How We Think

1. Put success in your way: Leverage willpower, habits, and decision-making

Put success in your way simultaneously acknowledges our limitations and leverages that understanding to our advantage.

Overcome limitations. Put success in your way is an approach based on three core elements: willpower as a limited resource, decisions as distractions, and habits as powerful forces. By recognizing these factors, you can design your environment and routines to support your goals.

Leverage your environment. Set up your surroundings to make success almost inevitable. For example, if you want to run in the morning, lay out your running clothes and shoes the night before. This reduces the need for willpower and eliminates decision-making in the moment.

Build supportive habits. Focus on creating habits in six key categories:

• Start your day
• Finish your day
• Eat
• Sleep
• Move
• Connect
  By establishing routines in these areas, you create a foundation for success in all aspects of your life.

2. Reclaim your attention from distractions and technology

The value of your attention and the power of simple decisions is about establishing what matters and making decisions before you have to.

Recognize the cost of distractions. In today's world, our attention is constantly pulled in multiple directions. Understand that each distraction, no matter how small, requires a decision and takes mental energy away from what's important.

Take control of technology. Set rules for how and when you engage with devices and notifications. For example:

• Don't check email before completing your most important work
• Limit social media to specific times
• Use "do not disturb" features during focused work periods

Create space between stimulus and response. Practice mindfulness techniques to increase your awareness of distractions and impulses. Use tools like the "blank page" method to capture fleeting thoughts without derailing your focus.

3. Use the Small-Big-Small framework to achieve your goals

Small, intentional, and focused actions can lead to big results.

Start small. Begin by identifying the small, daily actions that will contribute to your larger goals. These should be specific and manageable tasks that you can consistently complete.

Think big. Connect your small actions to your overarching vision or goal. This provides context and motivation for your daily efforts.

Return to small. Break down your big vision into actionable steps and milestones. This creates a roadmap for progress and helps maintain focus on what's immediately achievable.

Example application:

• Small: Write 500 words daily
• Big: Publish a book
• Small: Outline chapters, research topics, edit drafts

4. Implement reflective practice to improve and replicate success

In reflective practice, practitioners engage in a continuous cycle of self-observation and self-evaluation in order to understand their own actions and the reactions they prompt in themselves and in learners.

Focus on success. Instead of dwelling on failures, identify what went well and why. This positive approach provides a framework for replicating success in other areas.

Ask powerful questions. Use reflective questions to gain insights:

• What aspects went well?
• What were you doing or saying?
• What did you notice specifically?
• Why do you think it went well?

Create a success framework. Based on your reflections, develop a three-part framework for replicating success in similar situations. This turns insights into actionable steps for future improvement.

5. Make emotional decisions to drive meaningful change

We need a massive dose of meaning and emotional connection to help us make better decisions.

Harness emotions. Recognize that emotions like gratitude and compassion can improve self-control and decision-making. Cultivate these feelings to support your goals.

Connect to meaning. Attach emotional significance to your goals and daily actions. For example, frame health goals in terms of being able to play with grandchildren.

Practice gratitude and compassion. Regularly express thankfulness for your progress and show compassion for your future self. This cycle of emotion supports consistent action towards your goals.

6. Decide before you have to: Eliminate in-the-moment choices

If we leave our decisions to in the moment, we aren't deciding, we are reacting.

Plan ahead. Make important decisions in advance, when you have the mental energy and clarity to choose wisely. This reduces the burden of decision-making in the moment.

Establish rules. Create personal guidelines for common situations to streamline decision-making. For example:

• Never make impulse purchases
• Go to bed at a set time on weeknights
• Only eat meals that align with your nutrition plan

Prepare for success. Set up your environment to support your pre-made decisions. Lay out clothes, prepare meals, or organize your workspace the night before to reduce morning decision fatigue.

7. Identify your "one number" to focus efforts and drive outcomes

Your one number is any measurable number that drives an intended goal-related outcome and increases the likelihood of the success of that outcome.

Distinguish between goals and approaches. Your "one number" is not your end goal, but a measurable action that leads to that goal. For example, if your goal is $120,000 in annual revenue, your "one number" might be four sales calls per day.

Focus on key actions. By identifying and tracking your "one number," you concentrate your efforts on the most impactful activities that drive results.

Adjust as needed. Be prepared to refine your "one number" as you gain insights into what truly moves the needle in your business or personal goals.

8. Create ActionStacks for repeatable tasks and improved decision-making

ActionStacks are simple, repeatable plans.

Develop process checklists. Create step-by-step guides for common tasks in your work and personal life. This reduces cognitive load and ensures consistency.

Incorporate all steps. Include preparation, execution, and follow-up actions in your ActionStacks. This comprehensive approach prevents tasks from piling up or being forgotten.

Use as a platform for service. View ActionStacks not just as productivity tools, but as ways to free up mental energy for more meaningful engagement with clients, family, and personal goals.

9. Clear the decks: Remove obstacles to your most important work

Everything between you and the most effective daily action is a decision and a distraction.

Identify unnecessary decisions. Take stock of the small choices you make throughout your day that don't contribute to your goals. Look for opportunities to eliminate or automate these decisions.

Remove physical clutter. Organize your workspace to support focus on your most important tasks. Keep only essential items visible and accessible.

Simplify your systems. Streamline your processes and tools to reduce cognitive overhead. Choose the simplest effective approach for managing your work and life.

Last updated: November 19, 2024