This note is about a hack to boost your productivity.
Well, kind of.
Imagine this…
You’re on holiday and having a great time – when you’re summoned back urgently for a crisis at the office…
That’s frustrating!
You’re watching a movie, and come to an interesting part – when someone knocks at your door…
That’s annoying!
You’re getting it on with your romantic partner – when the phone rings, and it’s your mother on the line…
That’s a buzz kill!
And mainly because you’re being forced to…
Shift Modes.
An emergency at work wouldn’t be so bad – if you weren’t on vacation.
People coming to visit wouldn’t be such a nuisance – if you were free to entertain them.
And at any other time, you might be overjoyed to indulge in a long chat with Mom. 😜
What irks is having to change modes.
You can avoid it… by cracking the ‘Why – What – How’ code!
What’s that?
When it comes to tackling tasks on your ‘to do list’, there are three broad kinds of questions you’ll ask yourself.
1. Why am I doing this?
These are ‘strategy‘ questions.
They go deep. Speak to your motivation and goals. Help you set priorities. And determine core reasons for acting a certain way – or not.
2. What should I do?
These are ‘tactics‘ questions.
They address the details. Which steps to take? What sequence to follow? What comes first? What’s next? How long to keep going? When to stop?
3. How to do it?
These are actual ‘action‘ questions.
They crop up only AFTER you’ve decided WHY you’re doing this – and WHAT to do. They involve executing your plans.
Each of these three broad categories defines a certain ‘mode’ of functioning.
When you’re pondering the deeper meaning of WHY you’re doing (or should do) something… you don’t want to be bothered by the ‘What’ or ‘How’ issues.
When you’re scoping out your plan and making decisions about WHAT to do… you don’t want to be yanked out of this mode to think about nitty-gritty ‘How’ details.
When you’re busy taking action… you hate being troubled by those pesky ‘Why are you even doing this now?’ or ‘Are you sure this is the right/best way to do it?’ doubts.
Mode shifts are a nagging nuisance.
They are also a hindrance to your efficiency.
And mode shifts interfere with your productivity.
Good marketers understand this.
It’s why a smooth, successful selling process will never jolt you out of a certain mode.
Instead, it will nurture you within that mode – until you take the desired action.
Usually, that’s one that involves an exchange of money! 🤣
There’s a graphic descriptive term marketers use to describe such a process…
A GREASED chute!
It’s smooth, slippery, and frictionless.
From the moment you get on it, you’ll slip and slide effortlessly – all the way to the other end!
That’s how you should engineer your functioning mode, too.
Learn to stay in the same mode – right until you’ve achieved a goal.
All day, for the past three days, I’ve stayed in just one mode…
Publishing my content online.
It has been incredibly productive.
I’ve queued up 24 articles to go live over the next 12 weeks.
Typically, when interrupted by mode shifts, this would have taken me 15 to 20 days.
I finished it in just three!
Say no to mode shifts.
You’ll be calmer, happier, and achieve more.
And see more projects through to a finish.
🙏