Misconception: Productivity is not Finishing something
the act of becoming accomplished is almost entirely unrelated to being productive.
Success == Completion. Not productivity.
the most common trait you will consistently observe in accomplished people is an obsession with completion.
Stream of finishing projects
It’s this constant stream of finishing that begins, over time, to unlock more and more interesting opportunities and eventually leads to their big scores.
Productivity without completion == unfocussed busyness
If you are productive without harboring this intense desire for completion, you will end up just being busy.
Small tasks that do not add up to completing bigger projects
It’s easy, in this case, to fall into a infinite task loop where you are consistently accomplishing little actions from your next action lists but making little progress toward completing the big projects.
Projects, not individual tasks as the central principle for each dat
It refocuses you on completion of projects “not tasks” as the central organizing principle for each day. It works as follows: Setup: Construct a Project Page
Active project list
Make an Active Projects List. List 6 – 12 of the most important projects in your life.
Spheres of life
relevant spheres: professional (e.g., school or work related); personal (e.g., home, family, fitness); and extra
What done looks like
Label Each Project With A Completion Criteria To quote David Allen, to finish a project you must “know what done looks like.” Next to each project type a concise description of what action must be completed for the project to be completed.
Holding projects
Label the Bottom Half of the Page as a “Holding Pen” This is where you can jot down new projects that enter your life while you’re working on the active projects.
Work on finsihing projects first
Outside of your projects you probably have other, more mundane tasks that need to get done. Your goal here is to make as much progress on your projects as possible despite the other responsibilities you have each day.
Take a break after completion
Work as hard as possible to finish your projects as fast as possible. Once done, take a break. For at least a week.
Completion centric planning
The work flow rhythm required by completion-centric planning is as close as I can get to describing how really accomplished people tend to tackle their work.