Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3
Know Your Why ......................................................................................................................................... 3
The Ultimate Question .................................................................................................................................. 4
The Human Advantage.................................................................................................................................. 6
Actively Create Your Own Reality ................................................................................................................. 7
Break Out of Your Box................................................................................................................................... 8
Passive Barriers ............................................................................................................................................. 9
Let Go of Perfection .................................................................................................................................... 10
Hell Yes, or no ............................................................................................................................................. 11
Noise ........................................................................................................................................................... 12
Outsourcing................................................................................................................................................. 13
Using Multitasking Effectively..................................................................................................................... 14
Mindfulness and Meditation....................................................................................................................... 15
Planning and Doing ..................................................................................................................................... 16
Fine is Out ................................................................................................................................................ 17
Get Over Fear of Rejection.......................................................................................................................... 18
The 30 Second Rule ..................................................................................................................................... 19
Plan Your Free Time .................................................................................................................................... 19
Protect Your Sleep ...................................................................................................................................... 20
The Worlds of Me ....................................................................................................................................... 21
Negative Self Talk ........................................................................................................................................ 22
Attitude of Gratitude .................................................................................................................................. 24
Outcomes .................................................................................................................................................... 26
Disconnect................................................................................................................................................... 27
Take a Break ................................................................................................................................................ 28
See Your Life as a Series of Hotspots .......................................................................................................... 29
Develop a Growth Mindset ......................................................................................................................... 32
Focus on the Right Things ........................................................................................................................... 35
Go Forth and Prosper .................................................................................................................................. 37

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 Introduction

How much of your day is spent on distractions, things that pass the time, but are not adding fulfillment
to your life? As a nation, we are constantly window shopping for fulfillment. We browse the internet,
binge watch TV shows, online shop, check our phones every moment of pause, and are searching for
something that will get us a little taste of happiness; and its making us miserable. Following the
methods revealed here in Hyperproductivty, you can shift from looking for a short-term distraction, to
constantly adding fulfillment to your life.

Hyperproductivity is about owning your time, and owning your life. Becoming aware that your time is
quite literally the only resource you have, and the idea of mindlessly giving it away will start to look
absurd. Everyone wants a piece of your time. They want you to spend it working for their company,
browsing their website, buying their products, playing their games, watching their TV show; turning your
time into their money. Sometimes giving your time in exchange for goods and services is a good thing,
but on other occasions you are simply giving your time away, and getting nothing in return.
Hyperproductivity is a method to get a return on your time virtually 100% of the day, even when youre
waiting in line at the DMV. The methodology works, and millions of people have used these methods to
create their best life possible.

This book will show you how to use the techniques of Hyperproductivity to get the most out of your
career, your personal growth, and your relationships. Stop spending endless hours passing the time and
instead, easily make every minute of every day add to your fulfillment and create a better life. Even if
you are only successful in implementing these methodologies 50% of the time, your life with
significantly improve. Use your passion and discipline to apply these methodologies more than 80% of
the time and a year from now your life will look completely different. You are about to embark on a
transformational journey. Im happy I have been given the opportunity to help you along the way.

Know Your Why

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction

- John F. Kennedy

All the hyperproductivity I am about to share with you meaningless if you dont know why youre being
productive. Why do you want to live a more productive life? Do you think you will become more
successful, have more money, more friends, travel more, and finally have time to get in shape, or
something else?

Without an answer to this question, half the value of this book will be lost. Why you do what you do in
the context of everyday life is easy. I go to work because I want to get paid. I go to the gym because I like
being in shape. I read because I like to learn.

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Thats a very surface level conversation to have with yourself; there is something underneath wanting
to learn and even a few layers underneath that. The things you want out of life are rooted in your core
values. Some of you reading this might have a good idea of what your core values are, but to sit down,
and go through an exercise to write them out, and get very specific about what they are and how they
affect your life is one of the most important things you can do to start living a more fulfilling existence.

Searching Google for Discover your core values will result in a few million results (Im sure its mostly
porn, but keep to the first 100,000 links or so and you should be fine). Methods from writing a personal
mission statement, selecting values from a list, or writing down what you would like people to say about
you at your 100th birthday are all perfect examples to begin this process. A method I like is posted on my
website at http://www.newgroovecoaching.com/blog/do-you-know-your-core-values.

Each method has its strengths and weaknesses, but the nuances are not worth fretting over. I encourage
you to try out a few different ones and notice the commonalities that come up. If youd like to get
started now, take five minutes to write down what you would like people to say about you at your 100th
birthday, or a different age if youd prefer. From there you can decipher the kind of person you want to
be, and the life you want to start building for yourself.

Once you have a vision for the life you want to create, you can start utilizing the tools of
hyperproductivty to build towards your goals every minute, of every day.

Each of these chapters will end with a task or challenge, to test out the methods in your life. Simply
reading this book will not be enough, you will try these methods to see real change. Knowledge is
useless unless it is applied.

The Ultimate Question

The world will not discourage you from operating on your default-settings, because the world of men
and money and power hums along quite nicely on the fuel of fear and contempt and frustration and
craving and the worship of self.

- David Foster Wallace

Take a moment to think about how much time you are in-between major or minor events in your life. At
the grocery store check-out, you are in-between shopping and checking out. Driving home for the
holidays, you are in-between leaving and arriving. Being home at night just passing the time, you are in-
between the end of a work day and the beginning of the next work day. Add those in-between times
up, and we are talking about years of your life spent just waiting for the next thing. What if you could
capture that time, and completely eliminate the in-between time from your life? You would be adding
years of quality and fulfillment to your life. Thats the problem hyperproductivity solves.

Hyperproductivity is not possible without the knowledge you are always in control of yourself and your
time. You always have the choice to own your time, whether youre working, driving, or waiting in line at

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the grocery store. Your time is valuable and letting it go to waste is a tragedy. Hyperproductivity starts
with a simple question: How can I own this moment?

I can hear your objections, I am not always in control of my time, and there are things in my life that I
have to do. I know it may feel that way, but try a change in perspective. There are things in your life
that would be foolish not to do, and the consequences far outweigh the costs, but you dont have to do
anything. Kids need to be picked up from school? To hell with it, Im going to watch TV. Out of groceries?
Thats fine, I think I have some cheese singles around here somewhere. The mole on my arm is getting
bigger and changing colors? Whatever, its probably nothing. Some choices may be ridiculous and
irrational, but they are choices nonetheless.

Next time you are waiting in line at the grocery store, before you go straight for your smartphone, or
browse the impulse buys near the checkout, ask yourself. How can I own this moment? The following
pages will help you with the answer to that question, but asking the question is where you start. The
answer may not be clear at first, but with practice, it will get easier to own every moment of your day.
Moreover, you will start recognizing even more ways to own your moments, and start stacking
hyperproductivity methods. With practice, mindless short-lived amusement will be replaced by powerful
moments that are continuously improving your life. When you do choose to simply entertain yourself, it
will be intentional instead of mindless. You will know exactly what you plan to get out of watching TV,
browsing the internet, or listening to music.

Most people, when they find themselves in boring situations, look for an escape. When waiting in line at
the DMV, your impulse is to wonder how much longer it is going to take and find a temporary
distraction. Your impulse is to check-out of the situation; self-medicate your boredom, message
someone on your phone so you get that little dopamine kick when they message you back. It is doing
something and nothing at the same time. Whats a better way?

How can I own this moment? Recognizing what is, and then responding to it accordingly. You are in line
at the DMV, you have a good reason to be there. You will be in line for the next 15 minutes, how you
can spend that time in a way that will improve your life? The answer will be different for everyone. I
often use those small moments as thankfulness minutes. Practicing gratitude has been shown to
improve mood and has lasting effects on happiness. By spending the next 15 minutes thinking of things I
am thankful for, I have taken the 15 minutes that the DMV was about to steal from me forever and used
it to improve my well-being.

Your go-to might be something else. It might be planning out a vacation in your mind. It may be thinking
about ways you could make your significant other smile. It might be taking a moment for mindfulness,
and using it as a break from the day. Whatever it is for you, if you feel you are owning your time, youre
doing it right. You have captured that time to move your life forward, instead of staying stuck for that 15
minutes of being in line.

It sounds kind of exhausting doesnt it? Trying to spend every minute of the day looking for ways to add
to your fulfillment. Myself, and the people who have implemented hyperproductivity methods into their
life will tell you that it becomes second nature, and when you do just want to pass the time, it is
intentional instead of mindless. Practicing hyperproductivity means hours of your Sunday afternoon
wont disappear because you lost track of the day while sitting at your computer. It means recognizing
when your current situation is no longer suiting you, and resolving to start changing it immediately. It

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means planning what you can get out of something you dont want to do, but for which you have a
responsibility. You may have no desire to mow the lawn, but you can be thankful for the fresh air, the
excuse to work up a healthy sweat, and how much better lemonade will taste afterwards. Focusing on
the Drudgery of the task is a double negative. You have to do something youre not thrilled about, and
you keep yourself miserable while doing it.

