PP019: Stop Reacting & Get More Done With This Underrated Productivity Tip
My Nightly Ritual to Stop Reacting and Eat More Frogs
Taking a shot in the dark and guessing you’re someone who likes to get shit done.
I know for me, I get my jollies when I’m getting things crossed off my to-do list.
First things first, I’m definitely not claiming to be a productivity guru—I’m just a dude who’s trying to be more productive than busy.
I strictly want to share with you what’s been working for me as a creative … and of course what isn’t working.
What wasn’t working for me was winging it each day.
Whenever I go with the flow with no plan:
I feel like I’m reacting all day to things around me
I barely make any progress in a million direction
I make excuses for why I never have the time
I go to bed feeling like I got nothing done
Eventually, I stumbled across one little change that I began implementing before I went to bed at night: I started planning out the one main thing that needs to get done the next day to push me towards my goal(s).
This one main task is going to be called your frog. I’ll explain why in a second.
If you’re one to wing it each day and can relate to how I used to feel than seriously consider this underrated productivity tip.
Don't Eat Tadpoles Before Your Frog
Brian Tracy, the author of Eat That Frog, talks about keeping the most important task top of mind. That most important task is your frog and you must eat your frog first before you move to less important tadpole tasks.
When you’re winging it each day, you’re eating your tadpoles and possibly something completely unrelated first.
I hope this metaphor is making sense and I sincerely hope you’re visualizing eating frogs and tadpoles at the moment. :)
For me, I’m a one man army and wear a lot of hats in my business. There’s so much to do that I can’t go around guessing anymore as each day is a valuable opportunity to get to where I want to be quicker.
This applies to you too,
When you’re guessing each day, you’re reacting. If you’re reacting, you’re not fully focused on the main task.
Once I started planning out my frog the night before, I gained a ton of clarity and most importantly, I saw progress.
What is Your Frog?
My frogs tend to vary.
What makes my business go is writing, podcasting and drawing either for the podcast or for freelance.
When writing is the frog, I mind map my topic the night before so I can let my mind marinate on everything overnight. When I wake up, I know exactly what I need to do and there is no guessing… of course, this comes after coffee.
Without planning your frog the night before, you’re waking up and reacting. You can’t take action when you have to think about what you should be doing.
[ctt template="2" link="iQzSI" via="no" ]You can’t take action when you have to think about what you should be doing.[/ctt]
By planning your frog the night before:
you don’t have to guess what to attack the next day
you’ll accomplish more getting closer to your goals
you’ll quickly get more work down and find more free time
It’s all about creating a nightly habit so you can kick ass in your following day’s routine.
My Nightly Ritual
At 9pm every night, I have a reminder from my homegirl Siri set to notify me to ’plan out my next day.’
I go in my office or lay in my bed and write in my Passion Planner my 1, sometimes up to 3 frogs that need be eaten in order to move forward to the main goal (making Perspective-Collective a full-time business).
I go to bed shortly after and truly believe my mind is subconsciously planning for me so I can just wake up and do my thing.
If I showed up and got the main frog eaten, it was a successful day.
If there is more time in my schedule after eating the first frog, I know exactly the next frog that I need to devour.
Ready to Stop Reacting?
If you’re tired of winging it and going to bed each night feeling unaccomplished, try this one tip out.
What do you have to lose?
Each night, plan one thing that needs to be done the next day.
That’s it.
I’m not telling you to have to live by a strictly scheduled routine like I do each day. Hell, knocking out that one thing each day will not only help you get more done, but it’ll also give you more guiltless freedom in a day to do what you want.
Stop living a life of reacting every day.
Plan your frog the night before and I’m confident it’ll be your most underrated get shit done tactic in your daily routine.
Key Takeaways
Plan out the one main thing the night before that needs to be completed the next day.
Each day is a valuable opportunity to get to where you want to be quicker.
When you’re guessing each day, you’re reacting. If you’re reacting, you’re not fully focused on the main task.
You can’t take action when you have to think about what you should be doing.
Show Notes
Brian Tracy - Eat That Frog
Cal Newport - Deep Work (Book)
Passion Planner - (Use Name Scotty Russell and email Scotty.Russell1988@gmail.com for reference)
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Executive Assistant - Paige Garland
Photo & Video Specialist - Colton Bachar
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Stop Reacting & Get More Done With This Underrated Productivity Tip
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