The Pro Letter #5
5 ways to audit your life, the big 3, a borrowed idea, and a question for you.
Hello, and welcome!
I’ll share with you with my favourite quote, productivity tip, and life hack from the week. There’s also some extra bits in there, including the ‘5 ways to…’ series, a borrowed idea, and a question for you.
You know the power of habit, make this newsletter a weekly one.
Enjoy!
Illustration by @deprocrastination
‘When you make distractions harder to access, it becomes easier to be productive’
5 ways to audit your life
‘Life Audit: An exercise in self-reflection that helps you clear the cobwebs of noisy, external goals and current distractions’
Auditing doesn’t have to just be for the financial services industry. We can bring it closer to home and conduct an audit of our own lives.
The prospect of auditing factions of your life can seem daunting, and maybe it’s easier to look the other way. Life auditing certainly releases some of those anxieties in the back of your mind.
Here are 5 ways to life audit;
Audit who you follow on social media
Unfollow those who don’t provide value to your life. Simple idea which we all bypass. I know the majority of us don’t bother to check who we follow or we don’t care enough to check.
Try to audit who you follow even just once, think of the accounts you’re following that’s built up through the years. Believe me, it’s refreshing. You’ll start seeing more of the content you actually want to see; the reason you use social media in the first place.
Audit apps
If you haven’t used it in a month - delete. That’s a rule of thumb I use, you can ofcourse have a 3 or 6 month rule. Another great way of managing your apps; delete an app before you download a new one. This way you think about whether you need it and if you’re willing to sacrifice another app for it.
Try hiding apps in folders and store on the second screen. Keep your home screen clean and limit to priority apps.
Audit notifications
Try having a look at your device settings and turn off any unnecessary notifications. Most apps now show notifications and it means our devices are lit up like Christmas trees.
It’s a great trick by marketers to ensure you are clicking their apps, and the notifications are usually meaningless anyway.
Audit relationships
This one sounds harsh, but there are people who don’t add value to our lives and you have no reason to associate with that person. Cut off those toxic relationships and be sure of your decision.
Personally, the best way I find to audit relationships is to reduce contact. Don’t speak to someone everyday if you don’t want to. Speak once a week, month, or even a year. You realise you can be friends with someone, just at a distance.
This includes online relationships too!
Audit personal finances
The big one! Something we cringe to do. Nobody wants to look at their finances through sheer fear of what we spend our money on. What you don’t know won’t hurt you - right?
Regularly check direct debits/standing orders every 3 or 6 months. Check what your monthly food bill is. Check your monthly eating out bill. Check your monthly household bills. Online banking makes this all pretty easy.
You’ll be surprised what you find. Some will go years without checking their outgoings.
The Big 3
Quote
‘In many instances the lack of time is not the problem.
The lack of direction is’
I never have enough time!
It’s the great excuse of not achieving or even the bare minimum of simply trying. I get it, we are all busy. We are constantly fighting off outside influences and the world is getting better are chucking these at us. We have to get better at deflecting them.
We need to learn how to ignore the negative and energy draining influences.
Free up time to create or mould what you want, therefore finding direction and clarity.
Productivity Tip
‘Take accountability for your learning’
Have you ever read a book without actually reading it?
Have you ever listened to a podcast without actually listening to it?
Have you ever been in a learning scenario without actually learning anything?
I haven’t gone crazy, have I? We have all finished a book, heard the final seconds of a podcast, walked out of a classroom and thought ‘I haven’t taken in or retained any of the information that’s just been thrown at me’
It happens, we are technically participating in all these ways of learning, but we’re not actually taking accountability for what we’re being taught. Sometimes we’re distracted or not in the correct frame of mind.
That’s ok but at the same time, this can’t happen every time. We must consciously appreciate why we are learning and that we must have an attitude of accountability.
Ultimately the exercise of taking accountability for learning is to save time, and ensure the teachings are executed correctly.
Ask yourself… if I had to teach this subject or idea to someone, could I?
Life hack
‘Solve big problems early.
Problems with simple solutions at first become difficult to unwind over time’
How old a problem is will most likely make it more difficult to solve. I’ve spoke about solving problems before and being able to acknowledge if the problem belongs to you. If you’ve identified a problem is yours then a plan of attack is needed for resolution.
I hear this derivatives of this quote floating around social media, but it’s validity is right up there with any of the greatest life hacks.
Yes, do exactly as the quote says. Solve big problems early. Get the big tasks completed first, before they become more difficult to unwind over time.
Free your day from the biggest problem!
A borrowed idea
James Clear on success:
A question for you
Imagine you started a goal or project you’ve been putting off.
You worked on it everyday for a year.
Where will you be at the end?
See you next week,
Keith,
ProductivityPro
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