You have the capacity to capture every minute of the day, and use it to create a better life. Through the
following pages, you will learn how to use this methodology to improve your personal life, work life, and
relationships. As with anything, its always good to start with a single step.

The following chapters each outline a method of hyperproductivity. As you move through your days,
consider which one of these methods is a good fit for your current moment. Sometimes it will be more
than one, sometimes it may be none, and other times you may think of a new idea that works for you.
Whatever you choose will be perfect as long as you feel it is both benefiting you now, and will benefit
you in the future. Hyperproductivity provides a framework for rewiring your brain, so it craves life
improvement activities over temporary pleasures.

The subsequent pages are key learnings from some of the best productivity, happiness, and self-
improvement gurus I have come across, as well as a few personal insights I learned from applying these
techniques. Each chapter a method or perspective that will help you get the most out of your time, and
therefore your life.

I challenge you to spend up to a week implementing each new technique into your life. You may be able
to handle trying out several per week, or just trying one per week. These chapters are arranged in an
order that I feel is comprehensive, however you are welcome to skip around if that works better for you.
Just be sure that you come back to chapters you skipped, so youre not staying in your comfort zone.
Growth happens every time you step out of your comfort zone, even if its simply slightly at first.
Reading a book is squarely in your comfort zone. There is no risk of failure looking silly. Going out and
implementing the following methods is not. The latter will be required to get the most out of this book.
Lets get started!

The Human Advantage

Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life
was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you
can build your own things that other people can use.
- Steve Jobs

One of the most common objections I hear from people who are stuck, is that they dont have what it
takes. They argue that successful people have some innate advantage over them. They had better
mentors, better schooling, higher IQs, less debt, less to do, and the excuses go on and on. Although the
nuances of each of our lives are different, our core advantages are the same. We all have the ability to
problem solve.

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We often see the results of hard work in the world, but rarely the process. The Wright brothers did not
dream up a flying machine and build it on their first try. They spent years building prototypes. They built
their own wind tunnel because the standard accepted wind and resistance ratios were wrong. They did
all this, with normal, everyday, run of the mill, problem solving skills that all humans are born with. They
werent geniuses. They had a dream they wanted to pursue, and they moved towards it. An airplane was
the result of learning from each failure, and improving upon each iteration. The wright brothers were
able to learn from each plane they built that didnt fly. Learning from failures, and therefore failing, is a
necessary step towards success.

The human advantage is a reminder that each of us are born with more-or-less the same biological
makeup. We all have the ability to problem solve, and therefore create. Let go of the idea that the
people who have done great things are lucky or had more advantages. That mindset is a great way to
never accomplish anything. You are human, just like every other person on earth. This means that you
are not special, and therefore neither is anyone else. If no one is special, there is nothing stopping you
from joining all the not-so-special people in doing great things.

Challenge: Write down a 3 things you havent done yet, but want to be included in the story of your life.
Then write down the steps it would take to do those things, and take the first step towards one of your
goals this week.

Actively Create Your Own Reality

Life isnt about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

- George Bernard Shaw

Any life change that is not being driven by outside forces it generally met with a barrage of negative self-
talk. I would, but now is not the right time. Tomorrow will be better. My family and friends wont
understand. Im not that kind of person. I will never be perfect, so why try?

The truth is, people who believe they dont have what it takes to write a book, learn a new trade,
change careers, or get out of a terrible relationship, end up creating that reality in their life. The first
step to achieving your dreams is focusing on what you can control. Whatever it is you want in life,
thousands of people have set out to do what you want to do, and some have been worse off than you.
Moreover, those people have written books, blogs, created podcasts, and have shared the steps they
followed to get there.

Successful people focus on the areas of life they can control, and pay little attention to what they cant.
Everyone has that ability. The difference between each humans innate ability to problem solve is more
dependent on mind-set than facts. If you believe a task it hard, your mind will create that reality. If you
believe a task is not worth trying, your mind will create that reality. Your brains predisposition to looking
for patterns that confirm already held beliefs is very powerful. Start believing that you can achieve what
you are setting out to do, and your brain will start recognizing patterns that reinforce that belief.

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I want to be clear, that delusional positivity is not what I am advocating, but a positive mindset in which
the stories you are telling yourself are true, helpful, and positive. The glass can be both half empty and
half full. Choosing to focus on the abundance of the glass is a much more powerful perspective than the
perspective of scarcity.

Challenge: Write down every negative belief you have about yourself and your current situation. Then
write down the anti-thesis of that belief, and ask yourself which one youd like to hold as a belief.

Break Out of Your Box

Take your mind off the problems for a moment, and focus on the positive possibilities. Consider how
very much you are able to do.

Ralph Marston

Everyone has a different idea of what is possible for them. Some of these ideas might be rooted in
reality, but most are not. Most beliefs we hold about the things blocking our achieving wild success are
simply that, beliefs. More specifically, self-limiting beliefs. Before I experienced someone paying me
directly for my coaching services, it was difficult to imagine that as a possibility. What I believed about
myself was holding me back from what was possible. The definition of an entrepreneur is getting paid
for the value you are bringing to the world. That is exactly what I was doing, and for some reason I
thought I was different. I could never be like other entrepreneurs. People wouldnt want what I had.
That was the box I put myself in.

It took some time and some work, but I started to think about what was outside the box. How other
people who were less educated, less driven, and less impactful, were getting paid for coaching. And then
I started to realize that the box didnt exist other than in my head. I would not be breaking any laws of
physics by getting paid for my services. It actually was a common occurrence in the world, it just hadnt
happened much for me yet.

I still needed a boost to reach outside of my box to get a taste of it. I started to think of ways to do that. I
started thinking about the millions of dollars being spent on useless trinkets, and products based on
solely on marketing. This notion was reinforced when I saw a commercial for a knee brace that
magically aligned your back, so you were able to walk again. The product was a sleeve you put on your
knee, and its effectiveness was obviously based on the placebo effect. A company that was making a
profit providing nothing more than a placebo was the final wake-up call I needed. Here I was, bringing
real value and change to the world, and thinking it wasnt possible. Thats the box I was putting myself
in.

Take a moment to think whats in your box. Some popular ones that I come across: its too late or too
much work to start a new career; my marriage has past the point of no return; my health issues or
appearance means Ill never have success with dating; Ill never be as good as (insert highly successful
person here), so its not worth trying.

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Now think about what is right outside your box. How many others have done exactly what you would
like to do? How many people have been confronted with a similar problem and overcome it? The
answer is, MILLIONS! Every problem you have faced, countless have overcome the same problem. And
their successes have been shared in blogs, books, created podcasts for exactly the skill or problem
youre trying to solve. The answers are out there waiting for you!

A great example of this, is when I finally decided I needed to get out and start dating more. The beliefs
holding me in my box were: I shouldnt talk to women I dont know; it will be uncomfortable; I havent
become successful enough yet; I need to get in a little better shape; it will be awkward; if I get rejected I
will be crushed.

So I read a book or two about dating and then I reached outside my box. I talked to a woman while
waiting in line at a coffee shop. Nothing out of the ordinary, just commenting on some new menu items.
We didnt fall in love, but it wasnt a bad experience. I saw that things outside my box were actually
possible. The next day I had some innocent conversation with another lady, and it continued on from
there. Sometimes it does feel awkward to chat up a stranger, but I realized the only thing stopping me
from doing it was me. The belief that if I didnt adhere to some predetermined social norms, I would feel
embarrassed, was complete bullshit.

I also learned that outside my box was way more fun and interesting. Right outside my comfort zone is
where things happened, where growth happens. And as my comfort with being a little uncomfortable
grew, so did I. Faster than I would have ever imagined.

Challenge: List a few things that are just outside your comfort zone. A good start is to ask yourself
What is something I know I should do, but probably wont. Then give yourself the challenge of actually
doing the things you write down.

Passive Barriers
If you are the kind of person who is waiting for the 'right' thing to happen, you might wait for a long
time. It's like waiting for all the traffic lights to be green for five miles before starting the trip.

- Robert Kiyosaki

Getting yourself off the couch and moving towards your goals is not always easy. In fact, starting is often
the hardest part. The energy it takes to even get yourself to stand up from a sitting position is a passive
barrier. It is a small thing in the way, that makes getting to the bigger thing seem more challenging.
Passive barriers can work for you, or against you. In this chapter were going to talk about some
techniques that will help you overcome those passive barriers. The goal is to raise the passive barriers
for things that keep you stuck, and lower the passive barriers for actions that will move your life
forward.

There are mental tricks you can use to lower passive barriers. Sitting down and telling yourself you need
to write a chapter of a book is a daunting task. So large in fact that you might think its not even worth
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starting. Knowing that the dishes need to get done, but thinking you dont have enough time to
complete them means you might not even start; but a simple reframing can help. What could you say
yes to? Could you say yes to writing one paragraph? Could you say yes to washing three dishes? If you
struggle with starting, then lower the passive barrier for starting by making it a small manageable goal.
Suddenly youve written three pages, and finished half the dishes, and you only set out to do a fraction
of that. The toughest part is getting started. Once you have the momentum, continuing is not nearly as
difficult.

