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A Secret To Productivity

Girl Writing For those that follow me around they find out I get a lot done in a day. Some will ask, what is your secret? So

A Secret To Productivity.

Before I give MY answer it is also important to get the RIGHT things done not just getting things done in general.

My secret? "Do, Don't Plan!!!"

I am not discounting to do lists, and the importance of short term or strategic planning. But coming from someone who burned too much daylight in analysis paralysis and fence sitting in an earlier stage of my life I don't do that anymore. Time is a wasting. The key to being highly productive is one word: ACTION. You have to do. You have to delegate. You have to leverage all your resources time, energy, and money.

Clean your house? Do it. Get your website polished? Do it. Check in on family or friends? Pick up the phone. Do it. Take a class? Look at the calendar and register. Do it?

Am I starting to sound like a slogan from a famous shoe brand you know?

I cannot underemphasize the power in your life to get things done by just applying energy to something. Do, don't plan in the execution step of something. I agree sometimes that first step of getting the motor started in cleaning that desk or writing that thank you or love letter is the toughest. But if you will just do, not plan or think so much, you will be amazed what you accomplish in a day. Oh look there I just did another do it with writing a blog. But I have to go now. More, many more things left to do today. Be the Energizer Bunny when it comes to accomplishing things. Start today, don't plan for it tomorrow. By doing it today you get one more day in your life of things done. Trust me, people will notice this NEW difference in you. A very positive one. Someone who doesn't just talk or think. Get out of your head, and

JUST DO IT!!!

Posted by Gary Woltal - Associate Broker REALTOR® Dallas Ft. Worth on 05/04/2009 05:42 PM

Comments (113)

Productivity in the ActiveRain Channel

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113 Comments on A Secret To Productivity

MAY

Gary...

It's all about priorities and getting things done that are meaningful. I don't write lists, but I don't fly by the seat of my pants either. I am fluid!

Gary, Love your points and if we don't delegate we DIE!

Thank you Gary! We all know this, yet we need to be reminded to take action.

I can't agree with you more! Too much thinking and worrying about what needs to get done is counterproductive and paralyzing; instead just taking action right away is the best way to accomplishing what needs to get done. Thank you for the words!

Gary-Excellent blog-I especially love this line-Time is a wasting. The key to being highly productive is one word: ACTION. Thank you for the wisdom. Enjoy your evening. <SMILE>

Yes!!! But if only you'd come up w/ it before NIKE! LOL!!! Excellent advise, we can plan forever but if we never take action what's the point?

I block time and that allows me to actually accomplish my list as opposed to adding to it. Monday was a big tick off day for me and the April list is short only two items from being clear.

As I am sitting here procrastinating and postponing some of the actions I need to take, I came across your post. They say that when the student is ready, the teacher appears...

Best advice I've heard today.

Or as one business coach once said, "stop getting ready to get ready, and start already!"

Good advice, Gary. It reminds me of something I first heard from my commander in the Air Force. He said if something absolutely had to be done soon and on time, he gave it to the busiest guy in the unit. I guess the thinking was that guy was a "Doer"!

GARY..I Have one thing to say...I LIKE IT!

HelpfulHannah your friend in Philadelphia tweet tweet

I'ld stay and comment, but I have things to do......;0)

You're such a wise man, Gary. You're my favorite guru. There's a saying that my son and I like to say (tongue-in-cheek to a degree): "I don't think. I do!" Sounds appropriate here.

Gary,

Great advice we all need to hear... something I need to take action on immediately. Better get to it!!

Gary, as always, a very well-written and insprirational post. I guess Nike was on to something when they came up with the slogan.

Gary, you are so right sometimes we just need to just get off the pot.

Gary, I swear I wrote a comment earlier, but then I had things to do! I must have NOT hit the submit comment, LOL. Anyway, great post! Just do it! OK, I will. Thank you.

Gary, You're right....time goes by WAY too quickly---just do it sounds perfect (and I'm always so glad that whatever "It" is is done!!)

