How to Complete a Week’s Worth of Work in One Day
Here are the reasons why you aren't getting as much stuff done as you want.
Yes, you...
- You're overwhelmed by all the new offers you see.
- You're switching between too many tasks every day.
- You're doing too much of the work yourself.
- Your to-do list keeps getting bigger (not shorter) and you can't prioritize.
- You procrastinate and can't seem to finish what you start.
- You're a perfectionist.
- You're unhappy.
Here's what you do to easily fix those problems...
- Choose one "computer free" day of the week, and one "email free" day (even when you're at the computer).
- Only focus on ONE project this week, such as launching a new product, finishing that sales letter, or creating that membership site content. Everything else can wait.
- Outsource just one thing. I recommend you dictate ten articles (2.5 minutes each) and send them out to get transcribed, that saves you one day of work.
- Throw away your whiteboard and only write down four daily tasks instead of having a long to-do list.
- Reward yourself with 30 minutes of TV, a bowl of ice cream, or the rest of the day off for finishing your project early.
- Be "perfectly complete" instead of "perfectly perfect." In other words, try to win the high score. If your goal was to write 10 articles and you wrote all 10 before your deadline, you scored a "perfect" 10 regardless of the quality of those articles.
- Use the extra money from internet marketing to go on a vacation, pay off your mortgage faster, spend time with your family, or send your kid to college. In other words, use the money to do something you enjoy.
Which of these seven things are you going to apply in your own life?
Filed in: Mindset • Productivity
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Woohoo! I’ve been doing a bunch of these. Spent all last week on launch stuff, exclusively. As in writing no blog posts even.
Outsourced a bunch of audio transcription.
Went hiking yesterday.
Just cleared out email completely today.
The system works if you work the system.
I agree with Dave, you have to work the system there are a lot of tools out there that you can use to focus and get things done, however a lot of people get easily distracted. I love Roberts idea of 1 computer free and email free day! I think that is going to help me a lot.
I’ve had one work-free day (including email) per week for years. It works! Instead of getting less done, you do in fact get more done.
Focusing works too. At the moment, I mostly run smaller follow up projects, and so I have Monday: write 5 tips for this page, set it up in an email, schedule it in Aweber. Tuesday next task and so on.
But at the moment, keeping my kitten off the keyboard seems to be a perpetual task 😉
I’ve been reading “The Four Hour Work Week” so your post really resonates right now. I’ve gotta say, Robert, that you sound just like my husband . . .LOL. He keeps telling me to just do ONE project. Unfortunately, with my website design business, I’m usually multi-tasking three, four or more projects and let the rest run around in my head for a bit . . .LOL.
I’ve taken up your challenge to do FOUR to do items for my business each day. It really has been helping me focus on what is important (the big rocks) to get done for the day. I’m also learning to keep items on my list to small bite sized chunks instead of elephant sized completed projects (i.e. finish writing sales letter for this website verses finish thiswebsite.com complete setup).
Your advice about taking a day off from email is absolutely important! In fact, I’ve been following the advice in “Four Hour Work” week and NOT checking email until lunch time each day. I’m amazed how productive my mornings have gotten now!! And I pick one day during the weekend NOT to check any email at all. It’s not the end of business if I don’t check email every day. I learned this lesson this summer when we went to Disney for 5 days with the grandparents. No wi-fi at all in our Disney timeshare. They did have dial up if I was desperate . . .LOL. I decided if there was an emergency, someone would call me . . . and I was on facebook through my phone.
Okay, too much commenting from me . . . Please keep your blog going. I enjoy your shared musings . . .
Hey Robert,
Out of the 7 “sins” you’ve listed down, I’ve committed 6! Gosh…
Now one thing I did right today was, I rewarded myself a 2 hour TV time! I haven’t been watching TV for a long long time. Like a few months? Couldn’t remember…
I like point number 6! It just opened up my mind, that’s an Ah-ha moment for me…
But yea, I’m starting for focus on 1 projects since the starting of month of June, but I was TOO FOCUSED (trying to perfect everything). Thanks for the reminder…
Well, all the best Robert! Thanks for the heads up…
Aiden
I remember reading a very influential book by Ricardo Semler (semco) from Brazil a few years back. The book “the 7 day weekend” talks about their experience in creating an upside down work-place environment where no one had desks, they weren’t required to attend any set times or days. The result was an environment where productivity soared and people actually enjoyed being at work – at home, in a cafe or in an office. Well worth the time. Sadly I suspect that the mentality in the UK/western world is not overtly suitable to this type of approach.
I find the white board is still helpful. I write the four things I want to accomplish for the day and check back every time I stray.
I am trying to work on one project at a time. But I have client work which doesn’t take a whole day. It must be done when it arrives. It does tend to come in on Wednesday or Thursday, so I make it one of my four things for the day. If it doesn’t happen by 3 pm, I add something else I can complete for the day.
Guilty of all 14 items listed above.
The day job keeps my time limited, but I’ll focus from the top of your 7 item “fix-up” list.
I’m nearly there on #1. I’ll use it for about 1 – 2 hours on my non-computer day. My urge to check email keeps me coming back. Conquering that will put me in a good position from being distracted.
So, I think going computer-free for a day, and email-free for a separate day would go a long way to helping me stay more productive.
Thanks for the goodies, Robert. Always top-notch!
