Mastering Preparation and Productivity

This chapter examines the preparation strategies of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and his coach, focusing on routines and mental conditioning for high-pressure situations. It emphasizes proactive problem-solving in personal and professional relationships, while introducing effective systems to enhance productivity and decision-making. The discussion further explores methods for organizing tasks and establishing clear definitions of completion to foster efficiency and alleviate cognitive overload.

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Greg McKeown is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less and Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters Most. 200,000 people receive his weekly 1-Minute Wednesday newsletter, and he recently released The Essentialism Planner: A 90-Day Guide to Accomplishing More by Doing Less.

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Timestamps:

[00:00] Who is Greg McKeown?

[05:12] Handling destabilizing events and personal turmoil.

[10:47] Writing as therapy and “screaming onto the page.”

[13:35] Using Morning Pages and AI tools for personal reflection.

[17:52] Carl Rogers and the power of deep listening.

[20:33] Reviewing the core concepts of Essentialism and Effortless.

[24:54] Temporal landmarks and the fresh start effect.

[29:25] Personal quarterly offsites and the importance of direction over speed.

[31:13] The three essential questions for quarterly reviews.

[34:16] Making essential tasks effortless — practical examples and strategies.

[37:03] The law of inverse prioritization — why important things don’t get done.