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TL;DR: To succeed this year, we must use our time wisely even as especially when we're being pulled in multiple directions. Use these tips to work sensibly in 2023.

PRODUCTIVITY MADE SIMPLE

Get more done in less time without undue stress and anxiety

Our lives have the most meaning when we live with purpose and intention.

Life is better when we live as heroes on a mission.

Heroes on a mission understand time is their most precious resource so they don't waste any of it.

They understand that managing their time is the key to remaining focused, motivated, and inspired to do work that matters.

Doing work that matters requires identifying our highest return opportunities and prioritizing them above everything else.

Any work that moves us closer to achieving our wildly important goals is a high-return opportunity. Any work that does not is not.

👹 The devil will find things for confused brains to do

Our brains hate being confused about how we're supposed to spend our time. Not being confused, though, requires discipline and focus.

To be productive, we must give ourselves a mission and then prioritize our time and objectives to accomplish that mission.

If we don't establish and prioritize a healthy daily routine, news, social media feeds, food, alcohol, drugs, and tempestuous work and personal relationships are more than willing to occupy our time.

We must choose carefully.

Make Wise Daily Decisions

Heroes on a mission start their day with reflection.

Few people reflect on their actions before taking them.

We're so accustomed to constant interruptions it's no surprise we're no longer in control of our own experiences.

To ensure we make daily progress on our goals and that our days don't wither away in nothingness, it's good practice to ask ourselves one simple question every morning:

"If this were the second time I were living this day, what would I do differently?"

In other words, pretend this is the second time you lived today and avoid the same mistakes.

What will you regret doing or not doing? Live today in such a way that you won't have regrets when you go to bed tonight.

Why start the day with reflection?

Because reflection allows us to edit our actions and design our days.

Those who don't reflect react. Their lives are still being designed, but they're designed by outside forces that don't have their best interests in mind.

Are you designing your own life or is someone designing it for you?

We must choose wisely.

Prioritize Primary Tasks

What's the most important thing you can do today?

Answering this question on the daily puts you in an elite group of professionals.

Not every unit of work gets the same return on investment.

A hero on a mission knows what work to do and what work to delegate. This is why they don't feel anxious about their work.

The secret to focusing on your highest return opportunities is creating two task lists each day.

Limit your first list to THREE items. Let me say it again. Limit your first list to THREE items.

These items are your primary tasks, the most important tasks for the success of your wildly important goal.

No matter what happens every day, these three things must get done first without exception.

The second task list consists of the odds and ends that need to be accomplished before your work day is done. These are your secondary tasks.

Separating your primary tasks from your secondary tasks allows you to focus on what's most important.

Prioritize and execute your primary tasks every day and you will move closer to your goals without falling into the "urgent distraction" trap. Guaranteed.

Protect Your Time

Most heroes on a mission get their most important work done in the morning.

Sure, everyone is different. But for most people, their best work gets done in the morning when mental energy is strongest.

If you start your morning completing secondary tasks like responding to random emails, taking "urgent" phone calls, and attending unnecessary meetings, you're wasting valuable mental energy on low-return opportunities.

By the time you get to your primary tasks, typically after lunch, you're mentally drained and unable or unwilling to pursue your high-return opportunities.

The discipline and competency necessary to complete your primary tasks first thing in the morning results in trust earned from customers and co-workers, which results in more respect, more money, and a more enjoyable career.

What we do with our time determines the quality of our life.

Heroes on a mission know how to block their work time to get the most done in less time so they can spend more of their precious time enjoying life with family and friends.

High performers get twice as much done in the same period of time as someone who doesn't know how to manage their time because they block their weeks in advance.

Once you've identified your high-return opportunities, block your week into time chunks in advance. This allows you to say "no" to low-level opportunities when they surface (and they will) because well...you're already booked!

In Closing

Many professionals work hard but don't get nearly as much done as their high-performing colleagues simply because they lack focus.

High-performing, value-driven heroes on a mission work sensibly. They know what they want, what opposes them, and what they must accomplish to achieve their goals.

Ready to be a hero on a mission in 2023?

Design a daily routine that increases your output without increasing your anxiety. It's a win win. And it's not that hard to do. The three tips we provided today will help you get started.

As always, stay aware, stay educated...but most importantly, stay cool.

Talk soon, 
Old Man Winter

Source: Business Made Simple: 60 Days to Master Leadership, Sales, Marketing, Execution, Management, Personal Productivity and More

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