Commandments of getting sh*t done

Questions
#1

I recently read a blog post by Rajit Singh from Qeek called the 5 Commandments of Getting Sh*t done. I found the post to echo a lot of my own thoughts on getting shit done. It contained half the cards from my Trello board of ideas to blog about which was amazing!

Then came the idea that maybe I was suffering from confirmation bias. I think we could expand the list potentially. I would of course keep the 5 listed as the core 5 with an “expansion pack” type add on. This is a pipeline idea, I’m not sure at the moment what I would add.

Do you have ideas for the expansion pack of getting shit done?

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#2

I adhere strongly to the ‘Write shit’ or ‘Write first, edit later’ notion. Shit words/art/tests/code/whatever is better than none.

I also enjoy the pomodoro technique, or as I learned it: ‘Get shit done sprints’. Set a timer for 15/30/whatever mins, set a goal, go do it and see how far you’ve got during that session. Have a break (very important!) then go again.

Balance doing what you want to do and doing what you need to do. I manage this by to do lists (I have 5 - one is stuff I have to do that is boring or anxiety inducing - housework/life admin) and each to do list has a limit of 4 things.
For me it means I keep on top of the boring stuff which means I can spend more time on the fun stuff as I’m not faced with a mountain of life admin one weekend.

Retros! Getting stuff done is great, but can I be more efficient? Is there something I’m not enjoying anymore that I don’t need to do? Am I balancing learning and going to the gym and eating well? Hold a mini retro with yourself on a regular bases and get rid of that which doesn’t serve you.

If you have to plan in time to relax, absolutely do that. It’s as important as getting stuff done.

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#3

My suggestions for an expansion pack:
— Let it go: Learn to distance yourself from your own ideas. Confront the possibility of dropping that idea that you think is so special and just moving on. Suddenly it’s not so important to get everything right anymore.
— Don’t abuse it, improve it: “This sounds crap” “Why can’t I write better?” Learning to focus on constructive steps helps you get used to the practical side of getting things out rather than getting stuck in pits of negativity.
— Less, but better: Falling in love with the power of less has helped me embrace “light touch” more deeply. Do just enough to learn something useful and you’ll see “I don’t need more, in fact more would be worse because it might be a complete waste”
— “What if?”: The poison of what if. There are times it can be a powerful tool, but if you’re speculating about imaginary futures instead of learning — STOP. Write shit, learn first and then make a great decision. Learn to look at what’s in front of you instead of getting tangled in thought experiments.

Thanks so much for sharing Heather!

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