Challenge:

What are the passive barriers in your life?

What could you do to raise the passive barriers that are time sucks?
What could you do to lower the passive barriers for fulfilling activities?

Let Go of Perfection
If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word

- Margaret Atwood

The need for perfection is a roadblock to progress. If you sit down to write the perfect joke, chances are
you will write nothing. If you sit down to simply write 20 jokes, you might end up with a few good ones.

Our culture makes us averse to failure. This engrained need to make everything we do live up to the
highest standards can make us never go anywhere. Everyone starts somewhere, and no one is ever
100% prepared for what they want to do. Perfect doesnt exist in the real world. There are flaws in
everything and everyone. Products, services, and people are improving every day. If perfection existed,
there would be no progress. Olympic ice-skaters, the best in the world, fall down from time to time. If
perfection doesnt exist for the top performers in the world, where does it exist? Committing yourself to
perfection, is committing yourself to failure.

A better mentality is that of growth. Set your targets, and map a path to get there. Even the path wont
be perfect, but you can adjust as you go. The company Apple, which is known for making stunning
products, is constantly coming out with new versions. When the first iphone was released, they were
already started on the next version. If they tried to put every new idea and opportunity into the first
version, they would still be working on the perfect phone.

You growth can be treated the same as Apple treats product releases. Set an achievable goal for a
specific date, and then stick to it. The path wont be perfect, the result may not even be perfect, but you
grow simply by moving towards your goals. When that goal is achieved, reflect on your learnings, and
then set the next goal. Success is not created by reaching perfection, success is created by being farther
along than you were yesterday. Today, you are version 2.0 of yourself. What could you do to upgrade
yourself to 3.0 version?

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Challenge: This week, write down a few ways you could upgrade yourself to the next version. Write
down the path to get there, and start step 1 today.

Hell Yes, or no

There is a real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment.

-Norman Vincent Peale

If you are going to accomplish anything, and own your time, you are going to have to say no to a lot of
things. As you implement the tools of hyperproductivity, more people will want a piece of your time.
No is a word that will have to become a common part of your vocabulary. Recognizing that your time
is valuable means you would rather pay someone to fix your family computer than spend hours doing it
yourself.

When someone asks for your time, ask yourself one question, If I say yes to this, what am I saying no
to? If what you give up is more important to you than the potential of the situation, no is the correct
response. This is difficult for the people pleasers out there, but is a crucial piece of creating the life you
want to live, and not the life others want you to live.

It can be helpful to think of this as a continuum. Are you on a date, and the person across from you just
said something prejudice? By sitting there and listening, you are saying yes to the interaction. You are
continually saying yes as long as you stay in the interaction. The same goes for your job, a friendship, or
the relationship you have with yourself. Sitting back and doing nothing about the things that make you
unhappy, is saying yes to the unhappiness and no to happiness. Convincing yourself that its fine for
now, is saying no to pursuing a happy life, and is an excuse for in-action. No is the game changer.
No gets you off your default path and onto a path that you are intentionally creating. If its not a hell
yes, its a no. Living in a not great but not terrible middle ground is the basis for a story of a wasted life.

Challenge: This week live your life by the hell yes, or no principle. If its not a hell yes then its a hell
no. Be conscience of the balance of saying yes to one thing, means saying no to others.

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 Noise

We're not that much smarter than we used to be, even though we have much more information - and
that means the real skill now is learning how to pick out the useful information from all this noise.

- Nate Silver

Life is full of noise and nonsense. Spend 10 seconds on the internet and you will be asked to view about
20 things that do not affect you in any way. Celebrities are doing stupid shit, there are wars on the other
side of the world, and a potato famine in Ireland. Before spending your time consuming all this
information, ask yourself, does this affect me today? What value is this information providing me
beyond passing the time?

This useless knowledge is sometimes compounded if you take it along with you. Maybe you worry about
a war on the other side of the world. Maybe you come into work and talk about how the war is all about
oil, water, religion, politics, pick your reason. Now your coworkers time is wasted because of the useless
knowledge you consumed this morning. I wont deny that sometimes ruminating about nothing with
coworkers is valuable for social connectedness, however there are much, much better things you could
be discussing, perhaps sharing some of the ideas presented in this book!

Noise is constant. Learning to identify, ignore, or bypass noise in your life is a skill that is invaluable.
Noise is anything that attempts to command your attention that is not adding to your fulfillment, driving
you towards your goals, or making you better off. That is 99% of the internet. Scrolling through your
Facebook feed, Reddit, world news sites, or your stocks for the 40th time today is a terrible use of your
focus and energy. If you gave all those things for a week, or even a month, very little would be taken
away from your life, but an enormous amount would be added.

As humans, we are pretty good at keeping ourselves busy, but not very good at choosing things that will
actually add fulfillment to our lives. It is easier to sit in front of the TV instead of finding a tennis partner
for an afternoon. What if TV wasnt an option? What if browsing the internet wasnt an option? What
would you do with your time? The answer is likely significantly better than what you were doing. One
time I uninstalled a computer game that I really liked, and ended up starting an online business in my
free time. You will find ways to pass the time, and if your options are limited to things that are driving
you towards your goals, they will suddenly start getting done.

There are tools out there that can assist you with finding out where does the time go? One of the
most popular is called RescueTime, which helps you track your time on the computer, and allows you to
block websites during certain times of the day. Pair that with your procrastination list, and your
productivity just doubled!

Challenge: This week remove three of the largest timewasters in your life, whether its wasting time
online, watching TV, or playing video games, make the decision to remove the main three distractors
from your life. That doesnt mean you give up Facebook for Pinterest, it means you make a vow to spend
only 30 minutes of your day simply passing the time. When you get home from work, you have 30
minutes to unwind, the rest of the time must be spent doing something engaging. Take a few minutes to

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think of what you might do, and write it down. This 10 minute exercise will add hours of fulfillment to
your life. Maybe its exercise, cooking, being present with your child, finding a new hobby.

Outsourcing

The other part of outsourcing is this: it simply says where the work can be done outside better than it
can be done inside, we should do it.

- Alphonso Jackson

You really only have two assets in your life. Your time and your thoughts. Everything else can be
outsourced.

The other day I was in a clothing store that is about a 15 minute drive from my house. They didnt have
the suit pants in my size, so I inquired at the counter if I could order them. They asked me if I would like
in-store pickup or delivery to my house. I told them I would like them shipped to my house. The clerk
informed me that I would have to pay $4 to get them shipped, but if I picked them up at the store it
would be free.

If I would have selected to come pick them up at the store, I would essentially be saying my time is
worth approximately $8 an hour (A 30 minute errand is saving me $4 in shipping). Moreover, the cost in
gas and miles on my car is already over $4 at an estimated 55 cents a mile. There are other factors that
come into play, like maybe I enjoy going to the store, so an excuse to comeback is welcome. In my case,
shopping for clothes is work and anyway I can outsource small tasks such as this I will. Everything in life
that does not require your specific skills or knowledge, can be outsourced.

The only other thing you cant outsource are your thoughts and many people dont recognize how
valuable this asset is. What you think is the difference between building an amazing life for yourself and
toiling away at trivial things.

Creators and producers outsource just about everything in their life that doesnt produce income.
Private jets arent just a luxury, they are a necessity. Time spent at airports is time that cant be spent on
a movie set, in the boardroom, or collaborating on quarterly goals. Think about what you could get done
if one of your chores was outsourced? What could you do with the time you got back of your day?

Challenge: This week, consciously choose to outsource one thing that you normally would do yourself,
and then use that freed up time to do something fulfilling.

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 Using Multitasking Effectively

In this media-drenched, multitasking, always-on age, many of us have forgotten how to unplug and
immerse ourselves completely in the moment. We have forgotten how to slow down. Not surprisingly,
this fast-forward culture is taking a toll on everything from our diet and health to our work and the
environment.
- Carl Honore

Multitasking is another way of saying Im doing a bad job at more than one thing. Your thoughts are
single threaded. Multitasking is simply switching your attention in rapid succession. You know the
multitakers, they are the people who are e-mailing while in meetings, and the ones where you
constantly have to repeat yourself when talking with them. The amount of attention they are spending
on you, is the same amount of attention they are spending on the other task, and as a result,
performance on both tasks takes a hit.

Multitasking was a buzz word in the 90s, with the advent of computers. Suddenly you could be
working on multiple projects at once. Then the studies were done. Multitaskers accuracy,
comprehension, and results suffer. Multitasking is only possible if one of the things can be done on
autopilot and does not require concentration; like driving a car and singing along to the radio. But notice
as soon as you start looking for an address, driving through construction, or pass an accident, you stop
singing, because now your conscience attention is required for driving again. If this happens when one
task is automatic, think of how it is affecting you when none of the tasks you are trying to multitask are
automatic. The illusion that you are getting more done by constantly switching between tasks is a lie.

This is good knowledge to have, because there are times when you can use the mindless activity to your
advantage and multitask. If you have a mindless activity, multitasking is perfect for getting more out of
your day. Do you talk with your mom on the phone once a week? Instead of just sitting and chatting,
you can use this time as an efficient multitasking moment. Your laundry can get done, your floor can get
swept, your desk can get organized, your bowels can move (with precise timing of your mute function).
Mindless activities are great avenues for stacking. I often listen to podcasts while at the gym because a
treadmill does not require my concentration.

