Hi, I’m Peter from Amsterdam. I’ll help you get organized and be more productive. Every Sunday, I send a productivity-themed newsletter to 10,000 people. Join us!
How to feel more proud of what you do
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I moved into a new apartment last month. Now I’m building a new recording studio. It doesn’t look like much yet— The lighting is off, the mics aren’t in position, and there’s no personality. I’ve really hardly begun. Still, it feels great to be building the studio. Partly that’s because the work is tangible. If you’re like me and much of your work is computer work, the physical quality of building something you can touch makes a difference. But it’s also because I’m fully dedicating myself to this project. I’m investing enough time and money to feel proud of what I’m doing. I feel proud because I’m whole-assing this project. There are, of course, other items on my to-do list. I’d like to publish my completely re-recorded Things 3 course, make videos about the latest Apple Notes and Reminders features, experiment with a new style of YouTube videos, and so on. But I’ve put all of those items on hold until the studio is done. Overwhelm is the #1 challenge people tell me about. Over and over again. I get overwhelmed too sometimes. It’s just part of the time we live in. Even if we’re privileged and we don’t have to be busy all day to make ends meet, there are so many things we could be doing that it can take herculean effort to focus on one thing at a time. But that focus allows us to do a great job. It allows us to feel proud. And feeling proud is such a great antidote to feeling overwhelmed. Make a to-do list, prioritize it, then work through it one thing at a time. What a recipe for success. If you’ve got a project that deserves it, put it at the top of your list, give it your full attention, and see how it makes you feel. I’m betting it will feel great. Happy Sunday. |
Peter Akkies
Hi, I’m Peter from Amsterdam. I’ll help you get organized and be more productive. Every Sunday, I send a productivity-themed newsletter to 10,000 people. Join us!
This might be uncomfortable. But let’s take a minute to ask: What are you not getting around to? It might be the most common productivity struggle: not having time for things you consider to be really important. When I work with people 1:1 or in a group setting, they often tell me some version of this story. They got a new job and it’s a very busy one—and now they haven’t worked out in half a year. Somehow their weekly schedule just filled up over time—and now they haven’t played their...
We all fall off the wagon sometimes. Sometimes life happens and you’re so busy that you stop taking the time to write down your to-dos, to prioritize them, and to plan your days and weeks. It’s okay. What matters is how you respond. If I had to build a personal productivity system from scratch, here’s what I’d do: Step 1: I’d install a quality task manager on each of my devices and I’d start capturing any to-dos that come my way, making sure to track any hard deadlines. Step 2: I’d make a...
These two guys are on a road trip. But their car isn’t in great shape. It’s moving, but it’s a bumpy, rattling ride. That’s because—for some reason—their car has square wheels. At one point, they pull over to stretch their legs. A third guy comes along in a car that’s steady and smooth. Because it has round wheels, of course. This guy notices the pair, stops his car, and rolls down the window. “Hey guys. I happen to have a spare set of round wheels with me. Want me to help you swap yours...