I am applying the “4 tasks a day”. I limit my focus to only several things a day, and I will break them down into step-by-step flow chart. For example, write an article. I’ll break it down into “get keywords” –> “write title” –> “write article” –> “submit & SEO”. I found that it’s necessary to write down some small steps under each task that I will be doing each day so that I know exactly where to start on that day. I tend to forget thing easily. Lol. I find it useful to me. 🙂
Very informative. Keep up the good work and keep the blog up!
I am guilty of #4. I am always full of ideas and a lot of times these ideas keep me from focusing on the current project. Sometimes when i get an idea, i start doing the investigation whether this idea is gonna work or not right away neglecting whatever I was doing then.
You might advise me to just write down the idea on a piece of paper and carry on with whatever i am doing at that time, but unfortunately that doesn’t work, I have tried several times. What ends up happening is I will write it down and continue with my project but the excitement of the idea will keep nudging me until i go and investigate it.
I am sure, as a product creator, you also have experienced it. It comes with a rush of excitement and imagination of all the possibilities 🙂
Hi Robert, just got your email that you are thinking about shutting down your blog. Don’t! 🙂
You are one of the few blogs I read regularly. You offer practical advice and great tips. Keep up the good work!
This is my number 5 – a short break to check out some cool stuff (and make sure you don’t close your blog!)
It’s one of the best ones about.
So you’re thinking of closing your blog forever. What strategy could you be using now? Hmm.
And that was an ambiguous stipulation in your email: “…100 comments in the top post…”. Is this the top post, or will there be another post that becomes the top?
I have learned much good stuff from reading your blog posts. I’ve even copied and saved some of your advice that were step-by-step to results advice. If you take this down, I will miss the resource, but will have faith that I will always be able to find any information I need when I need it.
I’ll continue to watch and learn.
Hi Robert,
I’ve still never outsourced. Although it’s been more than a few years since college, I still remember the problems I had getting someone to do a good job at transcription. I write shorter articles now and edit them myself the following day. Actually, I don’t like depending on people. Even getting an email response is often difficult.
Too many hours in front of the computer create problems not just for yourself but your relationships. With rare exceptions, I now only participate in daytime webinars leaving my evenings free for time with my girlfriend. Also, we’ve designated one night each week as “date night”. We leave the apartment to do something- dinner, live music or just a treat of some kind. Making those distinctions makes living together more fun and less like just having a roommate of the opposite sex. If I need extra time on a project, I do it while she’s sleeping.
My goal is to have at least one computer free day during the week, one day during the weekend and at least one free weekend each month. I haven’t been successful at it yet but have come close.
BTW, I’ve found limiting the things on your list to just four a great productivity tool. I sometimes have to play catch-up on some of the things that have managed to slide though. Taking time on Sunday to plan the week helps too. I haven’t managed to schedule different things to set days of the week yet.
Cute. I like the redirect script thing.
Hi Robert,
You say in your email that if you do not get 100
comments by the end of july for your top post.
Thats it your not going to write it anymore!
Well its the first time i have taken a look
at your blog(well at least i think it is)
you know info overload etc.
It looks a really good blog with a lot of info
which could keep someone busy at their computer
for a long time(and not get around to doing the tasks
they should be doing)so all the more reason for
actually carrying some of your 7 tips to be more productive and focus on the tasks in hand.
I dont believe you wont continue with your blog
now you have come this far with it,seems like
that would be a great shame.
Im going to have a good browse around it(or should i be doing other tasks 😉 )
I will have a computer day free on sunday
Robert,
Great blog post — brief, powerful and practical! I am choosing your suggestion #4 – the four daily tasks. Jack Canfield recommends the “Rule of Five” — five significant tasks each day to take you toward your larger goals. Though I’ve tried, personally I’ve found that 3 or 4 seem to be more “accomplishable” (I know that’s not a word but it gets my message across.) So I will try Robert Plank’s Four Daily Tasks or the new “Rule of Four.”
Robert, I have been wondering why this whole generation seems to be all over the place, can’t buckle down, always thinking that they are missing something, that they are left out…
I found an interesting answer in a drug test where they tested spiders’ ability to spin their web when under the influence of different drugs, including seemingly harmless caffeine.
You don’t drink tea, and you don’t drink coffee: could that be one of your secrets of success?
Everybody: Look at the webs the spiders span… and rethink your coffeine habit… I have made a plan to ween myself off it… good luck to me… lol
http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm
Robert.
I simply can’t believe that you are resorting to the famous “I’m closing it down FOREVER” line. I’ve been in business for most of my adult life, and I’ve been very successful – beyond my wildest dreams, in fact. And I get to work at home, and checks come in the mail or my Paypal every day, I have recurring income, I make money while I sleep…(these are things that people in MLM companies try to entice me with…I have to smile). That being said, I decided last year to try my hand at some online marketing, more for the fun and challenge of it than anything else. I found a couple of trusted mentors and I buckled down and started learning. It has been a real joy and I’ve met so many great people (you and Lance included)not only in person, but online. I have found two very interesting and odd behaviors in the IM world. First, there’s the notion that no one is worth listening to unless he’s made his money online. My “day job” is looked upon as somehow “less than” because I didn’t make my millions with optin pages, blogs and article writing. Well, the money spends the same. The next thing I have found to be baffling is this thing of “I’m closing it down forever if you don’t (fill in the blank.) I’m trying to imagine what would happen in my “day job” if I wrote to all my customers and said, “I’m closing down my telephone lines, or my customer support center, or my monthly newsletter(or whatever) since you don’t use it as much as I thought you would, and you don’t write me back and let me know how much you like it. Now, there are other ways that I have determined how to best serve my customers (such as surveys or even personal phone calls)but the threat of taking something away forever just hasn’t entered my mind. Robert, I’m your customer, and I will continue to purchase your products as I learn more and more about this fascinating online business. In fact, I’ve got my next purchase already planned out, but I’m waiting until August because it fits into my schedule better. And then I’ve got my eye on something for September. I think you’re brilliant on many levels, but this “close it down forever” thing just sounds so petulant. You have so much to offer, Robert, and this surprises me.