Challenge: For the next week, when you are working on something set a time limit for the task and
remove all other distractions. Silence your phone, close your e-mail program, and work on a single task
from start to finish, or for a set period of time.

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 Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness is about love and loving life. When you cultivate this love, it gives you clarity and
compassion for life, and your actions happen in accordance with that.

- Jon Kabat-zinn

How often are you putting choice in between events and actions? When someone cuts you off in traffic,
do you instantly get upset or annoyed? Mindfulness comes down to two basic rules:

1. You can choose what you think.

2. When you arent consciously choosing what you think, you dont have to let your thoughts
influence your mood or actions.

Theyre just thoughts, you can simply notice them, and dont have to pass judgment on them. Your
thoughts, and your aversion to them is a primary source of stress. This is stressful, I shouldnt feel
stressed, I should be able to let it go, why do I feel so stressed?

In the traffic example, if you follow rule #1 when someone cuts you off, you can choose to believe that
the person is a jerk and you should now drive more aggressively because of it, endangering people on
the road. You can also choose to think that guy is in a rush to get to the hospital because his wife is
injured. The probability of either of those being true is beside the point. Would you like to spend the
next 30 seconds upset, or would you like to spend the next 30 seconds relaxed, and feeling
compassionate towards other human beings? Which thought pattern would benefit you more?

In the same example, if you follow rule #2 and that thought instantly enters your head, Hes a jerk, you
can simply notice the thought. Hmm, thats interesting that I responded that way so quickly. I cant
control other drivers, but I can control myself. I will choose to keep my distance from the driver who is
distracted or inconsiderate in order to keep myself and others safe.

Eckhart Tolle, who has written many books on the subject of mindfulness and meditation once said in a
TV interview, Accept what is. If someone cuts you off in traffic, its like a sudden gust of wind. You dont
personalize a gust of wind, so dont personalize the fact that another car just cut in front of you. Its
simply what is.

There are number of methods to practicing Mindfulness, one of those is meditation. Meditation is
focused practice of mindfulness. Meditation has been shown to improve concentration, increase
empathy, increase self-control, lessen stress, boost the immune system, and about two dozen other
wonderful benefits.

Challenge: Put choice in between events and your response to them. Event -> Choose -> Respond. If you
forget to choose, simply notice your response, and dont pass judgment on it. Notice it, and then let it
be. Recognize that your thoughts are simply thoughts, and you dont have to attach feelings to them. Try
some guided mindfulness and meditation with calm.com, or download Buddhify from the app store.

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 Planning and Doing

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do
not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.

- Dale Carnegie

Think of your morning routine. Get up, shower, brush your teeth, shave, eat, get dressed, and out the
door. When is the last time you thought to yourself, I dont feel like brushing my teeth this morning.
There are things in life you do regardless of how you feel about them.

The morning routine is one of the easiest things to do without feeling like it, because its habit, and its
necessary to set the stage for a successful rest of the day. But what about all the things that you dont
have to do, you dont feel like doing, but you should do? This is the reality most people create. They
wont do the things that will advance their lives until they feel like doing them. This often takes hitting
rock bottom and a large percentage of Americans simply will never get there. Life is too comfortable. If
you wait until you feel like improving your life, you may never start.

A helpful framework is recognizing the difference between your Planning Self and your Doing Self. Your
planning self has big plans for your life. Tomorrow youre going to start losing weight, ask for a raise, ask
out that cute girl you keep bumping into at your lunch spot. And you feel great about! Tomorrow is
going to be awesome! Unfortunately Annie was right, tomorrow is always a day away.

Your planning self isnt the one that has to do the work, your Doing Self does. And youre doing self
doesnt feel like it. Your doing self passes it back to your planning self, and youre planning self
convinces your doing self that tomorrow will be different.

The truth is, tomorrow wont be different. You wont feel like it tomorrow either. You have told yourself
this lie a thousand times over, and even though history shows that tomorrow will be the same, you
convince yourself that this time is different, even if there is no evidence to back it up.

Recognizing that your Doing Self is the one that has to do the work is part of the battle. The bigger part
however, is doing things in-spite of how your Doing Self feels. We are wired to prefer comfort,
familiarity. Thats where things are safe and predictable. Youre Doing Self may even try to convince you
that its fine, and the extra 30 pounds youre carrying around isnt that big of a deal. Then your Doing
Self can go back to doing exactly what it wants, sitting square in its comfort zone. Unfortunately
accomplishing your goals doesnt happen in your comfort zone. Stepping even slightly outside your
comfort zone is where real change starts to happen. The more you step outside, the more powerful you
become. Often times, the thing that scares you the most, is the exact thing you should be doing. Great
things dont get accomplished without risk, without obstacles, and without overcoming the fear of
failing.

As you build up the positive emotions of doing the things that you tell yourself you are going to do, the
momentum grows. Over time, it gets easier to do what you should do, regardless of how you feel. There
will be days where you will be sick, tired, stressed, hung-over, but you will press on because your goals
arent going to come to you. You have to go get them.

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Challenge: This week, do something every day that you dont feel like doing and that will build self-
efficacy into your routine. You can start small, maybe its making your bed, or flossing every day. Write
down a list of small things that you should do, and the next time you feel like killing in hour in front of
the TV, resolve to knock one thing off the list before sitting back down.

Fine is Out

To the degree we're not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us than we have over
ourselves.

- Peter McWilliams

We all say this. Im fine. Its ok for now. Its only for a little while longer. Fine is a productivity killer.
Fine is where nothing happens and then you die. If you convince yourself youre fine, then you can go
back to the comfort zone and waiting around to die. If you convince yourself youre fine with your
weight, you dont have to go to the gym and can eat that bag of chips. If you convince yourself your job
is fine, you dont have to update your resume and put yourself out there for a career you honestly love.
If you convince yourself your relationship is fine, you dont have to have an uncomfortable conversation
with your significant other.

Fine doesnt belong in your vocabulary. Fine is for suckers. If things are fine, youre not striving
towards your goals. If things are fine, youre not growing. If things are fine, youre stuck, and will be
for a very long time. If things are fine at youre funeral theyll say, She really loved Candy Crush.

To hell with fine. Rather than living with fine ask, How can I make it amazing? What would make it not
fine, and even a little bit better than fine?

Improving every aspect of your life all at once can be overwhelming, so lets honor the old but valid
clichs, one step at a time and start small.

Challenge: Ask yourself the following questions.

Which part of your life have you been telling yourself its fine for too long?
What would take to go from fine to amazing?
What is the first step you need to take to move in that direction?
What other steps are along the way?

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 Get Over Fear of Rejection

A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success.

- Bo Bennet

If youre going to get anything worth accomplishing done in your life youre going to hear no a lot.
Anyone who has published a book, looked for investors, or has been in corporate sales is very familiar
with no. Getting comfortable with no will work wonders for your productivity.

Think of all the things you dont do because of your fear of rejection? You dont talk to the cute girl at
the coffee shop, you dont ask your boss for a raise, you dont ask for what you want in a relationship.
The fear of no is the fence that youre just too afraid to climb to see whats on the other side.

Building up a resistance to rejection is a skill that every successful person has to hone. Sometimes
finding one yes is the only thing it takes to create something great. Morgan Spurlock made a movie
called The best movie ever sold. They spent months calling companies, trying to get them involved.
Finally they got one yes, and then they had an answer for the question who else is in on it? That one
yes was all the social proof they needed to make a multi-million dollar movie. When you hear no, see
what you can learn from it, and then go look for a yes, or try to get a yes the next time.

No doesnt always mean no. It may just mean your first offer wasnt compelling enough. If at first you
dont succeed, dont give up immediately. Understand what is preventing the yes and see if you have a
solution that would make yes possible. Ask, What would make this a win-win for both of us? What will
the other person get out of it?

From there you have place to negotiate.

Challenge: This week, go out and get rejected daily. When you order your lunch, ask if you can have it
for free. Call one of your friends and ask them to drive you to the next state. If you need some more
ideas, check out http://rejectiontherapy.com/. He made a game out of getting rejected. There is also
http://fearbuster.com if you do better with support from a group or mentor. These exercises in getting
accustomed to hearing no will start to change your current fear of this rejection as well as offer you
practice in tenacity.

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 The 30 Second Rule

If you want to be certain, you should never get married. You should never change jobs. In fact, you
might as well just stay home. Because I don't know anybody who is certain. That need to be certain is
just procrastination.

- Mark Burnett

The mental energy you expend over deciding whether or not to do something that will take you less
than 30 seconds, is arguably less than the energy it takes to just go do it. This rule has shown up in many
other books, with the range demonstrated from 10 seconds, to 2 minutes. I have found that 30 seconds
works for me, because that is about the amount of mental energy I would use deciding if I should do
something now or later. I could debate it in my head for 30 seconds, or it could be done in 30 seconds.
Hopefully the choice is obvious. Coincidentally this chapter takes about 30 seconds to read.

