Make these five "one-time decisions" if you want to change your life

Not joking

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In the last two years, I’ve written 600+ blog posts, 9 ghostwriting books, a dozen copywriting projects, and maintained an active social media presence across multiple platforms.

And I’m a solopreneur. That means I am a one-man army with very limited resources. I don’t have a team of people to help me with my work. It’s just me, myself, and I.

So when people ask me how I do it all, my answer is always the same:

Creating a system that works for you and then following it religiously.

But what does that system look like?

For me, it involves certain activities that require no will, motivation, or self-discipline because, like most, I am always short of these three things.

The first thing I did was identify recurring situations that consume my mental energy. Then based on this understanding, I identified five one-time decisions that have helped me save hundreds of hours every year.

And saving time means more “me-time,” which leads to a less stressed and more productive lifestyle.

[1]. Stop Questioning. Just Do.

“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”

-Paul Valery

I used to be one of those people who would constantly question themselves:

“Should I really be doing this? Is this the right thing? What if I fail? What will others think of me?”

All these questions would swirl around in my head, and as a result, I’d procrastinate and get very little done.

The ironic thing is that all these questions lead to the same answer — NO.

No, you shouldn’t be doing this. No, this isn’t the right thing. What if you fail? Who cares! Just do it!

When you’re constantly questioning yourself, you’re actually holding yourself back. You’re not allowing yourself to take risks and move forward.

Yes, some of your actions might lead to failure. But without failure, there can be no success.

Plus, questioning consumes a lot of time and energy that could be spent on actually doing something.

So, I allow myself to brainstorm only for a day. After that, I either drop the idea or take action.

[2]. The iPhone Hack of Notifications Summary

Notifications are one of the biggest productivity killers. Every time your phone dings or you see a new email, your attention is immediately drawn to it.

You might think that you’re good at ignoring notifications, but the truth is, we’re all wired to pay attention to them.

It’s a natural human reaction to want to know what’s happening, especially when it comes to things that we’re interested in.

The problem is notifications are a constant distraction that pulls us away from the task at hand. And when we’re constantly switching between tasks, our productivity takes a hit.

Fun Fact: “It can take up to 25 minutes to get back into the flow of a task after you’ve been interrupted.”

That’s why one of the best things you can do for your productivity is to batch your notifications.

Set specific times during the day when you’ll check and respond to emails, messages, and other notifications. And stick to it.

Apple has recently rolled out a feature in their latest update where you can get a notification summary once per day.

Go to Settings > Notifications > Scheduled Summary, 
then turn on Scheduled Summary.

Here’s how to do it:

Illustration of how to set up Notifications summary

This is a great way to batch your notifications and stay productive.

You can also use apps like Freedom to block notifications and other distractions so you can focus on what’s important.

By batching your notifications, you’ll be able to stay focused and get more done in less time.

This way, you’re in control of when you want to be interrupted, and you can give your undivided attention to the task at hand.

[3]. The “Make It Hard Giving Up” Rule

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

― Steve Jobs

I don’t know if I completely agree with Mr. Jobs here, but one thing is for sure — the easier it is for you to give up on something, the harder it becomes to succeed at it.

In other words, if you make it difficult for yourself to give up on your goals, you’re more likely to achieve them.

One way to do this is to publicly declare your intentions. When you make your goals known to others, you create a sense of accountability and responsibility.

It becomes much harder to give up when you know that people are counting on you.

Another way to make it hard to give up is to put your money where your mouth is. Invest in yourself and your goals.

Buy the resources you need to achieve your goals. Hire a coach or a mentor. Join a Mastermind group. Do whatever it takes to increase your chances of success.

This prevents you from spending your creative time and energy on overthinking.

When you make it hard to give up, you’re more likely to see things through to the end. You’re also more likely to achieve your goals.

[4]. Pause Your Work Every Hour, No Matter What

How many times have you been in the zone, completely focused on what you’re doing, only to be interrupted by a notification or a random thought?

It could be an email from your boss, a text from a friend, or even just a mental list of things you need to do. Whatever it is, it completely breaks your focus and pulls you out of the zone.

And once you’re out of the zone, it’s very hard to get back in.

That’s why it’s important to do a mental check-up every hour or so.

Stop what you’re doing and ask yourself:

• Is what I’m doing right now important?

• Am I doing it the right way?

• Could I be doing it better?

If the answer to any of those questions is “no,” then stop what you’re doing and focus on something that is important or do it in a better way.

This simple habit will save you a lot of time and mental energy in the long run. And it only takes a few minutes to do.

[5]. Put Things Back In Their Place

A few years ago, I moved into a new place, and one of the first things I did was put up this sign:

“There’s a place for everything if everything is in its place.”

It was a gentle reminder for me to put things back in their rightful place after using them. And it works like a charm.

You lose valuable minutes every day searching for things that you misplaced. It could be your keys, your phone, or even your wallet.

Every time you can’t find something, it puts you in a state of disarray and interrupts your flow. It also gives rise to negative emotions like frustration, anger, and anxiety.

You see, one of the quickest ways to kill your productivity is to search for things that you know are around but can’t find because they’re not in their place.

It might sound like a no-brainer, but it’s one of those practical habits that makes life so much easier. It takes only a few seconds to do so, but it saves you minutes — even hours — of searching time every week.

Final Words

There you have it — five one-minute daily habits that can save you hundreds of hours every year.

Now it’s your turn to put them into action. Pick one or two that resonate with you the most and start implementing them into your life today.

I guarantee you that you’ll see a difference in your productivity and stress levels in no time!

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👉 If this post resonates with you, forward it on to your buddies!

And please, don't forget to hit that ❤️ button.

If you’re NOT using the app, respond with the word “Awesome.”

It helps others find it on Substack.

Thanks for the support! 🙌