Hi Robert,
Thanks for great products, many of which I have purchased and use.
This is my first comment. Keep up the blog.
Best wishes,
Raj
Good post Robert. I have to say that #6 is one of my issues. Instead of just getting it done, sometime I obsess over getting it perfect when it really never has to be perfect. There is always time to tweak something in the future but getting nothing done because its not perfect will cripple you. I have learned to get it done and then test it, tweak it, and test it again.
Anyway, good post.
Kevin Riley
Nooooo!
Don’t close this blog down Robert. We love you sooooo much!
On a serious note, we really love you and I know you are not closing this down, just making us fill that 100 comments can but it is a pleasure to watch your work.
Arun
Hey, Robert. Great post as always. I got your time management course and still need reinforcement at regular intervals.
But I’m here because I got your email. (You ol’ manipulator, you! I feel as if I’m clapping to save Tinkerbell.)
I do not believe that you would stop writing your blog if you got 99 comments, but hey, I do appreciate what you write. So there now. Don’t stop. I hope you’re happy.
Hi Robert,
I am using a number of your produts and I enjoy reading your blog. It would be sad if you chicken out of your blogging because of a few comments.
However, I am certain you will get the 100++ comments you are looking for – nice viral marketing 😉
Regards
Nur Sharina
What a productive place this would be if more people did this.
Risky … “unless I get 100 comments under the top post of my blog by the end of this month (July 2010) then I am closing it, forever”
Was almost tempted to say ‘bye’. Gotta be the worst motivational email I’ve ever read. But, I’ve bought your stuff, like your approach and like the blog, (I’m even commenting… jeez).
So, no doubt there’s something behind this. Maybe you’re just clearing your list or maybe you’ve been on the SBI forums too often and need your ego stroked. (Where’s that emoticon love heart when you need it?)
Time Management Issues, (organise or die under a pile of to-do lists), learnt that stuff as a COBOL programmer, long time ago.
That’s the problem with being self-employed full time, no one is there to tell you to stop working lol. You’re right Robert. I had to find out the hard way get the $%^& away from the computer, leave the email alone. I even take a day and hand deliver fliers to businesses. Thus getting some exercise and still promoting
Rick
Heh Heh, tricky. But I like it.
Great stuff Robert!
Thank you for the great info I am going to do this next week!
We saw – during the blog30-challenge – that outsourcing to get transcriptions can be a challenge when the person writing can’t spell… 😉
But good points indeed. Keep us inspired, and I am quite sure you WILL again get 100 comments.
Have a nice weekend. 🙂
Cutting down the lengthy (therefore ominous and/or foreboding) list to four items is a great idea.
We all know the feeling of looking at a long ‘to-do’ list and just blowing it off because it’s too much.
It really comes down to prioritizing your tasks. (Which ones make the cut down to four?)
It makes things much less stressful and it makes the list doable.
Good thoughts, all, Robert!
Jeanne, I see what you’re saying. On the other hand, Robert’s “closing down” / loss bit has gotten some of us to take action, even if that’s just to drop in and see what all the fuss is about. Robert shared some interesting findings about his list from the impact of blogging for 30 days. And perhaps an analysis of the responses to this post would reveal something equally useful.
I wish I could get my *site* set up in 1 day! So many sticking points… how to overwrite my OfficeLive homepage with another template I can use for a sales letter (the Home template has links to every page in your site, obviously, I don’t want that – I just want sales letter and link to e-junkie, period); how to set up an optin form on my OfficeLive site (Weebly has an html “object” you drag onto the page, and you just paste the optin code to it, but I don’t see anything similar on OfficeLive’s web builder yet); how to integrate e-junkie with MailChimp so I can get buyers to register their email addresses before being redirected to the download page; how to set up a download page on my OfficeLive site and upload the software to it (again, Weebly has a “file” object you just drag and drop to the page, and it opens a search box to find the file on your computer – again, I haven’t seen a similar feature on OfficeLive).
I admit it. I’m cheap – I want the free OfficeLive hosting, there I’ve admitted it. If I can’t figure it all out though, I guess I will use my old 1&1 account and relearn how to use Filezilla (ugh – I was hoping this would be easier than that!!).
The ice cream sounds nice.
I understand and fully get why you have this list, and shortening your list of to do’s to the most important activities for that day is a very good idea.
Maybe I’ll do that, too.
Thanks Robert!
I have gone from working on my Internet based business full time and getting zero results, to going back to work full time and getting more done. I am using many of your suggestions to get my work completed. When I make more in a month online, than I make in a year at my job, I’ll quit. With your guidance, it shouldn’t take me more than a year to get there!
Another great post. Do keep them coming. I don’t always comment but I do read them.
Guilty as charged!
I am going to start putting all 7 into practice immediately.
