It may be Friday. It may be warm and sunny outside. It may be the last work day before you leave on vacation.
None of that matters. Now is the time to get shit done.
Let’s not confuse GSD with GTD (the great book by David Allen, Getting Things Done). Or with Make Shit Happen by Jenny Blake.
GSD is all about about taking action and moving closer to accomplishing your goals (personally or in business).
You can read about how to do something until your blue in the face, but until you start taking action you’ll be in the same place in a year from now that you are today.
Look at businesses, mobile apps, or websites that didn’t or barely existed even a decade ago. Facebook, Instagram, Digg, Angry Birds, Twitter, etc. They all were all started by one or a few people that took a ton of action.
The reason that these are now household names is not because the founders sat around waiting for the perfect idea to pass them by. They thought of something with a unique selling proposition, created it, and continually adapted it until it got huge.
Quit Procrastinating
Is there a time and place for doing an annual review? Absolutely. A time for doing a mind dump and writing down all the ideas and tasks you have in your head? Of course.
Just don’t confuse planning with procrastination.
I’ve already talked about how to get shit done when you have a huge to do list, so I’m not break down a detailed “step by step” process you should go through to complete tasks in this post, but here’s simple workflow to live by:
- Write Shit Down
- Do It
- Quit Avoiding #2
As productivity systems go, it doesn’t get much easier than that.
If you agree, please share the post or comment below.
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What is your favorite trick for getting shit done?
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I love prompts like this. I’m constantly procrastinating on every blog post and if I figure a way around it, I know I could get a lot more done.
The only way I’m vaguely managing it at the moment is to schedule in regular break times and points in which I must reach before being able to take such breaks. Still though, because I’m doing this in my free time it’s difficult to stick to such a restrictive plan of action!
When I am really having trouble staying focused I set a timer that counts down to a 2, 5, or 15 minute break. And I do it using this website: http://www.online-stopwatch.com/countdown-timer/
Completely agree! Sometimes when I am not looking forward to doing something I make myself do that before anything else, getting the “crap” out of the way makes all the other stuff less daunting. Great advice, never heard it put that way.
Chris
Perfect example Chris. I do the same thing.
I find that the things that need to get done in a certain day always get done, so when I do the tasks that I’d rather avoid first I have a highly productive day overall.
Right on, Caleb!!!
The No. 3 btw sometimes represent itself as well into so-called or seemingly productive activities classified as “research.” In a world and environment where there is just too much information, it’s crucial for us to learn how to just shut-off our world from everything else, even information we think we might need to get shit done.
Ready, fire, aim is the only useful step in making something work.
Sometimes it is best to do fire, fire, fire.
Action > Planning.
Caleb -
Love what you have going here at Pocket Changed.
I’ve enjoy reading everything so far… although I noticed that your mission is to teach twenty & thirty-somethings about money, careers, and living a life full of freedom.
Ohhhh Crap! I’m 43. Am I still allowed access to this tresure trove of info?
Ha ha keep up the good work.
Jeff
Haha, nope you have to leave!
Glad you are enjoying it so far Jeff.
Hey Caleb,
I am another one that falls into Jeff’s age bracket - glad you will let us hang around! Get Shit Done - I love that expression. In your face and a call to action. My tendency is to have too much going on and not devoting enough time to one activity to maximize getting my shit done! I will take this as a call to focus and deliver some results.
Cheers!
I’m the same way too Chris. When I have things going on in too many directions I just have to remind myself to just pick one thing and do it until it is done.
Caleb, Benny @ getbusylivingblog.com also referenced this reading in his new post and I’m pretty sure you’ve got something great here.
Great one man
Sheyi
Hey Sheyi,
I’m glad you like the mantra of getting shit done.
And thanks for stopping by. Appreciate it.
Thanks Caleb.
I’m waiting for you to complete the questionnaire i sent.
Hope you got em?
Sheyi
Hey Sheyi,
Can you send it again? It doesn’t look like I got it.
Aiit Caleb.
I will do just that.
Sheyi
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