Challenge: Implement a 30 second rule into your life. If a task you are debating to do is going to take less
than 30 seconds, dont put it on your task list, just do it.

Plan Your Free Time

Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.

- Alan Lakein

Our free time is something many of us dont think much about. After the work day a lot of Americans
just go home and relax. Many peoples idea of relaxing is passing the time until something comes up
they have to do, like go to sleep, or go to work. After work, are you doing meaningful things that are
adding value to your life, or are you just passing the time? Structuring your free time in meaningful ways
is an important factor in a happy life. It is something I help my clients create every day. Here is how you
can get started.

1. Make a Plan

We schedule our work days to get the most out of them, but often we schedule our free time
sporadically, with nothing to do in the downtime between events or responsibilities. If there is an hour
between taking the kids to soccer practice and picking them up, having a plan for that hour can be much
more fulfilling than passing the time in front of the TV until its time to go pick them up. How you plan
your free is up to you, but having a plan is what is important. For some, having a plan for your free time
is enough, but for most it will take some adjusting along the way.

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2. Find What Works

You may find yourself skipping planned activities for more passive things, which is a time to re-evaluate
and find what works for you. Dont beat yourself up if you skip one of your actives; get curious as to
what influenced that decision, and how you might be able to make a better choice next time. When new
systems get implemented, theyre not always perfect. What updates can you make to your plan that will
work better next time? What made you skip a planned activity? What can you adjust next time to make
your desired outcome, easier to attain?

3. Align Your Daily Plan with the Bigger Picture

Once you can adhere to planned activities that enhance your life, you can start thinking about the bigger
picture. What would you like your life to be in a month, year, or five years? How are the planned
activities honoring those goals? The key to meaningful change is conscience, intentional effort. Use your
daily and weekly plan to help you meet your bigger life goals

Challenge: Over the next week, schedule out your entire day, from waking up to going back to bed.
Adjust the plan as needed, and find what works.

Protect Your Sleep

Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.

- Thomas Dekker

Sleep quality is a key indicator of overall health and happiness, yet is often the first thing we give up to
get more done. Or you may be one of a third of Americans who live in the zombie land of insomnia, a
truly debilitating problem of falling or staying asleep. The condition can be caused by depression,
anxiety, medication or lifestyle changes. The great news is that insomnia can usually be treated with
lifestyle adjustments including stress reduction, exercise and of course watching your diet.

Here is an abundant list of ideas to help you obtain the sleep you need to keep both body and mind
strong:

Routine: start a consistent bedtime routine, aiming to go to bed at the same time every night
and wake up at the same time every morning. All the better if you can work with your bodys
natural circadian rhythm clock. In bed by 10:00PM, up at dawn.
Exercise: best practice is hour a day. It also makes sense that the more energy you use during
the day, the more tired you will be at bedtime.
The good stuff: reduce your consumption of caffeine, stimulants and alcohol. Even if taken early
in the day, it can affect sleep quality.
Food: if you can have your largest meal in the afternoon, it gives your body plenty of time to
concentrate on digestion.

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 Relaxation: find a technique that you resonate with; guided mediations, yoga, classical music,
watercolor.
Forget about it: although you are focused on a healthy sleep routine, dont add to your stress if
you dont fall asleep when youd like. Just rest and go with the flow.
White noise: play some nature sounds- rain, the ocean, the forest- to block out surrounding
environmental noise.
Naps: a short ten to twenty-minute afternoon nap in a dark room keeps the body running at
maximum energy levels.
Embrace the sun: every day we need to spend time outdoors absorbing the sun daylight and sun
energies. This alerts our body and keeps its internal clock functioning at 100 percent.
Lowered light: an hour before bed start to dim the house lights. This again signals your body
that it is time to wind down.
Comfort: is your bed comfortable? Pillows lumpy or make your neck hurt? Make sure to replace
these items. If you are not comfortable, the body will not relax.
Temperature: we need a nice cool space for sleeping. Too warm and we sweat, toss and turn.
Make sure you thermostat is set low enough to keep you happy throughout the night.
Researchers have found that a temperature of 62-68 is ideal for most people.
Last supper: the best bedtime snack is one that has both complex carbs and protein, and even a
little calcium. Calcium helps the brain use tryptophan to produce melatonin. This makes your
dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, one of the top sleep-inducing food
choices.

What is more important than your good health? Certainly not that extra hour of a TV you must watch.
Or ticking just one more thing off your To-Do list. Wind down, take some me time and do the relaxing
activities that you enjoy in the evening. Allow yourself to enjoy that sleepy feeling that naturally starts to
creep in an hour or two before your usual bed-time.

Challenge: Over the next week, put a good nights rest as priority number 1. Observe how it affects your
overall productivity. You may be surprised that you are actually getting more done even though you are
sleeping more.

The Worlds of Me

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their
entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.

- Bill

Everyone is the center of their own universe. Everyone is in the background of your life, and you are in
the background of theirs. Take a moment to consider how little time you spend thinking about the
people you come across on a daily basis, but dont actually know. If youre like most, its next to never.

Studies have been done to prove how little people notice others. College kids were forced to go to class
with a t-shirt on that had a giant picture of Chers face covering the entire shirt. Every participant

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thought the entire class would notice their shirt, which made them self-conscience. Less than 10% of the
class noticed the loud shirt. Think about the last time you remember details of a stranger you saw in
passing. You may remember vague details, but nothing even close to remembering who the person was,
especially enough to remember if them when you see them again.

Take solace in the fact that whatever it is you do, strangers likely wont even register it. Moreover,
consider how much mental energy you spend thinking about what strangers think of you.

Challenge: Go out and do something out of the ordinary. Flex the muscle of not caring about what
strangers might think, and experience for yourself how little they care. If you need some ideas, there is a
collection here.

Negative Self Talk

You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.

- Joyce Meyer

Modern society is relatively new, considering the hundreds of thousands of years of human evolution.
For the better part of human history, learning to avoid danger has kept us alive. Humans who didnt
have a negative bias, had a better chance of engaging in risky behavior, therefore limiting the likelihood
of passing their genes along. Evolution took over from there.

In modern society, the immediate threats are not nearly as dangerous, but this negative bias still affects
our lives. Your body interprets a work deadline as a threat, and thus causes you stress. The same kind of
stress humans felt when they were getting hunted by a lion. In those situations, stress was useful. It
heightened our alertness, pumped some adrenaline into our system, and got our bodies ready for fight
or flight. Those same benefits are gained with current stressors, but over time, it can wear us down.

Avoidance of things that can harm us can be useful, however focusing nearly 100% of our mental energy
on avoiding the negative, is a sure-fire way to keep us stuck exactly where we are. If youre teaching a
kid to ride a bike, and you keep telling him, Dont steer into the street, where do you think he is going
to look? And where he is looking is where the bike goes.

That negativity bias keeps us focused on what we dont want, and consequently we are only sometimes
successful in avoiding them. If we are able to forget about the rocks, and only focus on where we want
to go, the dangerous street becomes virtually invisible to us. The environment is exactly the same, but
our mindset has shifted to focusing on what we want, instead of simply avoiding what we dont want.
Focusing on what we want is the key to reaching our goals.

You may not even be aware you are running an endless loop of negative thoughts through your head so
lets take a minute to identify them. Here are a few examples of what negative self-talk sounds like:

Ignoring the good: You spent the weekend doing maintenance around the house, you took care
of some yard work, you had an afternoon barbeque with the family and you got time to relax on

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 the lake. Instead of enjoying all the wonderful moments, you only concentrate on the negative
aspects of each situation. You only completed five things on the maintenance list, the trees still
need trimming, it was too hot out during the BBQ and the water was choppy on the lake. A great
afternoon is wasted on focusing on the negative.
End of the world: Instead of going with the hills and valleys of life, you again think the worst and
anticipate negative outcomes in most situations. You hesitate to go to new restaurants because
theyll just mess up your order. You got a flat tire which must mean your car is on the way to the
scrap yard. You tried to start your day off with a cup of coffee at home but the percolator wasnt
working. Automatically you think the rest of your day is going to be surrounded with disaster.
Black or white: There is no gray area for you. Everything is either good or bad. Unless you do
things perfectly you have ultimately failed.

So to be a more productive person the goal is to STOP the negative selftalk and instead start to see
things and act in a positive manner. It will take practice but the rewards are immense, especially the
reduction in stress. It comes back around to your ultimate outlook on life.

Positive Self Talk

Being optimistic doesnt mean that you dont acknowledge the difficult parts of life. Rather it means that
you look at hardships with a productive approach. You go into situations hoping for the best possible
outcome but are prepared to handle upheavals with grace.

And this starts in your head by exchanging the negative self talk with positive thinking. To help you turn
the tide towards a more optimistic approach make sure you have all the information needed so there is
no misunderstanding or ambiguity in your thoughts as you process circumstances or upcoming events.

