How To Stop Making Excuses

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Think incrementally. Face fears by breaking them down into small actions steps.’ Take one step at a time.’

Take corrective action. Have a plan B before you make a bold move. … Having a plan means you’re not going to be caught flat-footed if something doesn’t work out. You can keep moving forward.’

Expand your job whenever possible. Instead of refusing to do something that’s not in your job description, jump at the chance to learn a new skill and spend time with people whom you don’t see often or at all.’

‘Learn for longevity. You may not be the CEO of a large company, but you are the CEO of your own life.’

Learn from those you serve. Pay attention to your constituents and stakeholders, whoever they may be. You can learn a lot from the people who count on you for services and products.’

Stop procrastinating. … Break down big jobs into small ones. then do each job one step at a time. Remind yourself why you want to do it. If the timing isn’t right, figure out why and do it anyway.’

Evaluate yourself on output, not activity. When assessing how you spent your day, look at what you actually accomplished, not the amount of busy work you did.’

Deal with existing conditions; don’t be defined by them.’

Self-pity is just a trap, but it’s one you can get out of. Make it your business to implement a zero-tolerance policy for your own dark feelings and negative self-talk.’

Manage priorities. Look at what needs to be done to meet your goals strategically. Make sure you are doing tasks in the right order, which is the order that brings you to your goal the most efficiently.’

Source

Jon Taffer (2018). Don’t Bullsh*t Yourself! : Crush the Excuses That Are Holding You Back

10 Ways To Be More Productive Without Burning Out

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If you want to enjoy your work, you must take charge of your work. Do not take more than you can do. Do not try to impress other people.

You are not working to impress anybody. You are working to learn how to work.

If you are not enjoying your work anymore, if you are feeling tired, ‘Strive to reduce your obligations to the point where you can easily imagine accomplishing them with the time to spare. Leverage this reduced load to more fully embrace and advance the small number of projects that matter most.’

‘Our brains work better when we’re not rushing.’

‘Focusing intensely on a small number of tasks, waiting to finish each before bringing on something new, is objectively a much better way to use our brains to produce valuable output.’

‘If you fall behind on a project, update your estimate and inform the person who originally sent you the work about the delay.’

Be clear about what’s going on, and deliver on your promises, even if these promises have to change. Never let a project just drop through the cracks and hope it will be forgotten.’

Don’t rush your must important work. Allow it instead to unfold along a sustainable timeline, with variations intensity, in settings conducive to brilliance.’

Obsess over the quality of what you produce, even if this means missing opportunities in the short term. Leverage the value of these results to gain more and more freedom in your efforts over the long term.’

If you want more control over your schedule, you need something to offer in return. More often than not, your best source of leverage will be your own abilities.’

Obsessing over quality isn’t just about being better at your job. It’s instead a secret weapon of sorts for those interested in a slower approach to productivity.’

‘Quality matters, but if it becomes everything, you may never finish.’

Source:

Cal Newport (2024). Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout