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From Mark Ford, editor, Creating Wealth: Here’s a key insight I’m turning into a “rule” in my teaching on productivity:
Never give yourself weekly or daily tasks that you don’t feel you can achieve with at least 90% certainty.
There are two ways to do this:
- Sometimes you have to be able to step back and say, “There’s no way I’m going to get this done.” And that’s okay; just adjust!
For example, last month I set a goal to revise four short stories for my short story collection. Well, about halfway through the month I realized that was never going to happen. And what did I do? I was already two in… did I just give up and scrap the whole thing?
No! I just adjusted it to three stories instead of four, and then adjusted my yearly goal. Instead of finishing my short story collection in August, I’ll finish in September. Is anybody going to die because I moved it? Not likely. So that’s one way to do it: Stay flexible. Adjust. Reset when needed.
- The other way to ensure a goal is 90% achievable is to break it down into smaller, digestible chunks whenever you need. If you’re struggling to “complete” a goal, it could be because it’s simply too big.
Figure out the first, smallest step you can take to move closer to your goal. Complete that one before moving on. Give yourself the fix you need to keep coming back for more.
Reeves’ Note: Creating Wealth subscribers can learn the “nitty-gritty” behind Mark’s personal productivity system, for free, right here.