Too busy to read?

Estimate how long you'd normally put aside for an obligation of this type, then give yourself a hard deadline that drastically reduces this time.

The research says that if you have chores to do, put similar chores together. If you've collected a bunch of bills to pay, just pay the bills--don't use that time to make big decisions about whether to move to a smaller house or buy a new car. If you've set aside time to clean the house, don't also use that time to repair your front steps or reorganize your closet. Stay focused and maintain a single attentional set through to completion of a job. Organizing our mental resources efficiently means providing slots in our schedules where we can maintain an attentional set for an extended period. This allows us to get more done and finish up with more energy.

The one thing I have learned is that you can't think your way through life. The only way to figure out what to do is to do--something.

Following Mark Twain, Jake called it eating the frog: Do the most unpleasant task first thing in the morning when gumption is highest, because willpower depletes as the day moves on.

Remember, ideas alone won't bring success. Ideas have value only when you act upon them.

Now write down the very next physical action required to move the situation forward. If you had nothing else to do in your life but get closure on this, what visible action would you take right now? Would you call or text someone? Write an e-mail? Take pen

explore, eliminate, execute

The owner of an idea is not he who imagines it, but he who executes it.

Whenever you can, swap "Let's think about it" for "Let's decide on it." Commit to making decisions. Don't wait for the perfect solution. Decide and move forward.

Japanese proverb, "Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare."

And it can finally translate itself into daily activities so that you are proactive, you are in charge of your life, you are making happen each day the things that will enable you to fulfill your personal mission statement.

As I've said so many times, knowing what to do is not enough: you must do what you know.

The perfect is the enemy of the good.

Essentialists systematically explore and evaluate a broad set of options before committing to any. Because they will commit and "go big" on one or two ideas or activities, they deliberately explore more options at first to ensure that they pick the right one later.

"Done is better than perfect." I have tried to embrace this motto and let go of unattainable standards. Aiming for perfection causes frustration at best and paralysis at worst.

"Execution is strategy--it's all about the people and the doing, not the talking and the theory.

To me, ideas are worth nothing unless they are executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions. Explanation: Awful idea = -1 Weak idea = 1 So-so idea = 5 Good idea = 10 Great idea = 15 Brilliant idea = 20 No execution = $1 Weak execution = $1,000 So-so execution = $10,000 Good execution = $100,000 Great execution = $1,000,000 Brilliant execution = $10,000,000 To make a business, you need to multiply the two components.

to think and to do are always different things.