The main points that I want to remember from the lecture series Getting Stuff Done: A Mindful Approach to Personal Productivity in the Digital Age by Matthew B. Morgan
7-T Getting Stuff Done: Distinguishing the Vital Few from the Trivial Many
Bruce Lee: Use only that which works and take it from any place you can find it.
Thoreau: It is not enough to be busy; so are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?
If I keep my current daily practices, where will I be in 10 years?
Not motivated? That means one of two things:
-You are not in enough pain to be motivated
-You are not curious enough about the power of possibility
We are like an elephant and its rider. The elephant is the emotional component and the rider is the analytical part. It's tough to deal with the elephant because it goes wherever it wants. You have to motivate the elephant. The "why" is the key point to motivation. Start with the "why."
why --------> how ---------> what
conversion--> principles --> practices
vision-------->strategy ----->tactics
The 3 economies:
1-health (you can't outrun a bad diet)
2-wealth
3-time (a zero-sum game--a pie, it is finite and there is no more)
80/20 Principle--80% of the results come from 20% of the effort
vital few vs the trivial many
President Dallin H. Oaks: “I believe many of us are overnourished on entertainment junk food and undernourished on the bread of life.”
Warren Buffet supposedly said to write down the top 25 things that you think you need to get ahead. Then circle the top 5. Ignore the other 20 and work on the top 5 until you have them done.
Determining Priorities
-What are my vital few?
-What precepts should I abide by?
-What might I regret when my time on earth is over?
-What do I care most about?
-What was I born to do? (look at your Patriarchal Blessing)
-What am I willing to let go of?
I can do anything, but not everything.
Create a personal mission statement.
Avoid perfectionism and comparisons.
14-W Getting Stuff Done: You Need a System, but Keep It Simple
Viktor E. Frankl: He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.
If you want success, figure out the price and pay it.
Multitasking doesn't work--it is continuous partial attention and leaves you feeling overwhelmed and over stimulated.
Habit -----> routines------> rituals
Create a planning ritual, something that's a constant for you
A weekly review--it takes some prep, so schedule it. Find a place you won't be disturbed and bring your tools.
1--Prepare your mind with opening exercises
mindfulness 3-5 minutes of relaxed breathing
use inspirational music
prayer--ask what needs are before me and what would He have me do
connect to your mission (a vision board)
2--Evaluate last week
what went well and what didn't go well
what could I do better on
3--Review your roles (wife/mother, daughter/sister, ministering sister, RS president)
ask questions about the roles and schedule the answers
4--Preview upcoming week
--empty your head
--review the calendar
--review/process lists:
Guard the morning for work that needs focused concentration.
Using Stephen R. Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People quadrants:
Schedule your Quadrant II items (important but not urgent) and make these standing appointments:
planning
exercise
personal finance
learning, study, writing
relationships
Review your lists--eliminate and prioritize items
Review your NOT to do list (distractions, drain your energy, stresses you, feel obligated to do, actually doesn't need to be done).
NOT list (take these things off your plate:
check your phone or email first thing
answer unrecognized phone numbers
sacrifice exercise time
multitask
time on social media
over volunteering
micromanaging
use phone at home
Quadrant IV--a lot of waste
Quadrant I and II are important
Quadrants I and III are urgent--management
Quadrant II is leadership
Does this bring me closer to the life I want?
Must I do it? (If not, delegate it)
Can I do it more efficiently or less often? (optimize it)
What if I don't do it? (could I delete it?)
Q I-- do urgent and important
Q II-- decide schedule it
Q III-- delegate
Q IV-- delete
I and II are the vital few
III and IV are the trivial many
Look at the to do list this way:
could do
could do
should do
could do
should do
move the "should dos" to the success list and do those
Don't have too many to dos. Be overly strict about the process
Do's:
show up
celebrate progress
track progress with a "to do" list
Amabile and Kramer (The Power of Small Wins): Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work.
The reason why people give up so fast is because they tend to look at how far they still have to do, instead of how far they have gotten.
Guiding Principles
1- Think about what you are trying to achieve and the next actions that will most help you get there
2- remove the inessential clutter
your future self pays the price of the actions of your present self [be kinder to your future self]
3- think backwards about what you want to avoid
4- be adaptable to changing circumstances
Take action:
1- teach it
2- set a time and place for your weekly review
3- show up and do it
To Get Your Elephant Down the Road
1-- motivate the elephant (why)
find an emotional connection
2-- direct the rider (what, how)
clear direction
3-- shape the path
reduce obstacles, tweak the environment, make it easy to do the right thing
Strategies of Highly Effective People
--Personal Leadership (private victory)
1. Be proactive
2. Begin with the end in mind
3. Put first thisng first
--Learn to work with others (public victories)
4. think win-win
5. seek first to understand, then to be understood
6. synergize
Lay the foundation (self-renewal)
7. Sharpen the Saw
Alignment of value (the thing you want) and principles (the law you must obey)
