For over a decade, I’ve sworn to those closest to me that if I could just wake up early, I’d be unstoppable. My journal has long said when I’ve woken up early, by chance or circumstance, I had amazing days. So what gives? Am I a weakling without the requisite discipline? Two blog tips away from 5am club? Or was I sold a dream by capitalism?

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Maybe there’s some truth in all of those. At the end of the day, there are things you want to do and ways to do them. Productivity is nasty workaholic business, and it’s also the means by which you can make sure you do the things you want to do. Yes, you can grind your spirit into the ground doing things that do not matter. But, yes, strategies to get things done can be applied nearly universally, and to seemingly amorphous, incongruent aims like being a better friend or partner.

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I’m not here to preach grindset; so many monotonous, lazy, and even poisonous words have been produced about that already. I strive to be better and do better.

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The 5 things I’m gonna make happen this year are:

1. Go to bed by 11 p.m. five times per week
2. Lift weights 1 time per week
3. Attempt 2 rejections per week
4. Purchase only second-hand clothing
5. Publish top five, top five, top five newsletter monthly

Here’s how I’ll do it.

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Vision

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First, I start with the future, the feeling, and the identity behind the thing.

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Waking up early makes me feel powerful. My journal says I’ve never had a bad day waking up early. I see a Jared that pays himself first and serves others from a full cup afterwards.

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Lifting weights once a week creates a future with fewer injuries, this year and in the next 30. I see myself hooping at 50, word to Mr. Keith and his longevity.

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Attempting 2 rejections per week develops a me who moves out of courage instead of fear. I see myself not only being presented with the opportunities required for me to fulfill this year’s goals, but experiences and connections beyond my current understanding.

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When I buy only second-hand clothing, I foresee feeling content with my closet’s composition and its contribution to the consumption cycle. I can see the interesting pieces, buying journeys, and no doubt, the saved dollars in my pocket.

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After publishing the newsletter every month for a year, I see a well oiled sharing, connecting, and world building machine that propels me to a new level of artist, non-secret squirrel, and Jared.

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Everything runs on a weekly cadence

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Next, I break it down into something that can be done weekly. It’s easier to track, builds morale, and thus it’s easier to get a rhythm. If I want to end up with 100 rejections per year, then I need to attempt roughly 2 rejections per week. Lifting and waking up just got to get done on time. And I chip away on the newsletter every week so I don’t have to do all the work at the end of the month.

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Make it easier than I think I should

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Third, I make it easier than I think I’m capable of (a.k.a don’t get greedy). The goals need to be significant enough such that my dream comes to fruition, but it doesn’t need to look like the most elite version right away. Consistency and patience can also generate enough force to be a powerful change in my life. I find this works best with goals I know I’ll struggle with.

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Like I mentioned, I’ve been known to be a night owl and have made a concerted effort to wake up earlier at least 3 times in the last decade. And guess what, I failed every time. Sometimes you’re trying to play on Hall of Fame Mode (hard mode) just to say you did it. I’d rather put it on easy mode and look up at the end of the year a new Jared because I woke up early regularly. Productivity runs against well-being when unchecked, but breaking off less than you can handle is like to keep you far away from that conundrum.

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Get to the root of it

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I’m only competing with myself. So I release the vanity and lock in on reason. It ain’t really about waking up early. It’s about going to bed earlier because I know my body’ll demand 8.5 hours regardless. 12 Week Year calls this a keystone habit: the repeatable, controllable action that impacts the end goal the greatest.

I’m not worried about numbers, dollars, or any other metric that’s not up to me. I count how many times I put butt in seat and how much time I spent giving my attention to what I want to do.

Get active

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At the time of this writing, I’m 3/3 weeks on going to bed, 3/3 weeks lifting, 4/100 rejection attempts (and 0 rejections), 1 new clothing item purchased (a pair of fleece tights for camping in 10 degrees last week. I’m returning them), and now 1/1 months publishing the newsletter.

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We’re gathered here today for my selfish aims (a friend reminded me to share my goals), but it’s irresponsible to drivel on any longer. Go get active. Say you’ll do something, then do it. Don’t wait, do it now. And share your goals with a friend.

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Reference

"The allure of productivity is therefore a complex one. We cannot dismiss it as the result of the evil master plan of mustache twirling capitalists. We also cannot embrace it as an unalloyed good. It’s a human drive tangled with the contradictory imperatives of culture." (Cal Newport, On the Source of Our Drive to Get Things Done)

"The proper place for productivity is for thing we don't want to do. It's not to fill the same amount of time with more work, rather to minimize the amount of time it takes to complete a fixed amount of work. As a simpler analogy, no one would argue you should try to be more productive at playing with your child, walking your dog, or cooking dinner with friends. Those are all activities we enjoy filling with time and so should not be attempting to minimize the time they take. If it's work you love, then you should want to fill it with more time because the time put into it is spiritually fulfilling in its own way. Attempting to optimize your productivity at something you love is to treat something you love as a step in an assembly line." (Nat Eliason, Medley 298: Is Productivity a Worthwhile Goal?)

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