Well that was just the kick in the pants I needed, Gary. Thank you. :)

Hi Gary - Great thoughts to start a Monday!! But it's almost Tuesday so I'll anxiously await your 'words for the wise' for Tuesday! Thanks!

Mary

Yep, excellent reminder Gary. Thank you! What's the saying.......... you can be on the right track but you'll still get run over if you don't MOVE!

MAY

Hi Gary!
I have been accused of being "terribly organized". I prefer to think that I do things right away so I don't have to think of it again. I just can't stand to leave a desk with anything on it or come home to work, so I believe in the "one touch" rule....touch each item once...and you are done.

Great post Gary, as usual!

I haven't checked in on you in a while. How are you?

Thanks Gary. I feel vindicated. I have someone in my organization that will talk "TO DOs" to death. "We oughta do this "and "we oughta do that". I'll say; "Great..go for it!" and that is as far as it will go unless I do it myself. Sure we need to give things some thought but the action should come quick or it probably isn't worth doing.

Nike says it, and you said it eloquently as usual. Just do it!!! Good tips. i do try to do the list the night before, so when the time comes I have the plan to just implement. THANKS

Timely advice, Gary. I'm also guilty sometimes of overanalyzing or overplanning. What I've found is that if I just start on an important task or project, I'll build momentum, and any knowledge or resource I need along the way will be that much easier to acquire.

Thank you Gary for remind us to stop procrastination and start taking action. I have a lot to do, so after reading your blog I am going to start doing the things I have to do. Thanks

Gary

Oddly enough its almost 1 am here on the west coast and I was laying in bed with a million ideas flowing thru my head.. I couldn't sleep anymore I had to just get up and start working on some projects that I have been struggling with..

Now I read your blog and feel great about just doing it.. my only question is... do you think my clients will mind if I call them at 1am? LOL

Good Post.. we just gotta keep the big wheel turning.

Gary, getting stuck in the ready.set mode without reaching GO is futile. Yes, sometimes it is as simple as just do it.

Good morning, Gary! It is now 3:56 A.M. in Salt Lake City, Utah! I just completed and emailed my open house advertisements for the upcoming weekend! I was wide awake and thinking about what I had to do today, so I just got up and DID it! I appreciate your inspiration! We Realtors always have things to do! Let's get things done already!

Sylvia Metos

Prudential Utah Real Estate

Sounds like good advice from a man of action. Just what we need in our business.

As I keep telling agents. Get up and "go to work" every day. Stop waiting for things to happen.

Gary,

Great article.

This is not a hard concept to grasp yet so many struggle with "taking action". What on earth are they waiting for? They needn't worry about planning for tomorrow. It will be here and gone before they know it. Taking prioritized action NOW insures the kind of tomorrow you desire and will attract.

All the best!

Julie

Gary,

Got it. Just do it! Great article.

On Target! I might add... you most likely focus on the result of "doing it"... If your goal is make more money... make sure your actions are a reflection of your goal...and it doesn't have to be money...it can be anything... thanks for the post.

Indeed, the best plan of action is to take action. Well said! Thanks for the wake up call that so many of us need!

"Trying" is "lying" - Just di it! as Nike says

Planning for planning's sake is an excuse to procrastinate. Rolling up your sleeves and getting it done is the way to go!

Barb Mihalik

Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty

Home Stagers of Wilmington, Inc.

Talking about it, thinking about it, and writing it down is not the same as getting it done is it?

My husband is the ultimate procrastinator! He frequently spends a great deal of time and energy talking about his plans to get things done instead of acting on it. I couldn't agree more--stop talking and just do it. The results will amaze you.

When I want something done, I want it done yesterday. I am a firm believer in doing it NOW. The longer something is on your to-do list, the more stress it causes you. It's like a big weight on your shoulders, and when it is done, what a relief! We have enough stress in our lives, we don't need to create more for ourselves. Great post, Gary!

Your right, live in the moment. I have so much I want to do that it forget what I have done! Thanks for this basic advice.

