: take
control of your inner voice, stop multitasking, know what you want and
eliminate worry. Learn to practise peace because no attention means no
retention.

5. Create and connect to learn faster and be productive

Many dream of having a photographic memory, which is a complete

mystery. Memory is a creative process and not a photographic process.
You have to create the memories you wish to remember.

Any book you really enjoy activates your imagination and brings
information to life. Reading and writing are a creative imagination process.
We excel in reading when we don't feel confused or ignorant. The more
we transform information into images, the more we retain, remember and
comprehend. We can, therefore, make learning more comprehensible
through our unlimited imagination.

You can learn to enhance your memory and imagination system through
the SEE principles which include:

● The use of your senses — utilizing your senses helps you to

experience more life and remember more.

● Exaggeration with humor — create some positive exaggerated

learning memories.

Imagination is a creative process; the more life you can put in it, the better
your learning.

For instance, to remember the capital of a country like Greece which is

Athens, you can imagine eight hens (which sounds like Athens) swimming

300
 in Greece. To achieve a powerful memory state, you need to bring
information to life through unlimited imagination.

The author also suggests other means to creatively remember information

which include — the use of your car, use of your body, pegging information
down, and the use of journey methods.

All these creative ways of remembering information have a principle in

common — the journey method, which involves the following:

1. Prepare in your mind an organized location or car or body.

2. Create markers or places on the location, car or body

3. Make a clear image, using SEE principles, of the information you

would like to remember.

4. Place each item you are trying to remember on each of the marked
location.

By doing these, you will remember a lot of information.

All the memory methods works with the formula: LTM (long term memory)
+ STM (short term memory) = MTM (middle term memory). The long term
memory offers you a place to store information that you'll remember
forever like your name while the short term memory stores incoming
information like your new telephone number and also assists the LTM in
remembering large chunks of information.

The crucial thing is to practise these principles continuously; the more you
do, the better you become.

301
 6. Linking thoughts and remembering names and numbers
are ways of building a creative memory

Your mind is an associating machine, hence, it has no limits.

To concentrate and strengthen your ability to associate concepts, you

need to be able to link thoughts. Learning involves connecting old
information to new ones and also requires you to create a link between
the known and unknown. The better your understanding of an idea, the
easier it is for you to create the link.

To create a linking thought that enables you to build a stronger memory,

get a list of all items to be remembered, convert everything to a list of
relatable keywords you can easily remember and form a beautiful and
meaningful story that links all the items together.

In essence, it is crucial to remember names like a memory master. To do

this, you have to focus on the four Cs which are:

● Concentrate with genuine interest in the other person's name

● Create an image of the name in your mind

● Connect the name with the face, location or by comparison with

another bearer

● Continuously use the name.

Just like names, numbers have also become a crucial part of our being,
yet no one has shown us an easy way to remember numbers — by
converting them to shapes which form letters that can be turned into
words. The process is intricate but once you have a clear understanding
of the code, it makes your ability to remember numbers faster. The code
suggests that all vowels, a, e , i, o, and u have no number value. Also, the

302
 letters w, h, and i have no value. 0 is for letter S, Z, or C; 1 for T or D, 2
for letter N, 3 for M, 4 for letter R, 5 for L, 6 for J or Sh, 7 for letter K, 8 for
F or V, and 9 represents letter P or B.

For instance, a number like 1310 can form the word TOMATOES. This
number method of remembering requires diligent practice but once
mastered, it becomes pretty easy.

7. You can easily convert information to art and use the

memory methods effectively

Art is another great way to remember information because it aids creative

remembering and increases your association with the information. Make
an effort to turn important information in your life to pictures that can be
easily viewed in your mind. It's fun doing this!

You can do this by using Google Images, by getting an illustrator to make

your drawings, by cutting out pictures from magazines, or by using
doodles. Also, the use of mind mapping is another way for creative
remembering.

Knowing the methods of remembering is important, however, adapting to

these methods is more vital.

