The 1 Mistake Everyone Makes When Getting Started
Minimize the planning mindset to get results faster.
Most people waste too much time planning things before they start executing.
Understanding the key differences between these two mindsets will help you take action sooner and get results faster.
Planning is passive.
Let me research it first. What’s the best approach to take? What do the experts say? Let me learn it all before I try.
We get in trouble with planning because it feels like progress.
Have you ever read a self-development book, but never acted on any of the advice?
Watched cooking videos without cooking?
It gets even dicer when you start taking action but focus on setting up the perfect plan.
The Allure of Systems and Tools
A recent trend in the productivity space is filled with ideas of building systems in your life that falls into the trap of pseudo-execution.
Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) is a big one.
It’s the idea of building a second (external) brain that can retrieve your previous written knowledge and thoughts in a few seconds, with the promise of making everything easier.
Disguised as the art of note-taking, but in reality, is the art of planning and perfectionism.
Spend time deciding which organizational methodology to use.
Research which of the most advanced (and complicated) apps to go with.
Start moving your old notes to this new app.
Learn a new way of writing notes from external sources.
Build a tagging/linking system, so everything is neat and organized.
People spend days and weeks doing these steps, only to get punched in the face when they start executing.
Most plans fail at first contact with Execution
Why? Because execution is hard.
Execution is also messy as hell. There is no formula. No guides. If you aren’t feeling frustrated, you aren’t doing it right.
That frustration also accelerates learning. We learn from doing.
Even with this knowledge, your mind’s default will be inaction. Our human tendency is whatever is easiest. We always favor planning over execution.
Now we know the difference between these two mindsets, keep in mind two things to prevent fake progress, perfectionism. and decision-fatigue.
Minimize planning and get started. Productive people regroup and adjust after a period of making mistakes and personalized feedback. This is why we have terms like MVP and Bias for action in business.
Separate planning from execution. They are two distinct mindsets and should never be done together. This muddies the waters of what is action and what is set up. Something simple as planning your day the night before can lead to starting faster in the morning.
🌟 My Favorite Ideas
App
I started going to the gym only with my Apple Watch paired with the Strong App. The app has my workout plan and logs my sets and reps.
My iPhone is now left in the locker room. I love finding ways to go phone free and this is a great one!
Favorite Post
Thanks for reading!
Irfan
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