The Focus one is the biggest challenge. In this business we get bombarded with the latest, greatest new products or strategies, and it is so easy to get distracted.
But here goes! It starts now
Keep up the great blog
Nige
A great blog post by Robert Plank, as I have grown to expect! This is a great topic and a very important one too!
I have been doing your “4 a day” for months and months with great results and I teach it myself now.
A computer free day.. that is a tough one? I’ll have to sleep on that.
I commit to an email free day & a Twitter free day – Sunday.
I need to focus on one project at a time and see it through til the very end. I have several projects going on at one time and I feel very unproductive. I have been working on this bad habit for as long as I can remember. It really isn’t something to ‘work on’ it is a cut and dry decision!! Decided!!
Yes.. I acted on your email, but I would have came here if you didn’t say you’d close it down forever. That did seem like a silly ploy.. but I know it is working for you. I agree with Jeanne and know that you are better then that! Keep up the great work, your fans love you and we want your blog to remain in action!!
You are a brilliant marketer Robert. The 100 comments threat is definitely a bit controversial… and if controvery is your goal, that’s great. Nothing spurs blog comments more than controversy!
I think a different approach may have been just as effective though. It appears your blog commenting got watered down by the 30 day challenge. So instead of re-capturing your readers interest with a threat, you could take the time to write an article SO good that it compells them to comment… without being blackmailed into it 😉
Hi Robert,
I aggree with a few others about your comment on closing down! That is a bit over the top!
I am one that reads your blog, use a lot of your suggestions, have purchased many of your products, but I do not have the time to comment on every post.
I am extremely busy myself and have to limit my time for commenting and email. I am and have been in the process of creating 2 new membership sites. I cannot create my content like yours because of my niche. This just would not work for most of my market. I have to create videos off line where I am actually demonstrating how to go through the process of embroidery. This is not done on line.
I also do a lot of on-line software training for my students, very time consuming, but it is a must and brings in a great profit and then there is the travel time that I spend going to my customers to physically train them. None of these can be outsourced but again, they all bring in a very good profit for me.
I am sure that I am not the only person in this position. If you value customers like me, you will keep the blog going.
Very relevant post. I was just thinking about my business plan (or lack of it) and knew that something needs to change.
I have a list on my white board and instead of getting rid of the white board, I’ll just put 3-4 things on it and get those done before putting up the next group of tasks.
I am beginning to outsource tasks. I like fiverr.com for some of it. I’ve found a great writer and videographer.
Your site is helpful, so I’m sure many of us would not want to see you take it down.
All the best,
Theresa
Well, How do I start? No one I know can get people to comment on their blogs like you can Robert.
I do, however, agree with several others it seems to me you could have found a “nicer” way to get just as much action from your readers.
I will be looking forward to seeing what happens here.
Robert,
I’m always happy to get a days worth of work done in a day. That jsut seems like the right amount of work to fit into a “day.” In fact, when I get way too much done in one day, I almost always pay for it by burning out over the next few days. Scheduling is great, but a realistic scope is professional. Skip the IM hype it’s crap anyhow.
Todd
Super Robert! I really hope you don’t shut this blog down. I always gather nuggets of gold when I’m here, as many others do as well. (thank you!)
I’m going to implement #3.) dictating ten articles (2.5 minutes each) and sending them out to get transcribed, that saves you one day of work. (Where do you recommend having the audios transcribed?)
Anything to save time and still accomplish the work, I’m all for it.
I’m also going to implement #4.) Shorten my to do list. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you see your “To Do” list growing…
Thanks again.
Bob Molton (rock n roll)
@Sophie – Thanks for the Caffeine tip… I need to seriously consider weening myself from it as well:-)
Robert –
I can say with the utmost confidence that my WIFE will love the no computer/no email/no Droid day per week. Please, nobody better show her this blog posting!
As for the other ideas: as for the reasons why I am not productive enough…did you install a security camera at my house? How did you know?
And I LOVE the recommendations you listed!
Thanks,
Tim
Robert,
On point and great advice as always. A question for you though. How much time do you doing keyword research prior to finalizing article outlines? Are you Paying much attention to keywords in the article titles? Thanks. Outstanding info as always.
> Which of these seven things are you going to apply in your own life?
For me, giving up that I have to do everything by myself and ALSO have it be perfect is the big one, so I’m starting to outsource, and to make my to-do list a lot shorter, too. The world can just be patient! The rest of the items on your right-on list are also on my “learn this” list, starting now.
For an email and internet addict you’re asking a lot with that computer free and email free days. But, I never thought that simply making my bed when I got up would make a lick of difference when I first started producing Attraction In Action, but it does. Oh boy does it!
So I’m willing to give this a go. I know you are prolific and I’m already a high producer, so this ought to kick me right up into the stratosphere. Just don’t go deleting your blog! So not fair, but yes, it did get my attention.
I have to take Sunday off from the computer entirely. NO EMAIL, NO BLOGGING, NOTHING.
Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised on Monday morning when I see the numbers.. I can get people to read.. and comment.. just can’t get them to BUY..
I guess I need a new project!
Thanks for you advice and wisdom. I hope you never close your blog.. I think you’re training us again to always comment when you start making 3 posts a month again.
I ABSOLUTELY believe that you WILL close it if you don’t reach 100. I’ve not know you to EVER go back on what you say.
Therefore.. all other readers should PONY-UP and post a comment!
David.
