How To Do Twice The Work, In Half The Time, Without The Headache

We’re all busy here, right? Just take a look around at those countless piles of papers stacking up around your desk. Those ideas you keep jotting down, the bookmarks you said you’d read later and of course, the project you have been “planning” for the last decade.

It’s a headache, a biiiiig headache. We just get too overloaded with what we have to work on – but this is okay, right? We’re being busy. Wrong!

One of the hardest things to cope with as bloggers, entrepreneurs and nerds (admit it, you’re reading this blog aren’t you?) is that it never seems like we have enough time to get things done.

Why is this? Surely it would seem that throughout all the hours in the day we could at least fine the time to finish up one or two of our main goals for the day, right?

What if I told you if you could:

• Finish twice the work
• In half the time
• Without the headache

And I’m not just talking about staying busy, I’m talking about utterly destroying procrastination! I think we could all agree that it would benefit with our projects, right?

No, we’re not going to be slowing down time (unless you’re a timelord – if so, email me), I’m talking about simple steps you can take to free up your time, get more done, find more time for the things you love and avoid feeling the pressure as if you aren’t doing enough with your day.

Sounds good? Okay, let’s get this one the road!

<h2>Let me introduce you to a little something-something</h2>

Let me introduce you to one of the best books I’ve read about productivity in many years: Getting Things Done.

This book an absolute killer when it comes to annihilating the things that stop you from getting things done (no pun intended). I highly recommend giving it a read. Hey, it’s only like $6 bucks on Amazon – it’s well worth it.

But I want to add my own flare to the post, not just write about a book. You see, I too have been plagued with procrastination.

In school, I would wait until lunch time to finish all of my homework. In high school, I waited until the morning to finish writing papers. In college I only studied 20 minutes before the test and at work I still only wake up a few minutes before having the leave the door.

You know what? It sucks! No, wait, it USED to suck.

I’m sure you are, in some ways, just like me. Who can blame us, we’re wired 24/7 – we must read a new blog post, respond to every email, keep our status updated on Twitter and play farming games on Facebook!

Work? What’s that? Ah, screw it, I have hours in the afternoon to get things done, I’ll get around to it eventually.

But we never do.

Five things you’re wasting your time on, right now

Allow me to try a magic trick real quick (internet magic!). I will predict what’s stopping you from completing your goal for the day:

1. You’re going through your RSS feed to check out the other blogs, leave a comment and share it with your followers.
2. You said, “ah, I’ll get around to it after this show” which has turned into a couple and now you have to finish the latest episode of whatever-you’re-watching.
3. You “don’t have the resources” to complete a project despite already knowing exactly what you need to do, how to find others to help and, if need be, hire out freelance work.
4. You’re mulling around what post you want to write. You’re trying to get a few ideas going but all you can get is the first paragraph or so. “Something isn’t clicking, this post isn’t good enough!”
5. You’re reading this post – no really, I am going as far as to say that your’e wasting time reading this post. Sorry Murlu readers, you know I love you <3

I’m not trying to be a hard ass here but you’re being lazy – plain and simple.

Much like the people that want to lose weight (hey, I’m one of them), you’re getting too caught up in the fine details. So much so that you’re frozen, paralyzed to make a decision.

• You can give me 1,000 facts about how to write a good blog post but you’re having trouble actually getting around to it.

• You can tell me your idea for the “next big thing” but all you’ve done is write it down on a piece of paper.

• You want to make money online but you just keep researching and researching and researching – “what if I get it wrong, all my time is going to waste!” – hint: it already has gone to waste by delaying it.

This paralysis is common, in fact it has it’s own name (drumroll please): Choice Paralysis. This is what happens when you simply have too much to choose from.

You know where this is coming from? The internet. You. Your projects. Your constant quest to learn more. The nay-sayers. The community.

Don’t get me wrong, each of these have their place. A certain level of stress is good for you; it gets you going, it drives you!

So how do you get things done? How do you eliminate stress? How do you do everything in half the time without the headache?

(GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!)

Your 5 step plan to getting 5%!& done

Are you ready to really get things done? Ready to finally get that project on the road? Okay, let’s do this:

Step 1: Determine the “vampire” time wasters

Say it with me “My name is yourname and I am addicted to information”. Good, grab your coffee, hug your neighbor and cry a bit.

The first step towards getting things done is to admit you have a problem.

Yup, just like AA meetings.

As soon as you admit that you’re wasting your time, it’s time to look at what’s the biggest culprit – the “vampire” time wasters.

• Identify your activities throughout the day. Write down the major events (work, sleep, eating, poo-ing?). Figure up how much time these take up from your day and find a nice, round number of what’s left over.

• Consciously figure out what little things you’re doing with your time: email, commenting, tweeting, Facebook, video games, television, etc.

Step 2: Write down your “ideal” day

After you’ve determined what are vamping out your time, write down what you think your ideal day would be if these distractions weren’t there.

Figure up how many hours you can put towards your projects as if they never existed.

Seriously make the effort to break it down with a piece of paper and pen – writing by hand helps solidify the importance.

After you have your ideal day written down – imagine your success. I know it sounds cheesy but repeat out loud what you want to do, that you’re going to do it and that you’re already successful.

I know it sounds like something cheesy you’d see in a movie (cough, cough, The Secret) but ya know, this stuff actually works – project yourself and your mind will actually begin to believe it!

Step 3: Break down your goals

One of the biggest problems we have as humans is being too concerned with the big picture. We see this monumental task ahead of us and immediately feel overwhelmed. “How am I going to get all this done!”

Here’s a few scenarios:

• If you want to write a blog post: Think of the entire post as subchapters; write one at a time, take a break and then come back. Do this until it’s done.

• If you want to launch a new product: Do quick research, figure out the main sections, do the main sections and work on the small parts later.

• If you want to run a business: Develop a business plan, find your product, get your website up and begin selling.

The point being: Break down every item into smaller parts.

When you look at it with a magnifying glass, taking care of each part as you go, you won’t feel overwhelmed and can reward yourself with each new milestone reached.

Step 4: Learn to be okay with “good”

I know what you’re thinking, I want to be great! But here’s the thing: if you want to be great, you have to at least start.

• Learn enough to get you started – learn the rest with real world experience.

• Set a deadline for yourself – time constraints makes you get things done.

• Find other people to network with – they will support you along the way.

The point being: Most everything you ever plan to do, you can start off with 20%. Think of it like a reverse 80/20 rule – or the long-tail. You will learn a lot within the first few days/weeks but the rest has to be incorporated as you actually do it.

Step 5: Get started NOW

No more delaying, no more “one more minute”, get started, get started now.

With the “vampire” time wasters in mind, your goals set (broken down into bit-size chunks) and being contempt with picking up the rest of your skills as you go, begin your project this very moment.

• Even if it’s just one paragraph in your ebook.
• Even if it’s one phone call to a manufacturer
• Even if it’s just one new backlink.

The point is to cut out the BS and dive right in.

It’s like riding a bike, you can’t learn until you actually do it. Be ready to skin your knees, ready to cry, reach the breaking point – don’t give up because eventually you’ll develop a great habit and it will simply come to you as second nature.

So what are you going to do now?

I’m actually going to go out of my way to tell you not to comment, not to retweet this post, not to Digg it. I don’t want you to! I want you to get started.

• I hope, throughout this post, you’ve identified what’s stopping you from reaching your goals – this cuts the time in half.

• I hope you’ve started working on your new project – this gets twice the work done.

• I hope you’ve cut out the bad stress of always feeling overwhelmed – this gets rid of the headache.

Now, what are you going to do about it?!

Image by Tiagø Ribeiro