Four Thousand Weeks : Time Management for Mortals
The Premise : At best, we get 4000 weeks to live our lives.
80 years * 50 weeks a year = 4000 weeks
The Reality : Embrace our limits because we will not have time for everything.
There's much more than the premise contained inside - very strong recommendation for a lesson in better thinking.
Easily actionable items from the book - because we will not be able to do everything, we need to neglect, many things, with intent.
++
Closed & Open "To Do" Lists
Closed To Do List is allowed a maximum of three items at a time.
Within the items, set them up as incremental steps.
I'll illustrate...
"File my taxes" - never happens
Break it down...
Download tax software
Enter my personal data
Enter my income
One of those items on the "to do" list at a time, with an appointment in your calendar to get it done.
Another example: "Write my book" - never happens
Break it down...
Tweet Every Day
Thread engaged tweets by theme
Viral Themes into Blogs
Write Outline for Book
Create Rough Draft from Blogs
Here's the clincher...
Every other great idea goes into the Open To Do List - for me it is an exercise book.
I've been filling them for 30+ years.
This is the stuff that's probably never going to happen!
It's OK because...
The purpose of your Open List is to free your mind to focus on your Top Three.
++
Done List
The single greatest confidence building tool I found as a coach.
I would have my athlete get a small composition book.
Each time something good happened, or a task was completed, make an entry in the book.
Review nightly, before bed.
++
Stop While You Are Enjoying The Process
Not easy to do.
We often have the urge to press on.
Remember that success is a multi-year process.
Like a houseguest that overstays their welcome... don't commit so much to a task
that you avoid starting next time
that the light goes out of the activity
that you lose your creative spark
that you forget why you started in the first place
A little bit of progress... every day... for many days!
++
The best part is not the self-help tips.
The best part is the author's philosophy of time.
The "4000 Weeks" themselves.
The weeks, our lives, are far less than 4000.
A bit dark!
Facing this truth points towards freedom.
Freedom from the impossible standards we place on ourselves.
An elite athletic career? 150-300 weeks
Time with your young wife before kids? 0-200 weeks
A college degree? 125-150 weeks
Life is a series of relatively short blocks of time.
Misery comes from seeking to hurry through what is already a temporary situation.
Much more, including 10 Tools and 5 Questions
Might discomfort help?
Do my standards reflect reality, or are they simply making me miserable?
Am I trying to become something I'm not?
Where am I holding myself back?
What would I do if I didn't need to see the final outcome?
Two final points:
Worry has never altered outcome
Hardly anyone can persist for 150 weeks
Choose Wisely.