How to get everything you want this year

TL;DR

To get what you want this year, clarify your goals, concentrate your limited time, attention, and energy on fewer priorities, and turn them into concrete actions. The planning process uses six key questions to produce three distinct to-do lists, beginning with goals across six areas of life. Read on to see how daily experience, environment, accountability, and clear next steps shape the plan.

Transcript

At some point near the end of last year, I realized that I had a problem. I was trying to do way too many things with my days. I was working on multiple software development projects, I was doing CEO things in my company, I was working on videos for both this channel and my second channel, doing product design tasks. Basically, I was trying to do t... Read More

Key Insights

• 🥺 Trying to do too many things at once can lead to unfinished projects and excessive working hours.
• 🏃 A planning exercise that involves categorizing goals and identifying necessary actions can bring clarity and focus.
• 🛟 Prioritizing actions that serve multiple goals maximizes resources and effectiveness.
• 🦻 Environmental changes and accountability systems can aid in building productive habits.
• 👻 Cutting out non-prioritized activities allows for optimal focus and pressure on achieving goals.
• 🍳 Breaking down projects into smaller actions and identifying clear next steps facilitates progress.
• ❓ Regular reassessment and adjustment of priorities is necessary for ongoing success.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can you get everything you want this year?

Start by clarifying what you genuinely want, then focus your limited time, attention, and energy on a smaller list of priorities. Answering six key questions produces three distinct to-do lists that turn those priorities into actions.

Q: What problem is this planning exercise designed to solve?

It addresses the tendency to pursue too many things at once, which spreads time, attention, and energy too thinly. For the speaker, this resulted in unfinished projects, working until 8 p.m., and skipping workouts.

Q: What is the first question to ask when planning the year?

The first question is, “What do you want?” The speaker answered it by opening a blank Notion page in a coffee shop and freely writing down desired outcomes without using a template or worksheet.

Q: What six categories can you use to organize annual goals?

The six categories are personal growth; business, career, and finance; leadership and community; health; relationships; and fun and daily experience. They are intended to help you consider priorities across both life and business.

Q: How can you tell whether a goal is genuinely worth pursuing?

Ask what your average daily experience would look like after achieving the goal and whether you would actually enjoy that experience. The speaker used this question to distinguish meaningful goals from outcomes that merely sounded impressive or idealistic.

Q: Why should you focus on actions that support multiple goals?

Actions that positively affect several areas of life make better use of limited resources. Prioritizing them helps concentrate your time, attention, and energy instead of spreading them across too many competing concerns.

Q: How should a large project be turned into something actionable?

Break the project into smaller actions and identify a clear next step. This converts a broad desired outcome into work that can be placed on an action list and completed.

Q: How can environment and accountability support productive habits?

Change the environment so beneficial actions are easier, such as keeping workout equipment accessible or a guitar visible. Add accountability through a coach or team to strengthen motivation and make completing the action more likely.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The speaker realized they were trying to do too many things at once, leading to unfinished projects and overworking.

• They developed a planning exercise to gain clarity on their goals and determine the necessary actions.

• By answering six key questions and creating three distinct to-do lists, you can focus on priorities and increase productivity.