Robert,
Thanks for sharing the great tips. Like so many things, its often the counter-intuitive approach (not being at your computer for a whole day each week) that allows you to get more done. It’s all about quality (non distracted) time versus lots of ineffective time. Getting away from the computer means when you come back you’re refreshed and training yourself that computer time = getting down to business and kicking ass time instead of ‘learning’ or ‘being busy’ which amounts to squat without real action.
I love the tips and am confident you’ll get the comments you need to keep the blog going. I enjoy your content, I still refer back to keep it shippable and I’ll probably refer to this one as well!
I love the work you do – but your follow up is non existent!!
I joined the membershipcube club last friday – I do not have access to the information, I see daily posts listed in the sidebar, but cannot get access to them… Not a very good advertisement to your dripfeed plugin in – if you can’t get access to the content that is being fed in!
I have now written over 10 emails to different accounts requesting HELP and access and have heard NOTHING back from you – What am I paying $47 per month for? Where is my DripFeed plugin that I signed up for??
Not much point in doing a weeks work in one day if you ignore all other aspects of your customer service.
I am writing a comment here in the hopes that you read and respond to your comments!
Lauren
I don’t believe you will not continue with your blog. Theatrical but come on. I don’t think anyone believed that.
I am focusing on one project until it’s complete – even if it takes longer than a week. If you’re working on half a dozen incomplete projects, you might as well be on vacation.
George,
Lots of people do believe it (including me) — if I didn’t get the required number of comments, I would have no choice but to either: keep promoting the blog post until I got 100 comments, or closed it down. Blogging isn’t everything.
I started to use the 4-item to-do list instead of my giant Toodledo list(which contains hundreds of items). Much better, less overwhelm.
I use Astrid on my Android Evo for the short task list. I still use Toodle-do, but only as a reminder service3; I never look at the list, but it emails me reminders that are date-specific like changing my air filters and due dates for various deadlines.
BTW: Your technique of using a redirect to solve a problem that the user just commented on? GENIUS! Inspired! Bravo!
This is some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten when it comes to “stress free productivity”.
I plan on implementing all the tips except #4, since I don’t use a whiteboard 😉 no actually all of them – I will through away my to-do LISTS and focus on 4 tasks etc.
Thank You Very Much.
Hi Robert,
I can see now that I have committed all of these seven deadly sins. Time to turn over a new leaf, get balanced and get more successful in my work day. The 3 areas I really need to work on are numbers 2,3 and 5.
Thanks for having the blog and my only question is– ‘REALLY, do you have to wonder if we read your blog?’ I can tell right now the number of people who are continuing their addiction to ‘Plank and Tamashiro’ because I recognize their gravitars. So even though we may be quiet, we are still here:-) Don’t give up on us so easily.
Hi, Robert! Your tips are always valuable, I always can learn the new stuff whenever I visit your blog. Don’t close down your blog!
Not sure I have much to add to this thread but I want to say that your tips are all important ones. Many days (because of the nature of my business) there are many more than 4 things that MUST get done — I don’t have the option to change that (as far as a daily thing.)
Yes of course I can plan for how to get my business aligned with your suggested ideas — and in some ways I’d benefit from that. It’s always a trade-off: what am I willing to release, in order to get there? That’s always the sticking point. Perhaps it is for others, too.
The single-minded approach is completely effective, and I use that on most of my projects. What I need to learn is how to focus on ONLY one project at a time. That is truly hard for me, because I get bored fast. Even the thought of finishing something so that I can get on the to next thing I want to do, really isn’t enough incentive.
I’ll be experimenting to see what will work to keep my focus on completing more projects instead of having multiple ones always on the burners 🙂
Ideas about that???
Nancy
@Lauren
I can’t answer for Robert but I can tell you what I did in the membership cube class ( I recently joined also) b
The first set of videos clearly explain how to download the drip plug in and how to redeem your copy of the membership wishlist software. Follow those videos and you will get the software and plug ins. I watched them, I did what hey told me to do, I have now have them installed on my blog.
As for the other content you can’t access, that is how the drip system works. You will be able to see the link but won’t be able to access the content inside that link until it is made available to you. I hope I understand your statement about not bring able to access content. Just focus on doing what he has made available to you and you will stay on track. In the long run you will be much better off b/c you stayed focused and made steady progress, instead of getting a bunch of info all at once and getting overwhelmed and frustrated. Hope this helps.
yeah, we still read it
Writing to say your comments are helpful for us starting up- enjoy, appreciate and would hate to see you go away.
Thanks
Hi Robert,
very good information as always, keep going with your blog !
Think I should apply ALL of the seven things you’re talking about ! 😀
Alexandra
Yes some good suggestions.
I don’t recall who it was or where I heard this. There was this wealthy guy that went to a room off his office every hour to do a short meditative visualization session to adress what he set to accomplish in the next hour. He would come back refreshed and focused and would usually accomplish what he imagined in his session.
Robert, I plan on implementing #2. It sounds like a means to keep me from scattering all over the place. Love your tips. Would hate to see you go.
I commit a lot of those crimes against time. I have been putting several of Robert’s techniques to work, and they are simply amazing. And for those who are ready, they work right now.
Another problem behavior that I see a lot of people doing, including me until recently, is believing and acting out “learned helplessness”, or what you could even call “learned loserhood”. Or “defeatism”. (“Why try to choose to succeed, it won’t work anyway, or something will go wrong.”)
