How often do you set yourself a long list of tasks to get done within a day and end up either: 1. Spending all day running around trying to get everything done, feeling drained at the end of the day 2. Only completing 6 out of your 8 tasks and feeling worthless because of it. I have experienced both of these. I used to give myself as many tasks as physically possible for a day, and it was very rare I managed to get everything done. Then, Chris Williamson released his Christmas Special which contained an idea that changed how I thought about to-do lists. This idea was The Minimal To-Do List. Imagine you set yourself 6 tasks for the day but only hit 4, you end up in either of the previous two scenarios. But if you set 6 and hit 8, you’d feel pretty good about yourself wouldn’t you? You would probably also be more motivated for the next day. So, it might be better to set yourself a lower target for the day. This many benefits such as: 1. Feeling less overwhelmed as you have less to do  2. The essential things now get done as clutter is removed  3. Feeling more energised as you feel good for hitting your goal  Instead of cramming everything into each day, choose 3 or 4 essential tasks and get them done. If you then have time at the end of the day, you can always get a head start on tomorrow’s tasks. This is how you end up actually getting more done. It allows you to feel good about your work. Now it’s over to you. For the next week choose no more than 4 essential tasks for each day and work on them. See how it goes and if it changes how you feel at the end of each day about your productivity. Then come back and let me know how it went. Good luck!!

Do you want a higher likelihood of achieving your goals? Of course you do, we all do. We all get told to set goals but quite often we don’t set ourselves up for success. Defining your verb actions can help you do this. Dr Andrew Huberman states that defining your verb actions increases the probability you will achieve your goal, and maintains motivation. But what is a verb action? Well it outlines what you are going to do to hit your goal but with one key ingredient… SPECIFICITY!!! Many of us have been guilty, me included, of setting generic goals like ‘I want to get into shape’, but what does getting into shape actually entail? This goals doesn’t give you any specific actions to take and makes it easier for it to be pushed to the side. There are other actions involved in getting into shape that you need to outline, e.g. going to the gym, progressive overload, diet, etc. (I am no health or gym expert by the way, this is the example Dr Andrew Huberman used and I have added some bits from my own experience). So an example of defining your verb actions for going to the gym might be” “I am going to go to the gym 3 times per week for a minimum of 60 minutes where 50 minutes minimum of hard work accounting for rests between sets” You could even get more specific and outline the weight, sets, reps, exercises, and machines you are going to use. The point is you have now outline the process you need to take to get into shape which is easier to follow, and will ultimately help you reach your goal of getting into shape. Compare this to just setting the goal “get into shape”. Which one is easier, and more motivating to follow? So to increase your chances of achieving your goals, define the verb actions. This is one of the tools I talked about in Week 1 of my 5 Week Self-Development Starter Pack which you can dive into here: https://www.skool.com/the-growth-project-7529/classroom/fe4fa87b?md=e8ac600741c047d184baa63e8b798790

Have you ever watched Wimbledon? If yes, you will probably be aware of arguably three greatest Tennis players of all time; Roger Federer Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic (in no particular order!). Well they have very different styles in how they approach a game. Nadal has an all or nothing approach (David Goggins esc as George Mack describes it). He is going all in sprinting up and down the court like a machine. Djokovic is a focused machine, almost robot like. He is there to do a job and get it done. Federer is much more laid back. He is trying new trick shots, laughing with his friends, and not seeming to bothered that he is about to play a competitive game. All three have reached the pinnacle of the game yet all three adopted different approaches. The point is that to become the best, there is no set path. You don’t have to do things a certain way. Experiment and find the most productive way for you. You may like having 15 minute time-block or you may like leaving a 4 hour block in the morning. Yes there are certain skills you need such as communication and resilience to make it to the top. But the way you use them and develop them is unique to you. Find your own philosophy and what works. This is from Chris Williamson’s conversation with George Mack. The original source for this tennis metaphor is Matthew Syed.

In his book ‘Feel Good Productivity’, Ali Abdaal shares how an old film can help shape how we think about work. Have you ever watched Mary Poppins? If you have you will be familiar with the song ’A Spoonful Of Sugar’. Now I’m not asking you to go and watch the film or ass this song to your growing list of affirmations. But pay attention to the first verse below: In every job that must be done There is an element of fun You find the fun and snap! The job's a game The legend that is Mary Poppins is telling you to find the fun in your work. So how can you apply this to your life? Well maybe you could: Listen to music whilst you work Time yourself doing tasks and try and beat your time each week. See how many upsells you can get in a day. Work with friends. Give yourself a treat if you get a certain amount done. These are a few ways you could make the work fun. It’s not about grit, willpower, and determination. These will come and go depending on how you feel. But who turns down something that is fun? Personally, I’m only allowed to listen one of my favourite comedy podcasts on my long runs. So sometimes I’m going out just as an excuse to listen to them! Make the work fun and listen to good old Mary Poppins!

Here are some ways you can make your work more fun. Comment below what you think and if you have any ideas!