“Learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference.”
—Marcus Aurelius
“What should I do next?”
“What should I do next?”, is one of the hardest questions to answer. Decision-Fatigue is real—you can’t seriously have five ‘top priorities’ on your To-Do list at the same time, right? … If everything is the ‘most important,’ then nothing is important… Basically, there is an infinite number of things you could do, but choosing what to do is hard.
We often choose urgent busy-work as opposed to longer-term projects that would ultimately fulfil our lives more—being socially active, being connected to your community, getting in shape, learning a language, and so on. For anyone struggling to prioritize (preferably while remaining sane), Greg McKeown’s book, Essentialism, is a must-read. My favorite advice from the book, the so-called 1-2-3 Method, is the best way to re-align your To-Do list with your true priorities, goals, and values.
“What is the 1-2-3 Method?”
“In summary, the 1-2-3 Method is a structured approach to managing our lives with intent and focus. At its core, it emphasizes the importance of prioritizing a single essential project every day, addressing two urgent tasks, and then getting three items of maintenance done so that life moves forward smoothly in a world saturated with distractions and endless to-dos.”—Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism
Step 1—The Priority:
“If you can single-task it for three hours a day, then you’ll get ahead of 90% of people.” —Tim Ferriss
This is how you prioritize: Every day, pick one task or project that you will dedicate 2-3 hours on. Answer this question everyday: “If this were the only thing I did today, would I be satisfied?” Preferably, you’d work on this task/project either first thing in the morning or late at night when you have peak energy and minimal distractions.
Here are some sample ‘Priorities’ for a non-fiction writer (Note: This list should be short and sweet—the number of tasks that really move the needle are, in reality, very small).
Interview expert for chapter IV of book; Writing Session (1,000-1,200 words of Chapter III); Walk in nature with journal (only thinking about cracking the book’s structure).
Remember: Priority means do it first.
Step 2—The Urgent versus The Important:
“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”—Dwight Eisenhower
Next, choose two unavoidable, urgent tasks to work on … And when you’re done, you’re done! Capping this number at two forces you to be more selective (i.e. to stop saying Yes to everything), and ensures you’ll execute at a high level while staying sane.
Being proactive with short- to medium-term obligations can help to avoid missed opportunities and disasters that will come back to bite you later. The alternative, being reactive, only leads to playing catch-up, compounding problems, and greater stress in the long run. A proactive person has a shorter To-Do list and a less chaotic daily schedule; he can both execute at a high-level and take care of non-professional responsibilities … Because he is organized, he can make time for arguably the most important step of the 1-2-3 Method.
Step 3—Doing What You’ve Always Wanted:
“One thing common among all fools is that they are always getting ready to start.”—Seneca (maybe)
Choose three maintenance items that, although you don’t have to do them right now, would make your life easier if you just did them: Paying bills, organizing your schedule and calendar, meal-prep, getting a haircut, exercising, reading, meditation, health check-ups, social meet-ups, etc.
The consequences of shirking the small stuff are serious: Shirking routine dental check-ups can easily become dental-surgery. Doing these small, seemingly insignificant things—nurturing relationships, going to the dentist, preparing healthy meals—is actually crucial for long-term success and happiness. Tim Ferriss said, “Loneliness is just a lack of scheduled events with friends in your calendar.”
“Why bother?”
“This method can guide us to what truly matters by concentrating our energies. In this way, we not only boost productivity but also find at least a little more harmonious balance between urgency and importance. Why does it matter? Because in the race against time, having a clear roadmap ensures we’re investing our hours in endeavors that align with our purpose and goals.”—Greg McKeown
Human beings are limited. Our resources are finite—time, money, attention, fucks to give—and who or what we give it to is important. Ask yourself:
“Who do I pay first?”
Who gets your absurdly limited time and attention first? Your work? Social media? The news? Can you afford to give your limited fucks-to-give away so easily?
Your priorities are what you do first, every day. So what’s more important to you: Muscle-mass? Healthy meals? Volunteering? Art? Writing? Music? (Are you the painter, who doesn’t paint? An athlete, who doesn’t do the reps? An aspiring writer, who aspires and never writes anything?) Do you claim you don’t have time for the gym and that you manage local football club’s financial accounts in the same breath?
Take this seriously: Saying No is hard; but it’s benefits are never-ending. Saying No more often enables you do what you’ve always wanted to do, if only you had the time. Essentialism means saying “Hell Yeah!” to what matters to you, and “Hell No” to the myriad things that detract from your real goals and values.
Although there are always more bills to pay, more tasks on your To-Do list, and e-mails entering your inbox, tackling the chaos of modern life six priorities at a time is a much more human way of handling it…