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!
Earlier today I was on a call with a group of people who enrolled in one of my live programs. We had a fascinating discussion about people who seem to have it all together. And in particular about people who adhere to rigid weekly schedules that make it seem like they have time for absolutely everything. Here’s one example: (And it is just an example. It doesn’t matter whose schedule this is. This person actually has some great ideas.) What matters is that this is productivity porn. When you...
I hope you’re taking the time each day to make a to-do list. If you’re not, your to-do list will arbitrarily assemble itself from incoming emails, meetings others schedule for you, and random thoughts. Instead, make your own to-do list. That way, you’re in charge of what’s a priority. Feeling overwhelmed is one of the great challenges of our time. There’s so much to do and so much to take care of. But overwhelm is a funny thing… It’s possible to accomplish exactly the same amount of work, but...
If you’re ambitious, you need a personal productivity system. Or a personal assistant—but not everyone likes someone hovering around them all day long. So what should your personal productivity system consist of? At least these 3 apps: First, a task manager to capture to-dos and organize them. It’s your central source of truth of what you need to do. The task manager helps you to be proactive about what receives your attention. It lets you prioritize day to day. And it makes sure you don’t...