It seems until you dissolve that, trying to do everything else will be like pushing on rubber – when you stop pushing it just springs back into its old shape. And nobody can push all the time. It’s even worse than driving with the emergency brake on.
Luckily, I found a way to dissolve that for myself. If you are struggling with this, I recommend the book “Mindsight”, by Daniel Siegel, especially the parts about “implicit memory”. And do the exercises. It takes a little work, but then you are free for life. Free to succeed.
I had never heard of “implicit memory” before, and I bet hardly anyone has. Which is a shame since it causes so much trouble. For example, it’s what is behind PTSD, among other things. It’s too much to go into here, but the book is good and the stuff works. Just as you would expect, coming out of scientific research.
Then you can dive into Robert’s incredibly powerful techniques and get a giant jump on the competition and succeed far more easily than you ever thought possible!
I think it is importan to highlight a couple things we can learn from what Robert is doing here. Many of you are replying with something like, “yes! We read the blog!”. H isn’t doing all of this to see if we read the blog. His google analytics tells him that. He is pushing the envelope and experimenting with ways to increase participation on the blog. Blogs can be a form of social media and google rewards those blogs that are more social. How do google gauge that, by the number of comments a blog receives. Search engine rankings isn’t just about links and content anymore. Once again, Robert is way out ahead of the competition leading by example and showing us ways we should encourage participation on your blog. You may not like the tactic he used, ie tellin us he would close the blog, but you have to recognize the strategy behind it, why he wants us to comment.
Look at the whole system he used. Most of us came to the blog from an email right? Are you sending emails to your list and giving them a reason to come back and comment? Robert has talked about this before in previous posts and I think many here are missing it.
In all fairness to Robert, he isn’t only concerned about higher rankings. Much of Joe his courses are set up are designed to get you involved, increase commitment and ultimately get you the result you want. Because he combines that model, with tactics that by us involved on his blog, google should reward him with higher rankings. We shoul take this as an opportunity to declare how we will use what we learned here and then go put it into practice. Remember to also look at not just he said in the post, but also at how he said it and how he got us to do something with it.
Thanks Robert. Great blog, excellent comments… And I still would like an answer to my previous question.
Well, if #5 – procrastination – is a problem, it’s only because #1-4 and #6 and 7 are a REAL problem. Unfortunately, this describes me to a tee, and I DEFINITELY need to become more productive. Thanks for these tips which are highly worthy of consideration.
I just pulled an all-nighter and cleaned up one of my bulging inboxes so I need to get a life … by making things easier. You can’t not do the important stuff. But I agree you can operate more efficiently. I’ve just outsourced my accounts to free up head space and time. I’ve tried the 4-a-day rule but there are days I don’t even have time to work out what 4 things to do first!
I’m implementing #7 – I’m out on a plane to an island in the Pacific for a few days … but I’ve loaded my iPhone with M3 audios and a plan to pump out a years worth of autoresponders for one of my products.
Yeah, I know. I’m one sad puppy. Fancy taking Robert and Lance on vacation!
ps don’t close this down or I’ll have to spend my holidays pillaging it for the gems before it disappears!
Not so fast buddy. You can’t just provide great value for years, get people hooked and then one day just up and fold up the blog tent!
That’s not how it works Mr. Plank.
(hehe, love it Robert)
Sometimes people just don’t appreciate what they have until it’s gone.
When I saw the subject line in the email, I thought it was going to be you were moving it to another domain,
opening up a new blog instead and making the comments closed, or some other type of “gimmick”.
It’s refreshing to see you really DO mean business!
I thought there would be like 200 comments on this thing with people threatening to throw their pets out the window if you closed it, but there’s still a healthy number!
Great tips!
I’m just glad I didn’t follow the one about checking email this evening or I would have missed yours!
Cool!
This only took 20 seconds to talk into the mic and a whole comment is born!
(Really like this one)
Be good champ
I don’t really get your line “I’m closing down this blog”.
What??? Of course you won’t any time soon.
I hope you will explain. You don’t need gimmicks to persuade people to comment. All the best.
Kevin,
I have seriously come very very close to closing the blog over the last couple years, you can believe it or not, but it’s true.
Hi Robert,
I’ve enjoyed some of your products and hope you’ll keep your site active.
I’m currently reading “Getting Things Done” and will experiment with some of the items you suggest.
As Internet marketers, we experiment and try different marketing tactics, we need to try different time management techniques to improve our use of time.
Keep up the good work.
SearchEnginePro
haha I read your email while I was unsubscribing to a bunch of “me too” IM promoters. You are definitely not a me too guy! Interested in seeing what you are up to.
Hi Robert,
choosing the sunday to be my internet-free day will be my decision. Unfortunately I have to go to job on some sundays (and yes, I have to use the internet there), but I think I can handle that.
So, done my part for saving RobertPlank.com 🙂
Best regards
Joachim
Don’t make us have to send Guido (Italian, dark pin-striped suit, violin case) to make you see the error of your ways. Much better, and healthier for you, to keep posting your outstanding comments, suggestions, ideas, etc and allowing readers the opportunity to do business with you.
Tom
Ps. no offense meant to Italians!
@65 … you talked into the mic and a coment was born??? That one slipped me by. What tool do you use to post audio as text comments? I thought RP had me intrigued but now you’ve got me going!
Hey RP – do they need to be unique posts to hit 100 🙂
1-6 there is a lot to learn. I hope you keep up your blog.
