Category: Writing

How do I: Do More That Matters

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You have more demands, distractions, and responsibilities on your time than ever before. So how do you actually do more without burning out, spinning your wheels, or wasting time on things that don’t matter?

This isn’t about working longer hours or grinding yourself into the ground. It’s about working smarter, optimizing your efforts for better outcomes, and executing with intention. This is about removing what doesn’t work, automating what can be systemized, and doubling down on the actions that drive results.

Below is a no-nonsense list of habits, principles, and strategies that I have used to maximize effectiveness, impact, and productivity. Pick what works for you, implement, iterate, and keep moving forward.

  1. Be Prepared. We live in a world full of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA). Be ready.
  2. Be Resilient and Adaptable. Principles and core values matter.
  3. Be Persistent. Follow up.
  4. Be Vigilant. Pay attention to what matters. Notice changes. Stay ahead.
  5. Stay Consistent. Build habits, routines, and scalable systems.
  6. Always Be Capturing (ABC). Your memory is unreliable. Document everything by default.
  7. Eliminate. Simplify. Automate. Delegate. Prioritize. Execute. Repeat.
  8. Test Your Systems. Have backups. What works today may break tomorrow. Regularly stress-test your processes, tools, and teams.
  9. Learn to Discern. Not everything deserves your time or attention.
  10. Take Action. Complaining, comparing, and worrying solve nothing. Action eliminates fear and anxiety.
  11. Ask Better Questions. Assumptions are expensive. Better questions get better answers.
  12. Negotiate Everything. Every deal, decision, and opportunity has options, both on and off the table.
  13. Choose, Then Move. When faced with a fork in the road, pick a direction or forge a new path. Avoid analysis paralysis and indecision.
  14. Guard Your Energy, Time, and Money. Use them wisely. Audit each regularly.
  15. Schedule Everything. Don’t make to-do lists. Put tasks directly on your calendar. Assign time blocks to everything. When necessary, move or repeat this time block periodically.
  16. Batch Similar Tasks. Group repetitive work to maintain flow and efficiency. Tasks are opportunities for efficiency and optimization.
  17. Exercise Patience (Strategically). If waiting isn’t worth it, eliminate the task or skip the wait entirely.
  18. Use Constraints to Your Advantage. Constraints force creativity and efficiency.
  19. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone. Growth requires discomfort. Seek controlled challenges.
  20. Be Adaptable Like Bamboo. Stay flexible but strong in any situation.
  21. Be Accountable. Hold people accountable to what they commit to as you do.
  22. Push forward to decisions. It is either a yes or no, not maybe. Remove those gray areas and make them crystal clear.
  23. Speed is a Competitive Advantage. Don’t wait for permission nor consensus. Start. Play the long game too.
  24. Design Your Environment for Success. Your habits are shaped by your surroundings. Optimize your workspace, digital tools, and daily routines for peak performance.
  25. Perfection is a Myth. “Perfect is the enemy of done.” Stop using perfection as a delay tactic or excuse not to ship it.
  26. Follow Through Relentlessly. Execution matters more than ideas.
  27. Hydrate. You’re mostly water. Keep it that way. You will think clearly too.
  28. Eat for Nutrition, Not Stress. Food is fuel, not therapy.
  29. Move Daily. Walk. Stretch. Exercise. Your body and mind depend on it.
  30. Sleep 6 to 8 Hours. Rest is non-negotiable. Schedule sleep like any other priority.
  31. Set a Morning and Evening Routine.
  32. Get Sunlight Every Day. Natural light regulates energy and focus.
  33. Use all your senses. Don’t overburden one.
  34. “Lead, follow or get out of the way.” Pick one based on the situation.
  35. “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Choose your circle wisely.
  36. Contribute to Communities. Seek groups that challenge and support growth. Help those who want to help the group.
  37. Be Present. Add Value. If you’re not contributing, earning, or learning, ask why you’re there.
  38. Time is Non-Refundable. Use it wisely or regret it later.
  39. When in Doubt, Start. Don’t wait for permission or others to join you. Begin, iterate, and adjust as needed. You won’t be 100% ready, and that is okay.
  40. Delegate to AI first. If an AI can do something faster, cheaper, and better than a person, let it. Monitor, refine, iterate, and focus on what only you should do. If an AI can’t do it, delegate it to other people who can.
  41. Be Mistaken for a Machine. Consistency is a compliment, but automate whenever possible to free yourself for higher-value work.
  42. Define Success Clearly. Set measurable goals. Vague ambitions lead to vague results.
  43. People consume content in different ways. Some like to listen. Some like to read. Some like to watch. Some like a combination of content in different formats. Feed your audience value.
  44. Teach to Learn. Explaining something to others forces clarity, getting the basics right, and deeper understanding. If you can’t teach it, you don’t truly know it.
  45. Write to Think Clearly. Make it a daily habit.
  46. Find the gaps. Change perspectives. Try inversion. Seize the opportunity.
  47. Do the Boring Stuff. Success isn’t just about big wins, it’s about showing up and executing daily, even on the unglamorous tasks that move the needle. Do the work no one else wants to do.
  48. Master Asynchronous Communication. Meetings are often a waste of time. Use async tools (email, project management software, video recording, podcasting) to minimize unnecessary back-and-forth.
  49. Be Your Own Case Study. Test strategies, track results, measure differences, and refine based on real-world data. Become the proof of what works.
  50. Ask “Why?” and “What Else?” Regularly. Curiosity drives better decisions. Remain curious and inquisitive.

If you implement even a handful of these principles, you can execute at a higher level, avoid burnout, and get more done in less time. Stop waiting for a sign. Keep taking action on what matters. Day 1 starts today.

