Want to let you in on a little secret to getting more done - try less!
I know, it sounds counterintuitive. But hear me out. When you take on less, you complete a higher percentage of what’s on your plate.
Got two things to do and finish both? 100% success rate, my friends. Nothing gets stuff done like not doing it in the first place.
This isn’t about being lazy. It’s about being intentional. Don’t take on a project until you know you can finish it. Defend your time like it’s precious (because it is!).
You don’t have to do everything right now. Buy the pre-built computer instead of convincing yourself you’ll build it. Hire the maid rather than stress about deep cleaning. Some things just don’t need to be done.
Take my friend for example. They’re a busy parent with a dining room full of unfinished computer parts. Why? Because they took on too much. As they told me:
“I need to remove dust from some of the used parts. I’m not putting dusty parts into a new build. I looked into buying a 3 or 6 lb air compressor and then put it off. I Have to remove dust from a case that was brand new and is now dusty because [my eldest] took it out of a box. Have to find a few parts that are not all together with the newer ones. I may need to do a CPU musical chairs with an older CPU to get a motherboard to POST so I can update the firmware for it to support a newer CPU I bought. I have an essentially already build machine I bought off [a friend] that I need to fully blow out all the dust and integrate a few hard drives. I need to get Windows 10 licenses, ideally the super cheap ones that work.”
This person is extremely smart, highly paid, and already overwhelmed! Started with the best of intensions I am certain, this project became a demotivating yak-shaving adventure. Additionally, now their dining room is unusable, and their kid is still waiting months for the promised computer. Try less, friend!
In programming, we know you can’t predict the future perfectly. Do the minimum viable work for now. You’ll likely have to redo some things later anyway. But you’ll get more done overall with a higher completion percentage.
Trying to do it all is a recipe for getting less done. Focus on what matters most. Guard your time. And seriously, just try less. You’ll finish more.