This book is very unapologetic. It started by saying that everything here is obvious (which is my main critique about self-help books) and that this book should only be used as some kind of inspiration to take action. I really liked that shamelessness in admitting (in a way) that the book is not strictly necessary to change your life lol.
It really believes that knowledge is power, but since nobody does anything with knowledge, then execution is power. This book tries to motivate you to take action.
What I Learned
- Redefining our year as 12 weeks gives us a feeling of urgency to get things done, so setting goals with a 12-week deadline motivates us more. It is also more predictable than a whole year.
- Having a personal vision in your life guides what kind of goals you want. It should be defined by spiritual, relationships, family, income, lifestyle, health, and community.
- It’s essential to have an emotional connection with a goal to have better execution.
- Weekly plans should focus on the activities for both long-term and short-term tasks. Spend around 20 minutes at the beginning of the week to review your weekly plan and 5 minutes each day.
- Scorekeeping lets us know if what we’re doing is effective and it forces us to confront reality. This will give us feedback on how well we executed the weekly plan, not results. Find good key measures that include lead and lag indicators.
- Our outcomes are created by our actions, so we must reserve time for our actions. In the book, it is recommended to have strategic, buffer, and breakout block times.
- Own your results. Let them be a motivator, not a reason for punishment.
- Commit to your goals. Make the conscious choice to act in order to create the desired results. You should have: strong desire, keystone actions, count of costs, and act on commitments, not feelings.
- The modern world doesn’t allow for much downtime, so try to own the moment by being in the same place physically and mentally to perform at your greatest.
- The difference between greatness and mediocrity on a daily and weekly basis is slim, yet the difference in results down the road is tremendous.
- Life balance is achieved when you are purposeful about how and where you spend your time, energy, and effort.