Do It Today: Overcome Procrastination, Improve Productivity, and Achieve More Meaningful Things

wasting my time!
”
Yeah, right.
Willpower Doesn’t Work. Systems Do.
What you really need is a system for doing work. A lot of
people shy away from routines, systems and frameworks

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because they want to have “freedom.”
I’m sorry to disappoint you: Freedom is your enemy. The fact
is that, if you want to get things done, you need rules. What
are some things that research proved to be effective?
Self-imposed deadlines.
Accountability systems (commitment with friends,
or a coach).
Working/studying in intervals.
Exercising 30 minutes a day.
A healthy diet.
Eliminating distractions.
And most importantly: Internal motivation.
If you combine the right productivity 
tactics
, you have a
productivity 
system
.
The deadlines create urgency, accountability will create
responsibility, working in intervals improves your focus,
exercising will give you more energy, so does a healthy diet,
and eliminating distractions will take away the temptations.
But there’s no system that can help you if you don’t have an
inner drive. People overcomplicate that concept, but it’s
simple: 
Why do you do what you do?
If you don’t know. Make something up. If you know why
you’re doing something, even the most annoying tasks
become bearable. It will become a part of the bigger
picture.
So, instead of diving into work, take a step back, think about
why you do what you do, and then rely on a system that
supports that. Not rocket science. Just 
science
.

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How To Stop Wasting Time and
Improve Your Personal
Effectiveness
The reason I research productivity is simple. I think that a
productive life equals a happy life. Also, if you’re more
productive than average people, you’ll advance faster in
your career. You learn more. You do more. And eventually
are rewarded more.
And when I talk about productivity, I talk about being
effective. Because productivity doesn’t suggest that you get
the right things done. It just means you get a lot of stuff
done. But that’s not what matters.
Effectiveness, however, refers to getting the 
right
things
done. And if you want to do your job well, earn money, live a
meaningful life, or learn skills, that is what matters the
most. Otherwise, you just run around in circles. You might
appear busy, but you won’t achieve anything meaningful. In
other words: It’s easy to do useless work. Work that doesn’t
bring you closer to the outcomes you desire.