303
 8. The importance of continuous use should never be side-
stepped

"Habits begin as off-handed remarks, ideas and images. And then, layer
upon layer, through practice, they grow from cobwebs into cables that
shackle or strengthen our lives." ~ Denis Waitley

Building a long term memory of these methods would help you remember
the methods forever. To achieve this, you need to discipline yourself to
continuously use the methods. Self-discipline is not self deprivation; it is
setting a great standard for yourself and achieving it.

Many think the events that unfold in their lives are magical but they fail to
see the place of self-discipline in the achievement of their life's goals.

Our goals can be attained if we are willing to give it the fight and inculcate
self-discipline in our daily living. Follow these steps to create a more
disciplined life:

● Create a vision

● Make a decision to change

● Stop listening to your feelings

● Take daily action on your success path

After this process, it is vital that you constantly review your learning
process to keep yourself abreast of vital information needed to help you
attain success. The reason we review is to build a strong memory of the
information in our minds.

Reviewing does not require a lot of time. It just requires thinking about the
information and ensuring the details of the information are vivid and clear.

304
 If you review a piece of information in a specific time frame, you increase
recall.

Reviewing keeps the information awake in your mind and enables you to
be able to connect new information with existing ones.

To prevent loss of important information in your life and loss of all that
you've learnt, you need to always use the power of review to put a lid on
learning.

Conclusion

There is only management when it comes to memory improvement.

Hence, you have to build your memory with the wealth of methods that
can enhance your memory and ability to remember. Make conscious effort
in inculcating self-discipline to achieve your goals.

Try this:

Drop the excuses, build a positive belief about your memory and
concentration, avoid mind conflicts and create mind peace. Also, be
present in your dealings, use creativity in remembering crucial life
information, inculcate self-discipline and constantly review and renew your
learning.

305
 Meditations

Marcus Aurelius

Read to boost:
Stoicism

Mindfulness

Calmness

Sensibility

What’s in there for me?

Are you seeking to lead a meaningful life? Are you new to stoicism and
want to learn more about meditation? If your answer is yes, then
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius is the right book for you. Meditations is a
series of spiritual exercises filled with wisdom and practical guidance for a
good life. Marcus’ priceless insights have been used by statesmen,
thinkers, and readers alike for generations.

We can choose to see “The mind adapts and changes to

obstacles as the very things its own purposes the obstacle to
that can help us grow, our acting. The hindrance to action
progress and live better propels action. What obstructs the
lives. way becomes the way.”

GO!

and get it

306 in 15-min!
 1. The collection of Marcus Aurelius' life-lessons has
remained relevant through ages

“Meditations” is an ever unique collection of personal notes written by the

Stoic Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, to himself. The notes were
somewhat mysterious because they were never intended for publication,
but simply for personal clarity.

The notes were meant to help Marcus Aurelius, a trained Stoic, define a
life philosophy and an ideal character worthy of aspiration for himself.
They were also intended to help him reflect on how to make good on the
responsibilities and obligations of his position as the military leader of an
empire. However, the insights in Meditations have proven to be priceless
and ageless, as they have resonated with men of all walks of life for
thousands of years.

“Do external things distract you? Then find time to learn something
worthwhile; stop letting yourself be pulled in all directions.”
~ Marcus Aurelius

So, who was Marcu Aurelius? Born M. Annius Verus on April 26, A.D. 121,
Marcus Aurelius served as the emperor of the Roman Empire from A.D.
161 to 180. This was the age of the Imperial Cult when Roman emperors
were divinely sanctioned rulers with vast wealth and power.

As a soldier, Marcus was both capable and successful; he embarked on

several campaigns in the interest of his empire and people and was
triumphant in almost all of them. In a similar vein, he was prudent and
conscientious as an administrator.

However, the good emperor was not spared domestic and personal
troubles. His wife, Faustina, died at an early age, and his children died

307
 one by one. By the end of Marcus' life, only one of his sons still lived —
the weak and worthless Commodus, who would end up succeeding
Marcus as emperor and ruining his father's life legacy during his short
reign.