Creating Positive Habit

With patience and practice you will be able to create a new habit of positive thinking. Here are some
examples to practice:

Patterns of negativity: What are the areas of your life that you constantly think negatively
about? Body image, self-worth, your career or relationship? Identify one area and start with that
(no need to take on the world in one fell swoop!). Now work out how you can approach that
one area in a more positive manner.
One-minute check: If you have to, set your iPhone or watch for a reminder to stop in and check
with yourself a few times a day. Are you in a negative self-talk loop? If yes, take a few breaths
and figure out how to spin things around to see the positive.
OK to laugh: Humor is a lifesaver. Laughing is particular strong medicine and especially laughing
at ourselves. In the toughest moments and the most difficult situations there is always time for
humor. If we lose the ability to laugh at ourselves, particularly when were negative and grumpy
were just going to continue to have an uphill battle.
Out with the downers: Do you have friends who constantly complain? Everything that comes
out of their mouths is how the world is out to get them? This is not what you need. Better to
surround yourself with people who are interested in supporting your efforts and giving you an
encouraging hand.

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 Practice: Anything that you are saying in your head to yourself would you say this same thing to
someone you cared about? The answer is most likely no. So do the same courtesy for yourself.
Practice positive self-talk. If a negative one slips in there, acknowledge it than see how you can
apply some positive perspective to it.

A reminder, you are working on becoming hyperproductive. One element that will make this a reality is
letting go of the negative self-talk and begin practicing positive thinking instead. Its not going to happen
overnight. You will need to be diligent and make it a new daily habit. This will lead to understanding
your self-worth and to looking at the world around you with a kinder eye.

Challenge: See if you can act on one of the examples of positive habits described above. Start on a
Monday, usually the most hated day of the week and one we are most likely to be hard on ourselves.
Make this the day you look for ways to insert humor into irritating or abrasive situations. The next day
take a look at your circle of friends or acquaintances and see if there is someone you might
unconsciously try to avoid. Is this person the Debbie Downer of your group? Its OK to let these types of
negative people go as they only bring you down. For the rest of the week, set your phone alarm to go off
three times during the day. Use these moments to check in with yourself. Are you playing that reel of
negativity in your head? Take a few minutes to turn it around and look for a positive spin.

Attitude of Gratitude

As we express gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but
to live by them.

John F. Kennedy

Its almost impossible to stay in a negative place when you are grateful. Think about everything that is
good in your life and youll start to gain a more positive outlook. This doesnt mean you have to be
grateful for the situation youre in. But you can look at your life in general and always find the things to
be grateful for.

It doesnt matter where you are or what youre facing. You will have something to be grateful for. It
might be as simple as having the use of your hands or shelter to come home to at night. The fact is, once
you make it a habit to find something to feel grateful about, youll begin to feel better about life.

More to the point of hyperproductivity, you can increase productivity with this same attitude of
gratitude. Why is this process so effective? Basically because getting and giving feels good. When you
feel good your brain releases the chemical called dopamine which in turn motivates you to continue
your positive behavior so you can get more dopamine and keep feeling like superman!

As scientists are warranted to do, there have been numerous studies on the effects of gratitude. It has
been shown that people who had the practice of keeping a gratitude journal were more likely to make
progress toward important personal goals. It was also shown that those who you interacted with in a

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service capacity, such as a waitress, delivery person or even your physician, would put more effort into
taking care of your needs when shown a gesture of gratitude.

This all goes to demonstrate that you can increase your productivity through the power of gratitude, as
well as increasing it in those around you who touch your life. Expressing your appreciation feels good
and increases the production of that feel good neurotransmitter, good old dopamine. People remember
your acts of kindness and will make an extra effort to reciprocate.

Here are a number of suggestions and examples for ways to practice gratitude in your life.

Journal: You can do a few different things with this. Some people list 10 things every day that they are
truly grateful for. Some people just write a couple of sentences recalling different moments in the day
when they felt thankful. And other people choose simply one experience in the day that was
memorable, making them feel happy and when they relived the moment it reenergized them into
looking forward to additional positive experiences the following day. The list or chosen memory doesnt
have to be complicated, it could be as simple as a good conversation with a relative, or something funny
your child said or did. This exercise trains your brain to live in a more conscious state of awareness,
looking at the world through positive eyes rather negative ones. Overall this creates a more energetic,
happier, and productive you.

Honest compliments: We have all most likely been properly trained by our parents to be polite in
society, saying thank you at the end of transactions, when someone holds the door, and various other
professional interactions. Instead of acting on autopilot with that instant thank you, take a moment to
pay attention to the person you are interacting with, at the post office, grocery store, the mall. Each
encounter is an opportunity to express a sentence of honest gratitude, Thank you for your help getting
all these packages sent out today. Or express a compliment, to your waitress for example, I love how
you always know the ingredients of the dish or the specials for the day, or I really appreciate the
excellent service you provided.

Be in the moment: Hypeproductivity has been showing us all along how to get the most out of every
moment of our lives. Employing gratitude for your life is another way of doing this. Instead of sitting in
traffic annoyed at the hassle, take a moment to notice the world around you. Is the sun setting on the
horizon, or are some kids nearby having a good time, or are your windows down and you have some
music on that you love to listen too? Being in that state of gratitude and noticing beauty or being
grateful for the moment puts you in a place of heightened internal energy once again making you feel
good.

Be spontaneous: I think everyone enjoys getting gifts, cards, postcards, little reminders that they are
thought of and mean something special to someone. Do you have an old college friend you think of from
time to time? Enroll him in a beer of the moth club. Send your niece or nephew a small gift just because.
Next time your in the drug store pick up half a dozen post cards. Next time a friend in another state
crosses your mind send them one. This type of sharing and giving ultimately makes you feel great.

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Challenge: During the following week, pick one or two gratitude practices from the list above and make
sure to put it into practice every day. At the end of the week review your exercise and see how you felt
at the end of each day and if you noticed how this practice increased your productivity.

Outcomes

I used to pride myself on being the first in the office in the morning and one of the last to leave at night.
Now, that's so dated: It's not about effort, it's about outcomes.

- Maynard Webb

The Rule of Three has a few different meanings. One meaning is that things in life come in threes,
windfalls, funny events, even deaths. The other rule of three comes from the time of Aristotle, where it
was noted that people tend to only remember things in threes. For example, Stop, look and listen, or
I came. I saw. I conquered. The rule of three we want to discuss has to do with productivity and
making each day completely focused on our goals.

So at the start of every day, we are going to define exactly want we want to accomplish. This is not a To
Do list but an actual outcome. By focusing our attention on only three items it allows us to prioritize
whats truly important.

Now that youre in the mode of hyperproductivity you have probably given yourself a lot of things to
tackle in your life. The powerful time management technique of the rule of three is going to get you
zeroed in on the most important steps to take every day.

The rule goes as follows:

1. One, write three things you want to complete today.

2. Two, write three things you want to accomplish this week.
3. Three, write three things you want to achieve this year.

Now to put this rule into practice, you first begin by starting every morning figuring out what to focus on
for the day. You can then set alarm reminders or put notes in your day-calendar, but you want to check
in with yourself throughout the day and see if you are focusing on the three priorities you outlined
earlier. It is also productive to pay attention to how long things take. If your outcomes are getting done
quicker than expected you can move up your list of goals week by week. And then just as important,
remember to feel good about your accomplishments, rewarding each achievement.

This is a relatively easy technique to put into action, requiring little time but offering large results if you
can stay focused on the goals and outcomes you have established for yourself.

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Challenge: Set aside some quiet time at the end of week to evaluate your goals. Start with the one-year
plan. In the next 12 months what is it that you hope to accomplish? Once that picture has been defined,
than break it down into monthly objectives. You now have 12 months of tasks that all lead back to your
overall goal. You can then use this on a weekly basis to form your rule of three action plan. Remember,
this outline is fluid and is open to change as you move along the path, updating and finessing the details
as you go.

Disconnect
Turn off your email; turn off your phone; disconnect from the Internet; figure out a way to set limits so you
can concentrate when you need to, and disengage when you need to. Technology is a good servant but a bad
master.

- Gretchen Rubin

The average American checks their smartphone roughly six times an hour. I think one could say thats a
pretty good example of being distracted on a constant basis. What does the automatic response to the
buzz of the phone, the ding of the email in-box do for us? Nothing positive, but rather creates a culture
of unfocused, distracted and stressed out people.

If this sounds familiar it might be time for a digital detox. Your going to need to cut the cord to take your
life back from the world of technology. Its a way to give your overloaded brain a break. This one little
(or could be enormous) step allows your mind to recharge and re-connect with your creative side. It
boosts your ability to concentrate.

Why do we get caught up in the lure of the internet, our email in-box or our iPhones? Almost exclusively
because we are procrastinating and putting off any challenge that we find boring, difficult, frustrating or
ambiguous. Procrastination is a visceral, emotional reaction to what you have to do.

Of course employing discipline (and were all ex-marines right!) can help but there is no cure for
procrastination. The good news, there are a number of techniques we can use to quit procrastinating
and become more productive.