Awesome tips, Robert, as always. I hope you keep the site up. I learn a lot from you. I wouldn’t have learned about your excellent “make a product” course if I hadn’t seen your blog first. That course led me to post my first Ezine article that same day!
You inspire me.
🙂
Evelyn
Hey there Robert,
I am going to be doing #2. I am getting a bunch of articles, reports, newsletter and auto responder messages written and edited for a new campaign. I hope to be done by the end of July.
Not to mention more “kicked up” blog posts.
When do you plan on doing some guest blogging?
Love to have ya on my blog…
William,
If you can keep getting the number of comments as you got on that latest blog post, then we’ll see.
Guilty of all 7!
I do have solution 5 down!
Although too well, I wonder if an NCIS rerun is on?
Redirect thing? What redirect thing?
Tim,
Action Comments will allow you to redirect someone to a squeeze page or sales letter after they’ve left you a comment. You can set it for the whole blog, or change per-category or per-post.
You are right on target with your advice. I often find myself frustrated and lacking in performance on the important aspects of my business. Unfortunately, the cause is often attention to minutiae.
Thanks for your suggestions on getting and staying focused. Minding the 20 percent that brings 80 percent of the results is critical to success.
Ok, I’ll admit. I only read your blog when your email prompts me to come and take a look. One of the reasons I’m overwhelmed all the time is that blog posts and email both suck my time. I loved the tips you gave in your post. In fact I’ve had two days this week where I did not read my email until evening after my productive work was complete.
So, don’t take down the blog, Robert. Plenty of people read it and benefit from it.
I’ve decided that I’m going to focus on just one project at a time so I can get it done faster. Then the next project. Then the next. That way each is done and I get the completion more quickly.
Robert,
The fix for #4 is my favorite. I used to keep a running list of stuff to do on a white board and then I did just what you’re advising. Well, I didn’t exactly throw it out but I gave it to my kids to draw on. I’ve got one daughter that’s an amazing artist.
I have found that long to-do lists just feel intimidating and cumbersome and they make me tired just looking at them. 🙂
Blog On and On!
Melanie
Hi Robert.
My resolution is to focus on one project at a time. I have tried to a bit of this and a bit of that and it simply does not work. It leads to more frustration and stress. So a big thanks for this post it was very helpful and useful. Much appreciated. KEEP POSTING PLEASE!
Thanks Robert. Here’s my contribution to the 100 comments you want to keep the site live.
The BP oil disaster is bad enough and I didn’t think the world could handle another catastrophe at this stage. Keep the site alive! 🙂
Hi Robert,
Looks like I’m guilty of all 7!
Great post. Provides a lot of insight.
I’m going to print out this post and
put it by my computer as a daily reminder.
Avoiding these pitfalls will help me focus
on my projects and not get distracted.
Thanks,
Tom Robertson
I resonate with all the sins above. The overwhelm syndrome is definitely alive and well with me.
I will give the 4 tasks a day my attention and see how it works for me.
take care,
Joe
Normally I don’t respond to this type of threats. But I do enjoy your emails. Thats the only reason I replied.
Thanks for the tips, and hopefully your site is still live
Robert,
I’ll bet there are a lot of your blog readers like me.
We don’t often post but would miss you help/blog tremendously.
Robert –
You’re the man. I joined your http://www.improductivitysecrets.com because I knew I had (have) problems with productivity. I like your marketing stuff but I really look to you for the time management expertise.
Of your list, I’m going to focus on just one project at time until its done and shoot for weekly product launches.
One thing that has really helped my productivity — and doubled my income — is I moved out of my home office. Now I have an office a short distance away but still it’s not so easy to drop in on Daddy or receive an addition to the “honey-do” list.
In any event, keep up the good work and for heaven’s sake keep the blog open for business.
Thanks for all your wisdom,
Daniel Hall
Robert,
You have a lot of valuable knowledge and insights to share. I think it would be wrong to become too dependent on other people’s support and approval in doing so. Sometimes it takes years to get through to people. There would be no progress in any field if mass support was a precondition.
Want to do my part toward the hundred comments! Please DO keep the site active!
I do like the idea of a day free of the computer. I feel like I’m starting to panic with the idea of school starting soon (I’m a teacher), so I hadn’t planned to take any days off. But perhaps I will. Thanks!
Great tips and advice I could actually use! thanks for posting, great website I’ll be revisiting often.
I have learned SOOO much from you, and I have applied it with great success. The 4 things to do a day, computer free day and email free day work wonders. It is amazing how we get sucked into the IT world.
My next thing to try and get better at is focusing on one project at a time, until it’s done. It will be a first. I am planning starting with the little things. I seem to multi-task with the most random things.
Thanks again for a unique post.
Please keep writing.
Andreea
I am glad to see I am the 98 poster, seems your blog is saved.
Thanks for the advice I really will follow it, but don’t publish articles on someone else site!
David Norden
Thanks for the tips.I know that I allways overload myself on trying to get things done.I will try to follow your tips.
I can’t resist to be the last commenter on this post.
I have been using all your principles, about 80% (lol) of the time… and my results prove that you are right.
Thank you so much
You have a useful bit of info….Thanks!
Having this…I march onward.
1.Nearing 100 Gigs of info.???!!!…on my hard drive (just marketing stuff!!) …â€Get Organized‗Oooohh!!
2.Nail down a niche & get-on with it.
3.Lots of TOOLS (CHOOSE-&-â€USEâ€)
4.Have lots of “how-to’s & Step-by-Steps (pick 1 & use it!!)