Yet through all his numerous afflictions, Marcus's humility and objectivity
were tremendous. And during those years of trouble, Marcus would write
twelve books of his private journals "Meditations," which have gone on to
become one of the most practical and influential philosophy books in the
history of the world.

In this summary, we will take a look at the major life lessons that recur
throughout the book and how they can help lead a better life.

2. No one has the power to make you feel any negative

emotion without your permission

Marcus Aurelius reminds us that each day is filled with unavoidable

troubles caused by the ignorance or bad behavior of other people. As we
go out each day, we'll come across all sorts of people — the ungrateful,
the arrogant, the busy-body, the dishonest, the jealous, and the irritable.
In dealing with such people, we must never let our own principles be
violated.

“If anything external distresses you, the pain is not due to the thing itself,
but to your perception of it; and you have the power to revoke this at any
moment.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

In life, we have no control over what other people do or how they choose
to behave. We can’t make people act with integrity, or make them do the
right thing, and we can’t change people's temperament or behavior. The

308
 only thing over which we have total control in life is our own behavior and
how we react to other people's actions.

People cannot make you feel any negative emotion — anger, fear,
sadness, oppression — unless you allow them.

There will always be people who find joy in tearing other people down.
People will lash out at you out of jealousy or out of pure hatred. Always
bear in mind, however, that regardless of what anyone else says or does,
you can maintain your peace of mind by controlling the way you perceive
the situation or react to it.

Marcus says no one can ever cause you pain or grief if you ignore what
goes on in other people's souls and keep track of what goes on in yours.
He reminds us that evil people behave the way they do because they are
ignorant of what is right and wrong, and that we should forgive them for
their wrongdoings, even when they hurt us.

“I’ve seen the beauty of good, and the ugliness of evil ..... none of them
can harm me. No one can implicate me in ugliness. Nor can I feel angry
at my family, or hate him.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

Moreover, Marcus Aurelius believed that it's against our nature as humans
to despise evil people and try to avoid them. No one is perfect. When you
find yourself judging others, take a deep breath and consider your own
faults first. Then you will discover that it doesn't really make any sense to
blame others.

Instead of judging others and letting yourself be disappointed or

distressed by their action, be mindful of your own thoughts and actions
and focus on self-improvement.

309
 As Marcus Aurelius says, your ability to control your thoughts is all that
protects your mind from false perceptions. It’s what makes thoughtfulness
and affection for other people possible.

3. Don't waste even a second of your time on earth

complaining

We find it easy to complain about almost anything — traffic, slow Wi-Fi,

bad customer service, the weather, or even life itself. Whenever we find
ourselves facing life's challenges, we simply resort to complaining.

One truth the vast majority of us find difficult to embrace is that complaint
never changes the situation. Sure, it feels good and momentarily liberating
to be able to blow off steam and vent our anger, but we only end up
wasting our time and making everything worse. That's why complaining
seems so comforting — it lets you describe situations as negatively as you
can without any solid plan to take responsibility and try to solve the
problem.

There is nothing to gain from your worries. Whenever you’re facing a

challenge, ask yourself: “Can I do anything about this?” If yes, great! So
why complain? Get to work and start doing all you can to turn things
around. If no, why waste your time complaining when you know it won’t
make any difference? As Marcus Aurelius reminds us, it's either you can
deal with the challenges that come your way or you can't. If you can, then
start doing something and stop making things worse by complaining.

310
 “Everything that happens is either endurable or not. If it’s endurable, then
endure it. Stop complaining. If it’s unendurable . . . then stop complaining.
Your destruction will mean its end as well. Remember, you can endure
whatever your mind can make endurable, by treating it as in your interest
to do so. In your interest, or in your nature.”
~ Marcus Aurelius

One part of Marcu Aurelius' duty as an emperor he didn't exactly fancy

was holding court. Regardless of his disdain for the court, however, he
didn't shy away from his duties. He simply trusted in the grand scheme of
things. Knowing he is the emperor for a purpose, he believes that part of
the universe's plan for him at the moment was to deal with the sly courtiers
and their flimsy arguments and small talks.

