I Do. I Did.

“There are two types of priorities in life:

The priorities you say you have.
The priorities your actions show you have.
I call the gap between the two the Say-Do Gap.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth: For most of us, it’s significant.” -Sahil Bloom

How to shrink the Say-Do Gap? Some helpful suggestions I’ve come up with after years of experimentation (and know that I am far from perfect on execution):

-GRATITUDE…Be grateful for your “to do list.” Rename it a “I Get To Do This list.”

-EARLY MORNING INDEX CARD…In the AM before you start your day, get out a 3×5 index card and write down your “get to do list”. If and once you fill up both sides (you don’t have to fill up), that’s it, you can’t write any more. Trust that what you wrote is plenty.

-REALISTIC…Be honest and realistic with your time. Look at your day/calendar and see if what you wrote down is actually achievable, given your schedule. Leave room for the inevitable and unexpected daily interruptions of life.

-PRIORITIZE…Put an asterisk next to the top 3 priority items on your card. Focus on those first. Get them completely done before you move on to anything else on your card.

-REFLECT…At the end of the day, before you go to sleep, take out another index card, and write down all that you did that day. This is your “I Did This List.” Feel great about your accomplishments (even if it’s only one small thing). Whatever remains from your “I Get To Do This” index card, leave it alone. When you wake up the next day, look at it with fresh eyes. Perhaps they will be that day’s priority items, or maybe you realize they weren’t even necessary to begin with.