This 1 Thing That Will Always Mess You Up, Unless . . .
You can visualize how it will go.You can prepare.You can train, rehearse, and put in the time too see more cases.The only thing is when something unexpected happens.Even after you thought you'd seen it all, something new slips through the cracks and then what?Hasn't this been what you've been training for the whole time, though?If not, you should probably re-evaluate your method.Of course we need to prepare for the knowns, but it's critical to know what you're fighting for so you can make "good enough" decisions in the moment you're flustered and out of control.
2 Minute Action
Think of a recent time you had to handle something unexpected.Forget about being perfect--or even just the way you wish you'd handled it.Did you get the job done? Was it good enough?Did your decision align with your mission?If you don't know the answer, now is a good time to write 1 sentence about what your mission is.It doesn't have to be a manifesto.Just write 1 sentence about what your mission is today.
Your Productivity Budget is All Wrong
The amount of "productive time" you have is just like the number of dollars you have.
You need to budget for the day-to-day expenses, as well as for emergencies and unexpected expenses.So when you budget your money, not only do you earmark dollars for groceries, rent, and your car payment, but you also earmark dollars for unexpected car issues and maintenance (we know this costs an average of $66/month. Citation.)You wouldn't spend that money throughout the year and then suddenly panic when your alternator blows up in December, would you?It's the same thing with productivity.
The 3 Types of work:
- Planned work - The work you expect to get done.unplanned work, and the work you do when there's an emergency.
- Unplanned work - This is usually work surrounding a task you planned for but underestimated.
- Emergency work - The work you didn't see coming and didn't plan for.
Understanding this is crucial for goal setting and building sustainable motivation.If you don't budget for the unexpected, you're always going to be disappointed with your results. This is a HUGE de-motivator.This increases the chances that you'll quit!It increases the chances that you'll quit!
Think about this before you quit:
Goals that are difficult are motivating. Goals that are impossible are soul-crushing.So what does this mean for your 40-hour work week? It means that only 25 might be planned, productive hours. That's just reality.The better we are at looking this in the face, resetting our goals, and charging forward, the more likely we are to succeed.
2 Minutes Action:
You probably already have a feeling about how much Planned Work you actually get done.What's your estimate? What's your ratio between the three types of work?Knowing where you stand is the first step. Start now.
P.S. If you have any of these symptoms, you should probably call me:
Your Planned work is over 80% of your total estimated work for the week.Your Emergency work ends up being over 20% of the work you do in a week.Your Unplanned work seems to keep repeating itself, week after week.