“Everything that happens to you has been waiting to happen since the
beginning of time. They’re both woven together by the strands of fate: your
own existence and your experiences.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

As a devoted stoic, Marcus Aurelius strongly believed in the notion of

"Amor Fati," a phrase that translates to “love of fate.” The Stoics believed
that the secret to happiness and tranquility lies in accepting everything
that happens to us, including suffering and losses, as something positive.
Or seeing every life experience, either positive or negative, as something
that can teach us valuable life lessons and help us grow.

Life is too short to waste the quality part of your time complaining. Start
acting instead of brooding and assigning blames.

Focus on the things you can influence and stop worrying about the things
that are outside your circle of control.

311
 4. Stay focused on the present and live with the
understanding that you're here for a purpose

Marcus Aurelius believed that each of us has a purpose; something we

were created for. And it is our duty to ensure we fulfill that purpose.

“There is a purpose for everything, from horses to vine shoots. What’s

surprising about that? Even the sun and the other gods exist for a reason
as well. And why were you born? For pleasure? See if that answer will
stand up to questioning.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

The Stoics believe that each and every one of us is a part of a common
whole and that every aspect of life is interconnected in order to fulfill a
particular duty. They believe that everything on earth, be it humans,
animals, or non-living things has a purpose or a place in nature.

It was in this light that Marcus Aurelius reflected that it is our principal duty
on earth to seek virtuousness. Virtue is that it's the highest purpose we
humans can commit to.

Living a virtuous life means living in honesty, discipline, and courage.

Aurelius reminds us that we should get up each morning and do good

work. Approach each day with a spirit of gratitude, and do your best to
contribute to society, paying no attention to the reproach of others. And
as you go about doing good, do not expect anything in return for your good
deeds. Instead, be content with knowing that you're a part of a whole
fulfilling a great purpose in the grand scheme of things. Virtue is its own
reward.

Moreover, we all have certain strengths. There are some things which we
really do better than anybody else. Find out what you are naturally good
at and enjoy doing, and use it in service of others. It is by adding value to

312
 other people’s lives, by doing what you’re naturally good at, that you
become more productive, fulfilled, and happier.

“When you find it difficult getting out of bed in the morning, remember that
your major characteristic as a human being is to work with others.”
~ Marcus Aurelius

Aurelius also reminds us to focus on the present moment and live in the
now. It's easy to start thinking of all the things we've done wrong in the
past or let our imagination run wild envisioning all the ways things can go
wrong in the future.

“Like a Roman soldier, focus every minute on doing what’s in front of you
with precise and genuine seriousness. And on ridding yourself of all other
distractions.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

The past is gone and the future is not here yet — these are totally out of
our control and there is no point in dwelling on them. It is this present
moment that is in our circle of control. And for our own good, each moment
of our lives should be spent doing the things that really matter.

5. The obstacle is the way: learn to see obstacles as

opportunities

Everyone runs into one obstacle or another at some point in life. We get
stuck in traffic; the dream job didn't turn out as expected; technical
difficulties at work; the flight gets canceled; a loved one passed. Hardships
come in different forms in life and they are inevitable.

In responding to these obstacles, we can take two distinct approaches.

We can get all bitter, negative and dejected, telling anyone who is willing

313
 to listen to us how cruel life has been. "Why me? This is unfair!" "Why
can't I just catch a good break for once?".

Or, we can choose to see them as a chance to learn about endurance,

patience, resilience, and perseverance.

We can choose to see obstacles as the very things that can help us grow,
progress and live better lives.

Just like any other Stoic, Marcus Aurelius knew that obstacles were
actually opportunities in disguise. To Aurelius, obstacles were
opportunities to create success and evolve to become a better person in
the process.

“Just as nature works around every obstacle and impediments in its path
and uses them to its purpose — so, too, a rational person can turn each
challenge into raw material and use it to achieve its goal.”
~ Marcus Aurelius

In the year 175 when Marcus Aurelius' health started declining very
rapidly, and almost everybody in the empire was aware that the emperor's
reign was coming to an end. At this point, some disturbing news reached
Aurelius.

