Start doing instead of planning - the ultimate guide to getting things done

How to start doing instead of planning

STEP #1: Get more intentional about things you do

The very moment when I realized how much kind of useful stuff I do, I started rethinking not only my business but my whole life.

Where else was I spending my time with no real outcome? What are the things I do, think about and have that should not be a part of my life?

That’s when I got into minimalism. I started reading about it and understood how our focus can be changed by having less. Fewer tasks on a to-do list, as well as fewer clothes in a closet.

As soon as we start focusing on what really matters and throw out the rest, the value of our time increases and things get done.

Ask yourself what will serve you in the long run?

Don’t do things just because they are in your way, they seem to be convenient or someone said you should get on it.

Be mindful about your time and where you invest it. Strive to seek reasons behind the tasks on your list. Review and evaluate where your 24 hours really go.

One of the most inspiring authors Greg McKeown has a course on how to accomplish more with less. It helps you to get your mind straight and understand what really matters!

STEP #2: Stop consuming useless information and stop doing useless musts

Unless you don’t know that you’re screwed, no one will be able to realize this for you. It’s like an addiction!

As long as you see the problem, there is a solution. And here are some things to consider.

Decide what’s really important

Remember: it’s not about doing either boring or fun stuff. It’s about doing what matters. There’s always an additional time in your life for fun and having time off is crucial. But it’s also important to have quality time off, not just sitting by the TV.

• Will it be reading a marketing strategy book or watching News?

• Will making your to-do list prettier or checking something off that list make you more productive?

• Which apps are just for numb fun and which – for educational or useful purposes?

• What TV Shows can you find inspiration from and what eat more of your time than anything else?

• What activities you do just to escape what you really need to get done?!

Eliminate the rest

And I mean it. ELIMINATE is the answer. Delete apps that are consuming way too much of your time. Delete e-books that are waiting for your attention more than a half year or so. Get out of useless Facebook groups. Unfollow people. Eliminate the clutter from your life and business.

When you have all of this stuff around, it’s easy to give up. Besides that, your mind is cluttered with this information waiting for your attention. Let it go!

Manage your time

This is the hardest part of this. Manage your time and see where it goes.

Dedicate time to rest and recreational activities – as much as possible. But do the work when you need to get it done. And make sure to manage all of that. You can use time theming to make it easier.

I currently use Google Calendar to deal with overwhelm – that’s where I’m adding EVERYTHING I both need to do and afterward – what I actually did at that time.

So at the end of the day I know:

• How much time I’ve actually invested in better me and a better future?

• Where have I left is slip, more than it was necessary?

• How can I improve the next day or the next week? How can I plan better?

Learn to ditch projects

Whatever we’re talking about here: articles, books, movies, projects, new hobbies. People have a tendency to finish things no matter what because they’ve wasted so much time on that already, how can they not to finish what’s started! But it’s a false argument.

If you’ve started something that doesn’t feel quite right, WHY you should waste even more time on that and then be unsatisfied after all? Just quit! There’s nothing bad about it.

STEP #3: Learn by doing – practice makes perfect!

Most of the people tend to think they don’t know enough to get them going. They always feel like learning more is the answer. When, in reality, you just have to get started!

Whether it’s your business, e-mail newsletter, photographing, fitness or cooking. Just go for it! Don’t make “not knowing” or “not having an experience” your excuse. It’s so easy to fall into this trap…

You can still learn and don’t get me wrong – it’s always a good idea to learn something new. But don’t limit yourself by the things you don’t know. Yet.

Getting things done will make you feel more inspired and you’ll be able to learn from your own mistakes.

Don’t bury yourself under the pile of must-do articles, books, how-tos. Instead, do the activities that motivate you to get better, that improve your abilities. Be ACTIVE and meaningful in your life.

Finding the balance

By all of this, I don’t mean that you should recklessly get into everything that comes on your mind, without giving it a thought.

Planning IS an important part of the process in most cases. What we need to do is to learn how to find the balance.

• Give up the excuses and evaluate which steps of the process are truly meaningful to get things DONE.

• Create systems that work for you and follow them, instead of getting distracted by all kinds of new information that comes your way.

• Schedule time for learning but don’t forget implementing