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Recent lessons in getting things done

April 9th, 2005

Do less. “Be content with quite a little. Allow for accidents. Allow for human nature, especially your own.” Take your time. There are a lot of things to do, so choose one or two things you want to do and focus on those. You’re much more likely to accomplish your goals if you focus on one or two things than if you were to spread your energy over four or five. (How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day by Arnold Bennett)
Sleep. It’s a blessing and a curse. As humans, we spend so much of our lives sleeping. Imagine what we could do if we didn’t have to sleep. On the flip side, letting your head fall back into your pillow after a long day (or several long days, as the case may be) feels so damned good. Staying awake for long periods of time exhausts your body and mind. You lose focus and perspective, your goals become pipe dreams, and your stamina fades. A good night’s sleep provides not only a much needed perspective, but the strength to continue.
Keep trying. Don’t give up when you fail. Look at every failure as a pre-requisite to success, and keep going. Life is a test of endurance. The more you apply what you’ve learned from your failures, the more likely you are to succeed. (Summarized from a recent post by Jason Womack.)
~~Curb your optimism.~~Be Realistic. Play to win every day, but remember the Stockdale Paradox: “…maintain unwavering faith that you will prevail in the end, regardless of the difficulties, and at the same time have the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” (As summarized in Good to Great by Jim Collins)