Avidius Cassius, the emperor's best friend and most trusted general, had
revolted and declared himself emperor. Instead of getting angry and
feeling disappointed, Aurelius simply saw the whole situation as an
avenue to preach peace and forgiveness. When Cassius was captured,
Aurelius wouldn't execute him for treachery. Instead, he pardoned
Cassius and let him live.

314
 “The mind adapts and changes to its own purposes the obstacle to our
acting. The hindrance to action propels action. What obstructs the way
becomes the way.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

Whenever you encounter any obstacle in life, no matter how terrifying, do

not flinch, do not get discouraged. Lean in the problem and give it
everything you have. Never forget that within each obstacle in life lies the
element of its own dissolution. Be, as Marcus Aurelius says, like nature,
in the way it works around every obstacle, every impediment, using it for
its purposes.

6. Meditate on your mortality and let your awareness of it

inspire you to live your best life.

Nobody likes to think about dying; we all long for immortality. But the fact
of life remains that human life is ephemeral and fleeting. All of us will die
one day. Though a lot of people have spent incredible amounts of their
time trying to escape death, no one has been able to. Death is there,
whether we like it or not.

“Hippocrates healed many diseases — and then got sick and died. The
Chaldaeans foretold the deaths of many others; in due course, their own
time came. Alexander, Pompey, Caesar — who won many battles and
took many cities — they too departed this life.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

In light of our inevitable mortality, we can do one of two things. We can

pretend it's a myth and cling to the illusion that our time on earth is
unlimited. Or we can face this reality, embrace it, and convert our
awareness of death into something positive and active.

315
 Marcus Aurelius reflects frequently on the impermanence of life. In his
meditations, he reminds himself of all the great men before him who had
come and gone. He thought of all the great things they achieved, and how
they all wound up meeting their demise in due course.

The Stoics believed that the key to living well is to learn how to die well.
To live a good life devoid of fear of the unknown, start with the thought of
your mortality. Accept and embrace the reality and inevitability of death.

The more you contemplate the fleetingness of life, the less you cling on to
it and the less you fear death.

The phrase for this reminder of death is "Memento Mori," which translates
to “Remember that you will die.” As you live in awareness of your mortality,
you will gain a sense of proportion and become able to separate what is
insignificant from what is truly important. Knowing your days are
numbered gives you a sense of urgency and purpose. You'll approach
each day with gratitude and make the most of every moment.

“Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what’s left
and live it properly.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

As Marcus Aurelius did, let the awareness of the ephemerality of life

inspire you to live your best life and let go of trivial worries. Live an upright
and virtuous life and love your fate.

Conclusion

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius remain as relevant today as they were

almost 2,000 years ago. In his reflections, Marcus Aurelius tried to answer
many questions: Why are we here? How should we live our lives? How

316
 should we handle pain and mishaps? How can we protect ourselves
against the stresses and pressures of daily life? How can we live with the
awareness that someday we will no longer exist? Marcus Aurelius’
Meditations define a life philosophy and an ideal character worthy of
aspiration for himself. They were also intended to help him reflect on how
to make good on the responsibilities and obligations of his position as the
military leader of an empire. However, the insights in Meditations have
proven to be priceless and ageless, as they have resonated with men of
all walks of life for thousands of years.

This collection of thoughts serve as a reminder of the morals of the Stoic

philosophy of life. It reminds us that as individuals, we must practice virtue,
live in the moment, take charge of our thoughts, focus on the things we
can control, and ignore any form of distraction.

Try this:

Let go of the past. Forget about all the things that went wrong in the past
and stop worrying about the future. Learn from your mistakes, move on,
and focus on living your best life now.

317
Yay! You have boosted:

# Organizing Planning Goal-setting

Determination Time management

Habit formation Focus Follow-through

Motivation Career High efficiency

Inner discipline
Kudos to you for
maximizing your
productivity levels -
way to go!