5.Back-off & Recognize the Accomplishment…Ehaa!!…enjoy, re-energize, …move-on.
6.“There is No Perfect – in life, or nature…all things have usefulness, function, & there own special beautyâ€.
7.Direction focused accomplishment = fulfillment….
Have a fantastic day!
I am applying the idea of only 4 things on my to do list although most of the other points apply too. I am learning and applying lot of time management tips from
Time Management on Crack. I love this approach – Thank you. You are helping me to use my time much more effectively.
Great ideas here, Robert. My computer and email free day is Saturday, and that works well for me. I gave up being a perfectionist when I came online. That has proved to be the best thing I could have done. Keep on blogging – the blogosphere would not be the same without you.
Connie
Very interesting ploy you have utilised here Robert.
You seem to always be on the prowl for new and exciting ways to maintain a continuity of interest in you, your blog and your innovative ideas….
Juan
This was a fantastic post. really helped me to stop being distracted.
Thanks for giving such value
Steve Reh
Plank, you are a strange lad with a scary smart brain. 😎
What I like best about you (and I don’t like very many people I’m told) is that you have a great instinct for shelling out the unvarnished truth about online marketing – and about getting things done.
And, you don’t wear us out with “I’m telling you the truth.”
The Internet marketing world has some seriously cesspoolian life forms in it – forcing even the the most straightforward people to have to at least operate in that noise. You seem to operate alongside the horsey stuff and do your own thing. Good for you.
You and Lance do about the best job I’ve seen of keeping things real – and yet injecting a healthy dose of THIS IS FUN back in the biz.
Thanks – you’ve had an impact on me – and it’s made me money, too.
Most sincerely,
Rick Butts
Well Robert, you have shared yourself with us to help us be better at what we are trying to do in the internet marketing arena.
To some that would satisfy. It appears that you want more than what you offered to us. I believe it will come to you.
You are a great example of how much you can achieve if you put your mind to it.
This is my second comment on this blog post.. but you’ve already reached 100 so I think that’s in the spirit of this exercise.
I’m doing a similar thing by letting people know that I have another blog post ready to go… but I’m waiting for 10 comments on my prior blog post.
All the great things I’ve learned about internet marketing have come from you. Thanks for making great products and giving us newbies advice.
(I’ll consider myself a newbie until I’m making $500/month income from internet marketing)
Thanks,
David
Robert… and Lance. I signed up for your Member Sites program and am heavily into it. I have been IMing for only a few months now, have learned a great deal, have a number of sites up, but this program is awesome and is moving me into a new level of IM which I have been wanting to get into but didn’t know where to start. Thanks. I hope you end up keeping your blog open. CK
“#4 Throw away your whiteboard and only write down four daily tasks instead of having a long to-do list.”
Isn’t the hard part of this instruction deciding just how complex the tasks on the list should be? How complex and consuming can a task get before it should be broken down into multiple items? Do you have a rule of thumb for this?
Dave,
You’re making it way too complicated.
You have 4 tasks. No sub-tasks or sub-sub-tasks. I guarantee that if you keep up this pace of 4 things a day for a few weeks, then in the long run, you’ll get more accomplished than the way you’re doing it, overcomplicating and getting 10 things done in a day then taking a week off.
Three Rules to Success:
Rule #1: Assume Nothing
Rule #2: Trust,…but verify.
Rule #3: Due your due diligence
MR. plank you are the internet practical guy. I like the way you erase the (BS) and and leave every thing east to under stand,your layouts,your step by step plans, I can work with you, you keep everything “practical”. keep success alive walter watson.
Most of these I’m pretty good at… but for some reason I still like to switch task a lot. I guess I have to work on finishing 1 project before starting another.
Thanks for the butt kicking reminder Robert. Glad you got more than 100 comments so you will keep posting your rants that we need to hear.
I need to “focus” on applying number 2 and number 6.
Right now working on pet audios. Getting 3 done this week.
Thanks for the kick!
Thanks Robert! Awesome post and couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Obviously I want to implement all 7 steps – but the biggest one I’m going to focus on is a day away from the computer – and then I’d like to take that a step further – a day away from my house. I’m a mother of 4 and work from home and have found that just be walking out the door and getting away from the day to day my brain clears, motivation increases, solid ideas and action steps become easier to put together. So I think if I can add this – allow myself this day – without feeling guilty etc. – and can come back to the computer days with next steps and a plan to then use with the other steps it will make a huge difference on my day and business. The other thing I’m going to take this exact post to my family tonight — and we are going to repurpose it from businsess to their life and the outstanding projects we have left from our recent move to Omaha – I think if my husband and each of the 4 kids can grasp these steps – modified for the new topic/tasks we need to accomplish to get unpacked, organized and find some routine in the family it will be much more doable for them.
Re: dictate ten articles:
Now there’s a golden nugget of information I never considered. In my current setup I create titles for my articles and having the writing of them outsourced. This way I don’t worry about anything…
Your option is worth considering if you’re bootstrapped. You can pay less for expertise (anyone can transcribe provided you’re audible) and you have more control over the articles…
Then again, as long as money isn’t coming in any slower than it was yesterday, delegating as much as possible is best.
Daniel,
Yep, control is the #1 reason I do it that way. Even when I pay full price for articles to be made from scratch, they suck, they’re not general enough or they contradict what I want to say.