Good read. Their are those who make things happen and the those who things happen to.....

Gary, I think you're on to something. I suffer from overplanning and underdoing. I am going to keep your advice in front of me all day today. Thank you for sharing!

Great Advice !! You can't wait, you have to make it happen.

Action speaks volumes. I watch some stand around talking about their great plans, while others are quietly executing theirs. You're right, "just do it".

Gary,

Thanks! You just lit a fire under my butt! I am recently becoming the master of organizing my to do list and prioritizing, but spending way too much time on the planning. Today I am going to "just do it" and spend less time analyzing the list. Thanks for the reminder!

Gary,

I'm with you on this one! I see more people getting ready to get ready! They have to have the perfect listing presentation..before talking with a seller..have to have a buyer packet perfect before working with a buyer. Always perfecting...never doing ..just getting ready to do!

Thanks for the great motivational piece. I needed to read that today. I'm a young REALTOR who often suffers from constantly planning & thinking. Then I drag my feet when it comes to the exectution part! The Just Do It concept seems so simple, but it's funny how alot of people Just DON'T Do It lol. I sort of thought this was something people actually grow out of eventually, instead it's gets worst for some people!!!

I'm just starting my day, and there are at least 2 things I MUST do today that I've been dreading (er, avoiding ;^).

Thanks for giving me a push in the right direction. As soon as my tea is ready, I'm off AR and getting those things off my LIST!

Gary... You are so right. I started doing this several months ago and now get so much more accomplished than when I spent more time in "analysis paralisys!" (love that term!)

What great advice Gary. Some people are always planning but never take action. If I get overwhelmed with all there is to do, I just start doing something to get those things done! Thanks for motivating me this morning!

Hi Gary,

I couldn't agree more. Although I find the space I'm working in also has a huge impact on how effectively I work in the space. I've written a blog on the clutter:productivity ratio if anyone cares to read it.

Maybe that's my problem, over thinking. I need to just DO IT!!! I better get out of here and start the DOING IT, because there is a lot on my plate.

Thanks for the shove, we all need it from time to time.

If I knew how to type the "dahhh" sound Homer Simpson makes, that would be the sound every non-doer would be making after reading this blog. Simple, but so many just can't "Do it".

Activity breeds Activity! It's Biblical!

AGREED, a good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.
You need both; plan it out and then do it.
Those who just do, aren't working smart. Those who just plan obviously get nothing done.. and talk a good game but aren't willing to do whatever it takes.

Gary - I'm with you and I get you! Just do it and it's done.... Great advice for this fast paced world we live in. If we don't just do it we'll have to do it later and then sometimes it doesn't get done. And that's that. Driver procrastinators crazy this kind of article right? lol.....

"Eat that Frog" a wonderful book by Brian Tracy "21 Great Ways to stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time. This book is on my table by my desk, and would you believe, I haven't finished it yet, and it's only 152 pages in a child size book. Thank you Gary for the boot in the Rear !

Gary,

Great post. My wife and partner has a saying that helps me 'just do it'. Swallow the toad early. If you get the task that you have been avoiding out of the way NOW it is a tremendous motivator.

Simple and true! Thanks for the reminder, and let's all have a great productive day!

Great reminder. Thanks!

Gary, Randy Pausch (who did the famous Last Lecture) also did a Time Management lecture on YouTube. (Google "YouTube Randy Pausch Time Management" (Apology: I don't know how to embed a link). (Randy starts with slides showing progression of his cancer and notes his doctors give him about 3 month of quality life left. It's hard to think of another expert with such critical issues of time management).

1. Important and Due (First Priority)

2. Important and Not Due (Second Priority)

3. Not Important and Due (Third Priority)

4. Not Important and Not Due (Fourth Priority)

He said we understand 1. and 4. Where we get confused is with 2 and 4.....the strategy is to work on 2 because it will be due "at some point". And the point with 4 is that it isn't important! Combining your thoughts with his, identify 1's and then just Do Them! Elizabeth

Gary - "just do it" is the right way to approach things to be done. If you talk about it, avoid it, write it down, that is anything but doing it!

"Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not." (author unknown)

This is my new screen saver.

Well I try and compromise. I make "to do list" but the goal is to get as many crossed off as I can every day.

Gary, You are absolutely right....too much energy is wasted in planning to do!

Yes the dreaded 'analysis paralysis'. How many times a week do we also hear 'I could never do that'. Just start, just do it.

Great advice Gary. In the old days farmers used to have the same issues..."you're burnin' daylight..." and "make hay while the sun shines..." were their calls to action. For us it's get on the phone and get face to face!

So go out and make it a great day...do it!

If you're making plans, part of that plan SHOULD be on how to actually get it done. I think that may be a key flaw in several people's plan.

Gary - I have to say that just making up my mind to JUST DO IT can bolster my productivity ten-fold. Sure, I have slacker days. But, I noticed that on the most productive days it's all about my mindset.

Hi Gary, Great post. So true, we are reminded that we must JUST DO IT! Sometimes in the time it takes to put it on a to do list, it could already be done! Thanks for the reminder.

Thanks Gary, I needed that kickstart this morning...I'm the biggest list maker ever and I do agree that sometimes it holds me back.

No wonder I can never get anything done! Great advice that I will put to use IMMEDIATELY!

Gary - Great motivation! Thanks for "Doing" this blog post!

You are right on. Like we say in the South, " I'm fixin to " ...JUST DO IT!

My favorite inspirational speaker Tony Robbins says:

1. Decide what it is that needs to be done
2. But most inportantly ...TAKE ACTION
3. Notice if what you are doing is working
4. If not, change your approach

Thanks Gary for the nudge. A method I also use is to ask myself "What is the best use of my time right now?" And at the end of the day I ask "What did I produce today?" "Did I move my business forward today?" The answers can be enlightening.

You and Nike have the formula. I hate planning and feel better when I just do. I just need to do more of it!

Hi Gary, Great motivating post! Often on a task that you don't like doing or maybe even dread doing, the first step is the hardest--but if you just start doing it and keep focused on it until you're through it'll be a lot easier. Also, I think that multi-tasking is great if you can do it, but make sure that you're checking things off and not just starting a bunch of projects and leaving them unfinished. I'm actually a fan of to do lists because they keep me focused on exactly what I want to accomplish for that day.

Happy Cinco de Mayo,

Anne

A Secret To Productivity. Is to FART! in your pants.

This goes for your personal life as well. I hate it when my husband says he's going to do this or that. I like action! Just do it!

Gary,

You always bring a 'realness' to your blogs that is undeniable. We all get caught up in the planning area quite frequently (because that's what we're taught to do) and some of the things we write down still never get that attention. The best way I can deal with productivity in my life is to simply 'do it'.

So in the words of Larry the cable guy.......'Git er Done!'

Gary,

I wholeheartedly agree! I usually commit before I think. Which has sometimes burned me out. However, as I get older I am learning to do and get things done! Too much time wasted thinking about doing things. Thanks for sharing your inspiration with all of us. You Energizer Bunny!! ;-)

~Have a Colorful Day!

Truer words are rarely spoken... we have to MAKE thing happen!

I know, I know. We all know. In the immortal words of Dark Helmet:

Why are we always "preparing"? Just go.

Yep....just get-r-done!

Funny how being active grows on itself. The more I get done, the more I want to get done. Lists help me keep track of the crucial essentials, but they are definitely Short Lists. Thank you for an encouraging post.

Gary,

Thanks a lot. You just put a bunch of pressure on many of us because we unfortunately suffer from this little bug that keeps us from just doing it. But we are working on it.

Gary,

I've had many instances when over analysis has zapped a lot of pleasure from an endeavor...!!! Thanks, Fran

Hey Gary: Sorry I'm a planner! I'll get it done, but I have to make the plan first. To each their own.

