Say Hello To Your New Productivity Superpower
“Before you dream about the view from the summit, ask yourself if you’re willing to keep your head down, focus on the path, and spend your life walking up the side of a very big hill. It takes years of walking to earn a minute at the top.”
Would I be right in thinking you feel a little confused about how to move toward the life you want?
You know the one I'm talking about.
You wake up with absolute certainty that what you're doing is high-value work.
Your stress levels are at an all-time low because you have clarity about where you're going. And here's the icing on the cake, you're executing on that plan every day.
If you've worked with a coach or have a little experience in setting goals, you've probably been walked through SMART goals. SMART goals are the equivalent of playing in a sandbox at daycare. Sure, it can be fun, you might even build a sweet sandcastle, but you're being limited by a small way of thinking and acting. Everything you build will wash away with the first storm.
Setting superficial goals that you feel you should be doing rarely lead to the outcome you want.
This is about creating a strategy that's built into your day that drives success over the long term.
And here's where so many people get tripped up: they get stuck in the knowledge phase of business development. They consume everything they can to learn about cutting edge strategies. They obsess over upcoming trends, leaving them with a billion different projects with no plan for action.
I can speak from experience on this one. It's a hellish circle to find yourself lost in. Scattered thinking and an inability to focus will bring your dreams to a car-crashing halt.
Author of the New York Times bestseller Deep Work, Cal Newport says this is because "It's often straightforward to identify a strategy needed to achieve a goal, but what trips up companies is figuring out how to execute the strategy once identified."
Chances are you know what you need to do. You just don't know how to do it.
Let me introduce you to your new superpower, The 4 Disciplines Of Execution (4DX).
The 4DX framework stems from numerous case studies pored over by the authors. The aim is to help companies successfully implement high-level strategies.
Discipline #1: Focus On The Wildly Important
This stems from the idea that the more you try to do, the less you actually accomplish. When you get clear about what you really want, it helps you to eliminate the guesswork on how to make it happen. Newport says that instead of having a bunch of low-hanging goals, "to instead have a specific goal that would return tangible and substantial professional benefits (that) will generate a steadier stream of enthusiasm."
E.g. I want writing to be the foundation of my career. It has to be something that takes priority above all else and is a daily practice with depth in mind.
Discipline #2: Act On The Lead Measures
Once you've set an ambitious goal that's wildly important to you, you need to measure your success. The idea behind a lead measure is putting your focus towards the behaviours you directly control. These behaviours have a direct impact on your long-term goals.
E.g. In the past I would focus on getting a blog post out every week. This led to 33 pieces in 2017, 47 pieces in 2018 and 46 pieces in 2019. While I'm proud of these numbers, it limits my writing to existing within the sandbox I mentioned earlier. Moving forward, I'll be measuring my success based on the amount of deep work sessions (2-3 hr blocks) I schedule each week. Having these ambitious goals drives focused behaviour. I'm working towards my wildly important goal every day.
Discipline #3: Keep A Compelling Scoreboard
There's a classic saying of what gets measured, gets managed. Newport says putting your wildly important goal front and centre aids in your sense of progress. "This scoreboard creates a sense of competition that drives them to focus on these measures, even when other demands vie for their attention. It also provides a reinforcing source of motivation."
E.g. When I work with clients, you fill out a one-pager for your wildly important goal. It outlines each of these areas and gives you a sense of direction. It's a place to keep track of your wins and progress. Once you start to see success, you become further invested in focusing on your lead measures such as deep work sessions. It's an addicting game where you set yourself up to win.
Discipline #4: Create A Cadence Of Accountability
They outline the final step as helping to maintain a focus on your lead measures. This is the discipline where execution really happens. It's the power of social accountability. Nothing in life gets done when you don't have deadlines. And when you attach a deadline with a meeting, sharing your progress on your lead measures, dreams don't stay dreams, they become a reality.
E.g. When I partner with clients, we put in place a rhythm of regular meetings and frequent check-ins. As well, there is a daily system that focuses on your wildly important goal. This gives you a North Star to focus on, when the inevitable shit hits the fan.
Putting this plan into place puts your high-value work at the top of your schedule.
You learn to prioritize what's important versus what is urgent. You end your day with a sense of accomplishment.
This model came to be because the authors found time and time again that execution is more difficult than strategizing. To put it bluntly, the best strategy in the world won't help you if you don't have a plan for action. The business won't happen, your career won't improve and your life will stay status quo.
Life doesn't have to stay the way it is. When you follow these disciplines, you don't need a better strategy or have to worry about the latest trends.
Life’s short, you shouldn’t waste it working on shit that doesn't make you happy (or move your business forward).
Schedule a FREE, no-obligation, maybe even fun talk about what's going on. My aim is to help you gain clarity into what's important in your life by narrowing in on your priorities, identifying what's getting in your way, and creating a plan so you can take action on what will have the greatest impact in your life.
Actor Elijah Wood talks to Sam Jones about 'Lord of the Rings' director Peter Jackson and how his approach fostered a productive and inclusive creative environment.
