4 Things Really Productive People Do Every Day

Oh goodness gracious, great balls of Q&A Tuesday. Here we go again.

Hey, it's Marie Forleo and you are watching Marie TV, the place to be to create a business and life you love. And this is Q&a Tuesday. And today's question comes from Haven and she writes, "Hi, Marie. On several of your videos you've talked about scheduling things in your calendar to get things done. Time management has been a challenge for me for over 20 years. After lots of trial and error, I lean towards David Allen's getting things done system which focuses on maintaining things to do lists and checking them regularly. David recommends actually avoiding scheduling items from your to do list into the calendar to allow maximum flexibility to respond to changing and fluid situations. Now, I don't want to push you into a fight with David as entertaining as that might be, but I would like to know is it possible that both you and David could be right at the same time. And if so, how?"

Haven, since David's not here, that would sort of be an unfair fight. I mean, let's be honest, I would totally kick his ass. Take this, David. I'll show you how to get things done. But seriously, it's a great question. And productivity is something that most people struggle with. Now when it comes to David Allen's book, I have to be honest, I have never fully read Getting Things Done, so I can't really comment on his system versus mine. But I know a zillion people swear by it and it's considered a classic. But here's the thing, it doesn't matter that I haven't read the book. If something works for you, use it. Don't fix what ain't broken. And just because David and I recommend different strategies doesn't mean that we both can't be right. So just think about it in terms of fitness. Some people love CrossFit, other people swear by yoga and other people love running. Now for me, I happen to adore workout DVDs, but that doesn't make running or anything else any less effective. So to clearly answer your question, yes, both David and I can be right at the same time.

Plus there's nothing wrong with a little mixing and matching. You can go Chinese menu style on it. You can take an egg roll from David, some veggie Musu from somewhere else and some Lo Mein from me. In fact, let's get some chopsticks and dig into four things really productive people, or RPPs, do every day.

Number one, they're friends with time. In other words, they don't look at time as the enemy. Now this is something I just learned from a friend and I love it. If you set up an adversarial relationship with time, you are always going to struggle against it and let's be honest, most of us talk smack about time all the time. It's never enough. It's always running out. We're always complaining about it and even finding ways to kill it.

Time, you sneaky piece of [inaudible 00:03:04]. You're always [inaudible 00:03:06] when I'm trying to have fun. Thanks for nothing.

If you want to be an RPP, you need to pull a Mick Jagger and start saying nice things about times such as, "Time is on my side. Yes, it is." Don't dismiss this as some weird woo woo concept. Think about it. Anytime you think of something as the enemy, it's always going to be a source of pain in your life.

Number two, they make their morning routine non-negotiable. First of all, I think everybody should have a morning routine, a little collection of things that you do for yourself before you start interacting with the rest of the world. So for example, my morning routine involves meditation, time with Josh and Kuma, green juice and some exercise. All these things I do set me up for success emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

Now I'm not perfect at this. So for example, if I have to catch a 5:00 AM flight, my butt is not getting up at 2:00 AM to do all those things, I'll do whatever I can fit in and then I'll finish the rest of my little routine later in the day. So if you want to be an RPP and, I know you do, I'm going to challenge you to create your own morning routine. And the most important part is make it non-negotiable.

Number three, they work out. What? This is a big one, there is a ton of science that proves that exercise really optimizes your brain, your mood, and your ability to focus, hence optimizing your ability to get things done. Now, if you haven't read this book, you have to get it right now. It's the best book on the subject. It's called Spark by Dr. John Ratey and we'll put the links right below this video.

So whenever I'm coaching someone that has a hard time focusing, one of the first questions I ask them is, "Are you working out?" And 99.9% of the time, the answer is no. So in my own personal experience, I always strive for 60 minutes, but at minimum, 30 minutes a day of just sweating my buns off. And I'll challenge you to do the same thing because I know when I get that done, it really helps my brain focus and I know it'll help you too.

Everything is figured out. Clarity comes from engagement, not thought. Confused mind always says no.

Number four, they don't blow themselves off. The biggest productivity challenge most people face is that they don't take themselves or their commitments to themselves seriously. Now RPPs simply don't blow themselves off. They ignore invitations and emails and interruptions and anything that comes in that could possibly take them off track from their own self imposed deadlines and obligations. They know what's important. They treat it as important and they deal with everything else later. So if you want to be an RPP, makes sweet, productive love to this here tweetable.

"When you know what's important, it's a lot easier to ignore what's not." So there you have it. Four things really productive people do. Now, I would love to hear from you. If you want to be an RPP, which one of these strategies will make the most immediate and most drastic impact in your ability to get things done? And if you're already there, getting a ton of things done, what's your number one secret? Tell me about it in the comments below.

As always, the best discussions happen after the episode over at marieforleo.com so get your buns over there and leave a comment now. Did you like this video? If so, subscribe and share it with all of your friends. And if you want even more great resources to create a business in life that you love plus some insights from me that I only talk about in email, come on over to marieforleo.com and sign up for email updates.

Stay on your game and keep going for your dreams because the world needs that special gift that only you have. Thank you so much for watching and I'll see you next time on Marie TV.

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They're making me do it again. I'll do, [inaudible 00:07:34] . Why do you have to curse so much, Marie? Not this episode. No, not yet. It's like no cello, but not yet.