(Breather) Writer Michael Simmons breaks everything down everything for us in this fantastic Medium.com article so we can incorporate the most useful and effective tips that will help us be more like Buffett. Enjoy this 13-step process to help you become more focused, strategic, and prioritized in investing and in life.

The first step is determining your true values and goals, otherwise, you’ll find yourself wondering, “Why do my goals leave me feeling so empty?” Well, here’s the thing: you need to reflect on where your values come from: are they truly your own, or are they the result of the culture and environment you grew up in? From your peers to your parents to the consumerist agenda permeating modern society, who knows how deeply ingrained certain ideas are into your mind, without you even realizing it?!

It’s also crucial to make to-do lists and prioritize; go for the big rocks first a la Steven Covey and get good at it through repetition; identify your very top priority, do it first, and measure results carefully; filter out unnecessary stuff by getting better at saying “no;” and get expert coaching and accountability partners. Check in with yourself and your habits, and determine if you are guilty of “Procrasticlearing” - a term coined by Gretchen Rubin - as a way to avoid doing the necessary tasks on your to-do list. This is something so many people are guilty of, and it’s understandable: you’ve got a ton of tasks to tick off on the list, with no idea where to start. The pressure starts to mount, and it gets overwhelming. “I know,” you think to yourself. “I’ll organize all my utensils! Or my sock drawer! No, wait - I’ll wrap up all my holiday gifts, or clear out my computer…Then I’ll feel accomplished, like I really did something.” Wrong! That’s not the road to take, especially when you’re getting anxious about the things that you really need to just get done. Just focus on what you need to do, and do it.

Also, something that I don’t think a lot of people realize is that you need to make time for organizing your priorities. We’re so used to having calendars and reminders and all kinds of apps and tools on our devices, but what about investing in a plain old fashioned calendar? Yes, I’m talking about a literal calendar, one that allows you to physically block out your time and see how you’re balancing your priorities throughout the day and week. And if a physical calendar is not your thing, give Evernote a try, if you haven’t already. Evernote has been by far my favorite way to effectively organize all my thoughts, notes, schedule, to-do list, etc. Having a combination of a calendar, to-do list and notebook on a digital platform really helps me stay focused and clear, because it’s something I can update and have access to anywhere, which helps me keep myself accountable.

Another important thing to note that Simmons says is that, “Prioritizing is a skill” and that every time you see all your priorities, it’s an opportunity to get better at prioritizing. Once you start to incorporate prioritizing into your daily habits, you’ll see that you get better and better at it the more you do it. A great example of truly incorporating prioritizing into your daily life is to, “Do your priority first,” something I’ve adopted from my friend Andre Obradovic. In the mornings, straight after my cold plunge and stretching routine, I went straight into a few hours of super-focused work (book writing) before even daring to check my emails and messages. Once I did the one priority I knew I needed to get done, I would email him to confirm that I did this, and then I would go on with my day. This kind of discipline is really integral to accomplishing things, and sometimes you simply can’t do it alone - having someone who holds you accountable just makes it a lot easier for you to actually follow through. Commit to doing that one thing first, because if you push it off for later in the day, you’ll often find that you just keep pushing it to tomorrow, day after day.

Another thing that will help you stay focused and disciplined is by making an “Avoid At All Costs” list. These are the things you know that you can’t do without getting distracted, frustrated, or losing a big chunk of time out of your day. It takes a lot of energy and self-restraint to not do the things on this list, but the thing is, when you’re not deliberate in your actions, you’re likely to fall into old habits and lose time. Eliminate potential distractions before they can happen, so you’re not forced to confront them - this is why saying “No” is such a great skill to cultivate. We all have situations in life that we need to start saying no to, but you shouldn’t wait for the stress of battling those situations to drain you, simply remove them. Essentially: take the problem out of the equation for yourself.

At the end of the day, we’re all guilty of putting off the most important item on our to-do lists. Why? Simmons, the author of the article, says he’s guilty of this because, “I often resist the thing that is most important, because it requires me to confront my fears and self-sabotaging beliefs. Therefore, I always operate more effectively when I share my priorities with others, every day, and every week. Accountability forces me to be brutally honest with myself...it helps me put my foot on the accelerator.”

To sum it up:

Determine your true values.
Determine your true goals.
Set aside time for prioritization: daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.
Make a list of everything you have to do.
Get your to-do list out of your head, and physically put it onto paper.
Practice the 80/20 rule in all areas of your life.
Identify your single most important priority, and do that thing first, every day.
Message your accountability partner to confirm you did it.
Collect and measure metrics primarily on that “one thing.”
Put (mostly) everything else on your “Avoid At All Costs” list.
Prepare for, and envision what will happen if you get distracted by things on the “Avoid” list. This will help illuminate just how difficult and energy-consuming it is to stay away from distracting stuff.
Practice saying “No.”
Get both accountability and coaching.

TIMESTAMPS:

Brad presents a 13-step process to get inspiration. Numbers 1 and 2 are: determine your true values and goals. [03:43]

Set aside time for prioritizing. [06:54]

Make a list of everything that you have to do. Getting it out of your head and onto paper is cathartic. [09:46]

Do your top priorities first. [10:24]

If you leave your one thing for later in the day, it probably won't get done that day. [14:23]

Measure the metrics of the items on your list. [15:13]

Put everything else on your avoid at all costs list. [18:04]

Practice saying “no.” [19:52]

Get both accountability and coaching. [20:43]

Brad summarizes these steps from the article. [22:52]

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The Path of Spiritual Surrender: Part 2 (2017-07-24)