Questions?

Why I stopped: writing my next book

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I podcast and write about niche topics which I unpack into essential elements to more easily understand them. Sometimes, my books are about what I do professionally as a consultant to solve problems. Occasionally, a book topic reveals an upcoming market before it becomes popular, like Gen AI (in 2022) or Blockchain (in 2017). Sometimes, a book topic reveals M&A activity (in 2017).

I was going to publish my next book by Spring of 2024. And then I stopped.

Why did I stop? The short answer is the topic was not niche enough.

The topic was meaningful and valuable, but better already existed on the topic.

The topic has to be poorly understood by most people so I can provide clear insights and understanding in the form of a book.

The general topic already had 50,000 published books and counting. That is way too popular.

Even though there were plenty of original thoughts on this topic, I don’t do “me too” books.

The topic in question was getting more people to mentor. It will likely be separate blog posts instead of a book.

A popular topic is not good enough for me or my audience.

Process for selecting book topics (corrected)

First, I find a topic that piques my curiosity. These are all non-fiction.

Then, I collect resources: audio, video, text, graphics, and photos. Scholarly, opinionated, or not. I also find both clear and obscure data.

Then I research it. Thoroughly. Sometimes for months.

Then, I talk to the best people in the world about the topic I can find who are willing to speak openly. At the same time, I validate there is an audience for this podcast and book. I often record podcast interviews with those people.

Then, I transcribe those interviews. And some don’t get released.

Did all that. Learned a lot. Repeatedly.

Once I find too little out there about a topic and a group of people in the world are quietly working on that topic, only then do I start writing.

My mistake was I thought I had spotted a niche topic because getting people to mentor is more challenging to see happening today, but it still exists and is not new. Nor is mentoring virtually.

So, I am starting over. Researching my next book topic.

It will take more time. Precisely 10% of my time per week is dedicated to researching everything that piques my curiosity as part of life and learning. Eventually, a niche topic will be worth creating a book.

So, I am just getting started. Again.

How do other authors struggle with writing?

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There is an assumption that published authors have an easy time writing books. Not true.

Writers do need to write though.

They may systemize parts of the series of books they write. They may have techniques to keep them writing. They may use assistants to help organize or assist them virtually.

Writing is hard because almost no writers will ever write once and publish exactly what they wrote.

Editing and rewriting can seemingly take forever.

Here are a few known writers who wrote about the struggle of writing and how to overcome these struggles:

How do I: Start a mastermind group

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After reading Eric Moeller‘s book Levelling Up: The Complete Guide to Starting a Mastermind Group, I started several virtual masterminds:

Writers’ Mastermind Group

A group of writers who all have the common goal of completing their own book project and self-publishing it before Thanksgiving.

I had the idea of having a group of writers who want to complete a book and then pushed them forward (including myself as a peer) with:

  • Creating a daily habit of writing – a manageable 30 minutes every day
  • Holding weekly accountability sessions online for peer accountability and peer support over the summer. This changed to meeting twice a month in the Fall due to other meetings for the same group.
  • Setting realistic goals for each of us (example: write 1 page per day) and declare them
  • Share online resources for design, editing, layout, self-publishing, and other helpful tips to accomplish the ultimate mastermind group goals

Started with an online survey in June to have writers opt-in with qualifying questions.

Two weeks later, I followed up with a scheduled Q&A session via group Zoom call for those already committed and anyone on the fence. Locked in the group that night and we got started. No more procrastination.

We wrote during July, August, and September. Then we had the books edited in October. Pushed for cover designs, formatting, layout, and marketing.

Pushed to finish their book projects and ready to publish in late November.

Podcasting Mastermind Group

During the summer, I also started a mastermind for podcasting with a few podcasters.

Want to join a Mastermind Group? 

Schedule a complimentary call to discuss if it is right for you and get your questions answered today

 

How do I: deal with writer’s block

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Disclosure: Links to other sites may be affiliate links that generate us a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Someone asked me recently how do I deal with writer’s block and what is the opposite of it.

Hypergraphia is the opposite of writer’s block.

As a writer, you probably don’t want writer’s block nor hypergraphia. Something in between works well. 

Some writers claim there is no such thing as writer’s block, just as much as no one suffers from speaker’s block (let us assume this is not public speaking which many people are afraid of).

There is a lot of reasons why writers find it hard to write sometimes. Author Steven Pressfield wrote about these challenges, excuses, remedies, and struggles in The War of Art. Note this is not by Sun Tzu who wrote The Art of War, but that is a good read as well.

Besides focus, the structure is often one of those missing elements that may be a common blocker in the writing process. The structure can be used as building blocks for your project and help guide you to what still needs work. Without a structure, it is like creating a building with no plans and no timeline which would not work out well for any existing budget nor sanity. That structure may include an outline that becomes a table of contents. That structure can be fluid (like water) as contents expand and flexible (like bamboo) as it grows more mature and hopefully clear to what it’s for and who’s it for. You can use a mindmap to link ideas together. You can use timelines with multiple swimlanes to figure out time frames for events with each character. These tools will help you fill gaps in your book project.

Don’t waste your time. Schedule your writing time daily. Make your book project a daily habit for as little as 30 minutes a day when you have available time, energy, and ideas flowing.

Take that massive book project which is likely a big hairy audacious goal (BHAG) and break that structure down into finite timely achievable goals (FTAGs). Each goal is a series of doable steps.

Perfect is not an achievable goal, so move on from the myth of perfect and just ship it.

How do you deal with writer’s block?

For help with your own book project, schedule consulting time online with Henrik de Gyor today