This Age-Old Productivity Strategy Died on June 29, 2007
But you can revive it, easily, if you choose.
It’s been sixteen years since our lives changed forever.
Back then, on June 29 in 2007, a thin man in a black turtleneck walked out and revealed a six-inch piece of technology that was meant for good, but quickly turned evil.
Well, maybe that’s not fair.
The iPhone, by itself, is just a piece of technology.
It’s not meant to be a liability, but an asset.
We turned it into a liability.
When you put billions of dollars into entertainment for today’s current gold rush — your attention span — it’s damn near impossible to use it solely for good.
Ironically, this is to your benefit.
Everyone is distracted. Everyone is wasting time. Everyone is allowing their greatest tool to be their greatest hindrance.
But you don’t have to be a part of “everyone.”
You are you.
And you can adapt.
About ten days ago, I decided I would completely remove the things in my life that no longer served me.
For me, this is television, social media, and junk food.
Everyday, I check off not doing these items.
[Read more about my non-habit list right here.]
As a screenwriter, television was the hardest thing for me to give up.
I feel obligated to see everything that comes out.
But after binging the final seasons of Succession and Ted Lasso, and then having season 2 of The Bear for dessert the same week, I decided I had seen enough.
That was the best television had to offer for me, at least for now.
And, with that in mind, it’s time to contribute, not to merely enjoy. I’ve absorbed enough and it’s time to put out my own creations.
After a day or two of not knowing what to do, feeling a little lost having lost my comforts, something happened.
I started getting every single thing done, every single day, in about half the time.
Here’s today’s done list as an example:
- Publish Medium ✔️
- Schedule Email ✔️
- 500 words ghostwriting ✔️
- UpWork outreach 6x ✔️
- VRBO guest outreach 3x ✔️
- Boxing workout ✔️
- Baby’s doctor appointment ✔️
- Pool with friends and family✔️
- Start tomorrow’s post ✔️
- No TV, no social, no junk food ✔️
Perhaps this is obvious, but if that’s the case, why not give it a try?
Also, here’s the side effect and productivity hack the iPhone took away from us (just so you don’t accuse me of clickbait).
Boredom.
You finish a task, sit around and think about nothing in particular, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, you’re excited to do the next task.
Blaise Pascal told us,
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
So why not use this to your advantage?
Write your book.
Make your film.
Build your tribe.
Turn your liabilities into assets to become who you most aspire to be.
When was the last time you were bored enough to find joy in your work?
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