1. Shut down the biggest time sucker of all: the internet. To be honestly focused, it has been proven that
over half of us need to be disconnected from the internet to stay on task. Although this fantastic tool
can aid in all types of productive measures it can also be one of the greatest time wasters. The lure of
social networking markets such as email accounts, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on, are so
enticing that the minute we get bored or the least bit bogged down in our current task, we instantly turn
to these outlets for mind numbing relief. This is not just a suggestion. If you are truly committed to
reducing your procrastination, this is something you must do.

2. Give yourself a challenge: look at your tasks and set a time limit. How many can I get done in half an
hour? This can make the challenge more interesting and a less boring process.

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3. When you know you should be doing something but you arent, you usually react by trying to make
yourself feel better. Thus unproductive procrastination practices are born. Acknowledge this in the
moment and try to figure out why you are distracted and what challenge you can give yourself to get
back on task.

4. Just start. No doubt its the hardest part. It comes back to the one step at a time rule. We see the
whole job or the whole picture of what needs to be done which seems so daunting. But to break it down
one step at a time is 100% more manageable. It is almost never as bad as our minds make things out to
be. So just start, take one step, one bite of the action and the next will follow and then the next until
you have carved a large chunk out of what was once an overwhelming challenge.

5. Procrastination comes at an enormous cost. You are basically putting off your life goals if you are
procrastinating on the tasks that need to get accomplished to move you forward. To help you see the
big picture of this action, make a list of all the things you are putting off. Next to each item then write
how your procrastination has also put off the expected results, which could be stress reduction,
happiness, better finances, a deeper relationship, etc.

Challenge: The first step is a big one: cutting down on your digital connections. If you normally check
your email every hour, or worse yet, every time a new message arrives, set a new limit for yourself.
Make it three times a day, morning noon and before quitting work for the day. Do the same for your
social media outlets. Limit Facebook to once a day for a set time (30 minutes or less is a good practice).
Next work on your procrastination habits. Dont overwhelm yourself by taking them all on at once. Pick
one a day or one a week until you have it mastered.

Take a Break

I have so much chaos in my life, it's become normal. You become used to it. You have to just relax, calm
down, take a deep breath and try to see how you can make things work rather than complain about how
they're wrong.

- Tom Welling

All these techniques are great on paper, but we live in the real world, where 100% productivity is not
realistic. It would be great if it were, but we are humans, we need time to recharge, relax, and step away
from work. I purposely put this chapter near the end of the book, because we often feel like we should
take a break. If this were one of the early chapters, this technique would be easy to abuse.

Gallup did a study on the productivity of workers in different countries, and found the French were
some of the most productive employees. One of the core differences between the French and other
countries, is the two hour break they take for lunch. In America, our lunch breaks are often rushed, or
simply eaten at our desk, but having that time to recharge is actually important to your overall
productivity.

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When I was an I.T. Consultant I would lead workshops on complex computer problems. I would have to
educate my client on a new technology, and then they would have to make a decision on how it will best
fit into their business. I could share with them what other organizations were doing, and the pros and
cons of the options, but the decisions was ultimately theirs to make. Sometimes my clients would get
stuck, and could not decide.

This is a perfect example for when the take a break is useful. I would tell my clients we can come back
to the question after lunch, or the next day. Every time we did this, seemingly like magic, they reached a
consensus almost immediately after we came back to the topic. The brain organizes information during
rest periods, especially after a good nights sleep. If youve ever learned to play an instrument, you know
the experience of struggling through part of a piece, feeling like youre not making any progress, and
coming back to it the next day and be able to play it twice as well. Your brain wires in shortcuts, so the
next time you come across the same problem, it is better able to solve it.

Your break time is valuable, so try to get the most out of them. There is a difference between spending
30 minutes browsing the internet, and 30 minutes watching your favorite TV show. Taking a break is still
owning the moment, recognizing that you need time to yourself to recharge.

Challenge: Build in breaks to your day and week. What are the times you can fit them in? What could
you do during those breaks that would truly allow you to recharge? Write down a few ideas for how you
can spend your breaks.

See Your Life as a Series of Hotspots

Your destiny is to fulfill those things upon which you focus most intently. So choose to keep your focus on
that which is truly magnificent, beautiful, uplifting and joyful. Your life is always moving toward
something.

- Ralph Marston

There are only a few things that make the world go round. The first and the strongest two are love and
money. The other major areas of our lives that we focus our time and energy on are career,
body/health, emotions, spiritual, and entertainment/social. This is what I mean by Hotspots. There are
more categories we could include but the ones listed above are really in the top majority. Of course to
be hyperproductive you want to be 100% aware of where you are focusing your time and making sure
that it is the right priorities in your life at this juncture.

What Are Yours? Take a minute to write them down.

Now that you are aware of the various hotspots I bet you can look back on the last week (or day) of your
life and see that, yes, you were spending all your time and energy focused on your career, your body
and the fun you were going to have over the weekend for example.

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As you can probably now easily see that on a simplistic level these hotspots dictate how you invest your
time and energy. To make the most out of how to be more productive in managing your time and
energy you need to be clear about the big picture and know exactly what your hotspots are.

Lets examine how to narrow down the right hotspots for you to look at and to spend your precious time
on.

You can view your hotspots as a nice, evenly cut pizza pie. You want make sure that every slice is equal,
or that every aspect of your life has the proper amount of thought and energy invested into it. Maybe
you made too large of a cut for the slice with pepperoni while ignoring the veggie lovers slice. If you are
aware of your hotspots, you can distribute your attention to areas that you might otherwise be ignoring.

You may want to have a toned and healthy body but what are you really willing to do for it? To answer
that question, nail down the outcomes you want or expect from a healthy body. The inspiration to act
on those feelings is going to get kicked into high gear once you see the realistic and tangible outcomes
that will benefit you. Write out this list for every one of your hot spots from career, to love, to fun.

One more thing to remember is that one hotspot reinforces and fertilizes another. For example career
and finances could go hand in hand or emotional and relationships. Look to see if you can cover two
hotspots with one list of outcomes.

Once your list is made now its time to drill down to the ones that are most important to you. Only take
on as many as you can handle and then allocate your attention, resources and time to those
appropriately.

The Practical How To

Ok, youve arranged, listed and organized your actions and activities into different hotspots. Now lets
look at how to assimilate the overall concept deeper into your life.

Number One: Make It Easy

When I say easy I mean digestible and physically easy to read and grasp in one glance. If you create a
mini-epic under your relationship hotspot, you are never going to look at it again. Heres an example of a
digestible list for entertainment/fun:

FUN

Concerts/Live Music

Monthly Pot-Luck Brunch

Surfing Lessons

Inspirational Art Class

Poker Night

Mini Vacation with Kids

Off Road Biking Trials

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There should be 10 or fewer items under each hotspot. More than that and you cant take it all in at one
glance. With a short, concise and focused list you can check-in often and see what area you might need
to focus more attention on. As you can see with the example above this one cross-touches with
Body/Health by including some fun physical activities such as surfing and biking.

Make It a Habit

Unless you are going to actively use your hotspots list then there is no use in making one. Once again
the trusty planner or calendar comes in handy. Put in a reminder once or twice a week to go thru your
hotspots and one, make sure youre on track and two, set the pace for the next week. At this time its
also a good idea to physically have your schedule handy with you as you will probably think of a million
things you want to do, people to see, etc.

Potential Problems

Each time you go over you hotspot lists, also be aware of any activities, emotions, actions that can
potentially derail goals or throw you off track. If something is on your list that adversely affects any
other hotspot then you need to take a closer look at the desired outcome. For example, if working 80
hours a week is part of your career hotspot, does it negatively impact your relationship or social
hotspot?

Set Time Limits

This action nails down just how important each hotspot is you to this moment as you are going to apply
the all too quantifiable dimension of time. Get out another sheet of paper and list your hotspots. Take a
week example to start off and apply the least amount of time and the most amount of time you are
willing to spend on each area.

Fun Least: 4 hours

Career Most: 55 hours

Body Least: 3 hours

Emotions Least: 3 hours

Relationship Least: 10 hours

By applying a least amount you are able to cover all hotspots without neglecting others. Using the most
amount will drive you to be more productive as you want to use your time wisely. This task helps you to
stay balanced and truly get the outcomes you had outlined previously. With this type of organization it
will make it much easier for you to manage a hyperproductive schedule for every day by adhering to
your set intentions.

Results

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How to really make this work? Even though you set it up with yourself in mind, you need to be reminded
of what youre getting out of it. Thus make it a point to always first concentrate on the results.

Stick to your time schedule.

Each new list rewrite review every area to make sure nothing is being left out.

During weekly reviews pay attention to potential problems as well as opportunities.

Is the big picture clear? Long-term goals are the key.

Challenge: Focus on two or three of your hotspots this week, and attempt to improve that area of your
life, even if its a small change.

Develop a Growth Mindset

If you dont go after what you want; you could spend your entire life settling for what you get

- Mo Stegall

What you believe about yourself, about your fundamental characteristics such as your talents,
intelligence and personality are called Mindsets. These beliefs can be cultivated throughout your life.