I'm still a firm believer in the 'to do' list...it's a way of life with me. Then I number them in the importance/need order for that day...then I do them and scratch them off my list...that scratch is my ultimate reward; it's a natural 'high' other than the visual of seeing what just got done. And unless tomorrow has an already to do list, those that didn't get done, get transferred over. I sleep better knowing I did my best...check, check, check.

When you wear as many hats as I do...it's the only way I can fly. Ooops 6:00PM...time to go through the emails before American Idol, which my husband enjoys.

Time management is over rated...its about managing energy for sure! Read the "Power of Full Engagment by Jim Loehr. Good stuff!

I still make a list, otherwise I forget what I want/need to do, but Gary, you are SOOOOO RIGHT! It's a matter of just DOING it! Not putting off, preparing, etc... Thanks for the reminder. Have a great evening!

Trish Giassa, Homes-in-Crested-Butte.com Your referrals are always welcome and appreciated!

I gotta have my checklists. I feel most productive when I look at my list and see how much I've accomplished :-)

Having always been one of the ones who "jump and expect the net to appear" I whole-heartedly agree with your post...just do it. There's nothing at all wrong with making checklists, to do lists or whatever else people call writing down what they need to accomplish. I just always felt that sitting around thinking about what I needed to do was preventing me from actually getting it done. Guess my brain just works differently. Thanks for your post.

Keep moving forward, one step at a time and you will get closer and closer to your goals. Just do it!

MAY

Hi my name is Denise, I'm a procrastinator.

This is one illness I need someone to shake out of me.

Hi Denise!
We'll shake you for $10

Kieran and Cecelia

Thank you for the post. You are right. Make a decision is one of the great first action stepd. Then do it!

Thanks Gary, I needed that!

Timely. No pun intented. Needed to hear it.

Great post! I just finished a coaching session and it is so easy to get stuck in the "analysis paralysis" stage! Be Nike, just do it!

By nature, I am great at prioritizing the "incoming" tasks. I can go through the entire day and feel confident that all the most important priorities are completed. I "just do" them.

However, there are many things that fall under the category of "very important - but not urgent". For those, I have to make a list to remind myself that the non-urgent tasks can make or break the effectiveness of my effort.

Good comment, especially for someone like me that wants to make a plan to make a plan to do....And then analyze that to death. Just do it.

HI GARY! This post is the Swoosh in the basket that goes along with that famous slogan! -- Gab

Gary, as usual great post and common sense insight! Thank you...I always try to keep this saying in mind: that perfect is the enemy of good...So JUST DO IT!

With smiles,

Hey Gary,

I'm all for DOING and it's not that I make "To Do" lists because I'm over-planning or over-analyzing, it's more that if I don't have a list I might just forget to do it!

Hi Gary,

Great post! Don't over-think things.

Gotta go (and do something)

Mark D from Vancouver Canada.

Gary,

Great Points in your post! Overthinking can cause delays. For me, I need to act on what I'm thinking and go for it! Trusting my gut instinct works most of the time....and once I get rolling, it just happens. Thanks for making me feel better about not making over processing the process.

MAY

Yes, that has always been my motto along with: don't put off to tomorrow what you can do today :))

Great points Gary! I agree! and I often need a reminder. Thank you for reminding me!

Gary, you took the words out of my mind. I have usually been a person who just does it. I got behind the 8 ball when I spread myself out too thin. I wrote down (hit 44, 4 kids, dog, cat, oh and a husband - a little forgetful) what has to be done and only move on to the next thing, when it is completed. I don't like to ponder when is the best time to do it. By doing what needs to be done right away you get so much more accomplished and you feel productive.

MAY

Gary,

That is a concept most of us are getting, however, at the end of the day how many of us can claim to have achieved their "goal". You made a powerful statement and presented a challenge we all have to face especially since we are self employed. If we can't motivate ourselves than who will?

MAY

Gary you're making me tired just reading your post. I am a master procrastinator so your topic is very appropriate for me. Thanks.

MAY

This is great advice, thank you. I had detested lists earlier in life, and still dislike them, but they have helped, but this is even better advice.

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