Nick Snapp

I’m ready to launch.

Nick Snapp

Because we can do that and we can be working on all the wrong things, and won’t move us any further, and we’ll just be in the same little rat cycle that we’ve been in the whole time.

If you have that purpose clearly defined of why you want to be productive and what you’re striving for, that’s the key part. Then, breaking that down to what’s the ONE thing that’s going to make all of that other stuff you’re doing easier or unnecessary  to quote Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.

Nick Snapp

Right.

Nick Snapp

Oh, for sure.

Nick Snapp

The one I’m going to recommend now is just a little bit out of the box. You’re not going to hear this from the typical productivity type of stuff, but you go back to “What’s the thing?” And once you figure out what that thing you need to do, what’s that thing that’s holding you back the most?

I’ve talked to a lot of different people, entrepreneurs, business owners, and students. Usually, that’s the person that’s the closest to them. That significant other or a family member or something, there’s friction between what you want to get done, and what that other person wants to get done.

Nick Snapp

The thing that spearheaded my productivity and helped me focus and get the right things done is a simple weekly review of my life.

For me, I’m not a single entrepreneur. I got three kids at home. I’m not doing life alone anymore. When you have a family, especially, you’re not doing this thing by yourself. You gotta get that other person on board.

Nick Snapp

My wife and I, without fail, every single week, during lunch on Wednesdays, we have a video conference together. It’s kind of weird, you and your spouse having a video conference, but we do it, and we go through the calendar. What are those different things on the calendar that’s going to trip us up? What’s going to prevent me from getting the things I thought I was going to get done?

Likewise on her behalf; if she’s expecting me to do something and I have some conflict, we work all that out. We negotiate. If it’s a perfect time, we talk about where are we this month on the finances versus next, and that has been just the ultra like making sure that we’re on the same page, and that hindrance was completely gone now, and I struggled with that for a long time.

Nick Snapp

It’s kind of weird at first if you have an agenda, but just like any meeting that you have. Don’t go into meetings just expecting it to flow and get it done. There’s brainstorming sessions and stuff for that to work out.

My wife works full-time, and I have my home business so our time, especially for me, every single minute counts.

If you’re not productive, then it’s an apparent return on your invested time. With her, she could go and hang around, talk to coworkers and still get paid

Keeping each other on point is important, but just go and do the big things. What are those conflicts? What are you trying to do to move your business forward that you need her support on or you just need to take the kids or whatever that type of thing (or he, if you’re a woman)?

Nick Snapp

Let’s say, “Okay. Now, how are we feeling right now about where we are with our budget?” and then, “What actions are we going to take as a family? What investments do we need to make? Do we need a new vehicle or do we need to take the kids to baseball lessons?” or whatever those things are coming out.

And “How are we going to deal with those along the way? What sort of extra time do you need in the week? I know you lost a little bit of time here doing this particular task when you have to take the kids to the doctor. Do you need to make that up?”

We go through all that stuff. It’s just such a good use of time.

Nick Snapp

Absolutely.

The next big overarching productivity tip is to have that plan.

Nick Snapp

Plans are going to change. I’ve learned that when you put together a plan, you’ve got to do it the night before. The days that I don’t do that, the night prior, and I’m sitting here, getting to my desk, looking at my laptop, trying to figure out what I’m due for the day, you’re making decisions.

It’s a concept called decision fatigue.

Nick Snapp

If you can make the decisions about what you’re going to do for the following day the night before, then that’s going to sit in your subconscious, and it’s going to be working. You’re going to start generating those plans as you sleep. When you wake up, you rip when you’re ready to go.

You know exactly what you’re going to do, how much of time you’re going to allocate to it, and you have the ability to be more flexible as well because you don’t have to worry about those other decisions about what to do.

Now, if something comes up, you’re more focused, you’re more inclined to make a better decision if you need to pivot strategies.

Nick Snapp

Right.

Nick Snapp

Absolutely.

Nick Snapp

Well, we’re going back like to your one thing. You said you had Jay Papasan. He’s an awesome guy. He and I have interviewed together as well.

Going to that one thing is going to make it all easier or unnecessary.

That’s the problem that’s typically scary.

Nick Snapp

I’ve been doing a little bit of research into this concept that Tim Ferriss calls ‘fear setting.’ It’s much more productive than goal setting. Basically, what is that thing out there that you fear, and it’s probably the thing you should be doing. He talks about a process to break that down and figure out, “Okay, what’s the worst thing that could happen if all these different things will blow up?” and then what you would do to recover?

From that perspective of fear and raising the stakes, that for me, is effective accountability, especially if you’re an entrepreneur and you’re trying to do your own thing.

Nick Snapp

There are things you know that are going to move you forward, and there are things you could do to sustain, and just keep living, keep surviving.

Line dancing is fun, but you’re in the same place like not going anywhere. But then, if you’re walking and moving forward, you’re moving beyond that continuous cycle.

How do you do that if you’re an entrepreneur? Because there are things you should be doing, you know you should be doing, but for some reason, you’re not. There’s inertia there. There’s fear.

Nick Snapp

The biggest thing I’ve done that’s worked for me is to make those things as public as possible, even if it’s scary like “All right. I’m going to launch my new course,” or whatever it is you’re doing. “I’m going to do it by August 21st.”

Make it public. Make everybody see it, and then you’re on the hook, and regardless of whether they’re paying attention, something psychologically changes your mind.

You’re like, “I put that out there, and I don’t want to be a liar. I don’t want to have to go back and say ‘Yeah, I didn’t do it.’ or make an excuse like you could’ve have worked a lot harder.

I’ve been digging into the psychology behind like “What do you need to do to finish? What sorts of games do you need to play? How do you raise the stakes? How can you make it monetarily hard and arduous?

Nick Snapp

You fear of losing something like money is a lot more of a driver than your fear to gain it, so how can you raise those kinds of stakes? There are a lot of cool things.

I think if you have some important things that you need to get done, and you know you should have done, but you’re not doing it. Reflect on how you can raise the stakes and make them hurt.

Nick Snapp

That’s right.

Nick Snapp

Right.

Nick Snapp

It sure is.

Nick Snapp

You’re welcome!