But there are some people who believe that all these qualities are set in stone; youve got what you
were born with per se and thats it. It doesnt matter how hard you study or work, youre either born
smart or not. This is called a fixed mindset. Most people who think this way live their lives with a chip on
their shoulder because they constantly worry about how they stack up to the rest of the world. When
faced with a challenge they often become defensive and feel inadequate, usually quitting the task at
hand.

Thankfully many decades of scientific study have proven this way of thinking incorrect. The brain is an
actively alive and changing organism. Open to expansion, transformation and growth.

In contrast, a growth mindset way of thinking believes that the qualities listed above can be developed
through discipline and honest work. When one studies the lives of those who have mastered a
profession or a passion, you can plainly see that excellence is achieved by years of constant practice and
continued learning.

Daily Review

To keep your mind active and engaged, it is important to review and think upon what you are
accomplishing each day. Have a dialogue with yourself, asking:

What did I learn today?

Did any failure or mistake teach me something?

Remember that we all have different ways of learning. Its vital to keep going until you discover what
method works for you. And always recognize your efforts for being persistent, following through on your

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goals, staying organized, sticking to a plan, and employing creative strategies. When you run into a
challenge, how to deal with this difficulty is going to define who you are and what type of mindset you
utilize.

Brain Growth

Have you heard of brain plasticity? This is a good one to contemplate: Intelligence is not fixed. Its
changeable. Brain plasticity means that your mind can grow stronger and intelligence can
advance during your life. Learning new things literally changes your brain by creating new neural
pathways. Like a computer that modifies to changes in user requirements, the brain has the ability to
modify its structures and neural systems. If you are thrust into a new life in the city after living in the
country for 20 years, you are able to process this new information and succeed. The brain is built to
survive and thrive, re-wiring itself as new demands are placed on it. There is no end to the amount of
learning and relearning the brain can manage.

Learning From Mistakes

Inventors, Olympic champions, and millionaires have shared countless biographies and stories that all
demonstrate how without taking risks and failing there would have been no ultimate success. Failure
has many important life lessons to teach you. For starters, its how you learn to be resilient. It
strengthens your growth mindset muscles showing how perseverance, belief in your abilities to work
hard and succeed, pay off. It may be a hard pill to swallow, but honor the lessons you learn when
mistakes are made.

Positive Self-talk

I discussed this at length in a chapter earlier in the book. Positive self-talk also applies here when
working on a growth mindset. Lets look at some more examples of ways that you might be negatively
dialoguing with yourself and how to turn those around. This list was summarized from a posting by
Fieldcrest School in Ontario, Canada.

INSTEAD OF: TRY THINKING:

I am not good at this. What am I missing?

I quit. Ill try a different strategy.

This is too difficult. This will take more time and effort than initially anticipated.

I cant make this any better. There is always room for improvement so Ill keep trying.

I made a mistake. Mistakes are learning tools.

Its good enough. Is it really me best effort?

Plan A didnt work. Good thing the alphabet has 25 more letters.

Behavior Practice

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Since we are looking for long-term success, this type of change in a manner of thinking may take a while
to happen. No overnight miracle but rather success thru practice and diligence. Here are some practical
steps in behavior practice to put into use on a daily basis to develop your growth mindset.

Development:

The means looking at various things in your life and how you can improve upon them, or develop
them to become more efficient and productive. For instance if you desire to become a better public
speaker, learn about how to socialize and find events that offer you an opportunity to see other people
speak as well as practice for yourself. If you want to improve your diet, work with a food specialist to
come up with a customized eating plan that works right for your time and talents.

Perception:
What people think about you doesnt matter because if you are learning to be your true authentic
self it will show. Only admiration and praise can come when you display an attitude of development and
growth.

Challenges:
These are nothing more than opportunities to learn. Constantly challenge yourself and be willing to
take the risks that lead to bigger rewards. Along the way you will create a storehouse of experience and
learning. And lets face it; life is a lot less boring and a heck of a lot more interesting when we step into
the unknown.

Persistence
The old clich holds true here: most things worth having dont come easily. That means you must use
persistence to go after the things you want in life. Walls, distractions and obstacles are only there to
further motivate you. This also means effort and hard work are going to pay off in the long run. The
reward for this type of diligent work makes the taste of your prize that much more delicious.

Feedback
If you receive comments from people who care about you and have your best interest at heart you can
trust what they are saying. If they offer feedback about your actions or attitude, make sure you actually
listen and mull it over. Better yet, be brave and seek out feedback, positive or negative. This kind of
open dialogue fosters an environment for your continued growth.

Inspiration
There is no room for jealousy in a person with a growth mindset. If someone inspires or outshines you,
take it as an opportunity to learn from them. Get to know them and find out how to they got to where
they are, what are the real secrets of their success.

The list is a bit extensive and might seem daunting at first reading. A reminder on how to begin: the first
step is to become aware of your thoughts. Are you having that internal negative dialogue that leans
towards a fixed rather than a growth mindset? With awareness about your thoughts, you will then be
able to practice the different behaviors that nurture a growth mindset way of thinking.

And always bear in mind that old behaviors and patterns will slip in. Changing the way we think takes
patience with ourselves as well as constant practice. But the outcomes and results of challenging
yourself and enjoying the rewards are worth it!

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Challenge: What fixed mindset way of thinking do you apply to an area in your life? Which one of the
behavior practices can you use to turn it around?

Focus on the Right Things

That's been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work
hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you
can move mountains.

- Steve Jobs

There is no doubt that the power of the mind is significant. There are people who believe we can think
ourselves into any state we want-rich, thin, successful and so on. And science is right on track with this
as well. Countless studies have proven that just thinking about things can affect the body and the
nervous system. For example, the placebo effect improving health conditions or athletes reviewing a
racecourse in their minds thereby improving performance drastically. Or meditating, focusing on the
calm which in turn lowers the bodys heart and breathing rates. There are countless examples, but
basically what you focus on the longest becomes the strongest.

This is a lesson someone working on hyperproductivey can take to heart. If your mind is that powerful,
than it is imperative that do not allow anything to overshadow the aspects of your life that are going
right. And for someone on this path, I can guarantee that a vast majority of it working and probably less
than 10% needs attention. But for some, this 10% is what they choose to focus all of their energy on
instead of all the other wonderful things happening right in front of them.

If you stay focused on the positive, and the right things, you keep the tide of success flowing your way.
Any unnecessarily attention on the 10% is just holding you back; thus the necessity of looking at
everything from the right perspective. There is no need to listen to the negative voices talking in your
head that try to convince you to focus on the things that may not be currently working.

By no means am I saying to ignore serious matters or pretend they dont exist. This book has many ways
to find resolutions and change the outcome of the things that are not working. But the main goal here is
to make sure that we are not using the majority of our attention and energy allowing these problems to
dominate everything else that is working. If you focus on the wrong versus the right youll never get to
the finish line.

Identify the Right

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If all the positive aspects of your life are not immediately evident take a minute to identify them. What
are your accomplishments? They can be anything from education, to self-improvement, to volunteer
capacities, to raising children, to becoming a homeowner, and on and on. And dont forget all the quality
people in your life; they count too. Having a supportive and loving circle of friends and confidents is a
very valid accomplishment. All of these things are major achievements. And better yet, you are a
journey that is bringing even more success your way, so the negative has no place here.

This is one of those things that might be easier said than done. Unfortunately it seems like our minds are
born with the capacity to focus on lack, what we dont have or the things that are not going right in our
lives. Without careful attention they can monopolize your thoughts.

But we also know that our minds are flexible and we can choose to focus on the right things. With intent
and commitment you can take control of your thoughts, ending the continuous loop of uncontrolled
negativity.

Working List

This exercise makes the things that are the most important to you come to the forefront of your
attention. Take a few minutes in the morning to write a list that includes the things that are working in
your life RIGHT NOW. The little things matter too; dont leave out anything. You want to rewrite this list
every day reinforcing the evidence of all the things that are working. This is an easy task and is really
quite powerful at getting your mind to instantly focus on the right things.

Take a Moment

There is no doubt that you will have moments of discouragement and frustration throughout your day.
If you are faced with a challenge and are feeling low or are in need of some reinvigoration, simply take
one minute and go over you days working list. This will focus your mind once again back to the right
types of thoughts. You are the boss of your mind. It may want to focus on whats not working. Dont let
it. Take control and do whats best for you!

Challenge: This week focus on opportunity instead of roadblocks. Consciously focus on what is going
well in your life, and what is possible, instead of what gets in the way. You may be surprised at how
many opportunities you see.

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 Go Forth and Prosper

I hope the ideas presented in this book gave you some insight, and you applied a good number of them
to your life. These methodologies have helped me grow tremendously over my life. Before I started
down this path, my days and weeks were virtually all the same. Get up, work, entertain myself until it
was time for bed, repeat. These methods helped me create a passionate and fulfilling life, I hope they
have helped you as well. I would love to hear your stories and feedback about implementing these into
your life. Feel free to reach out over e-mail, facebook, or my website.

Scott@newgroovecoaching.com

www.newgroovecoaching.com

www.facebook.com/newgroovecoaching

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Copywright: Scott Jaworski

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