The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win

by Jeff Haden

Eliminate an Entire Category of Decisions Instead of making serial decisions, try making just one: Decide who will decide.

The part: Multiple Grammy Award nominee Joe Satriani starts his day by reviewing his “ideas” list in his workbook: song ideas, production ideas, new guitar techniques, etc. The benefit to the whole: “Also on the list,” he says, “are books to read, subjects to research, art projects to undertake, marketing ideas, creative people to reach out to. I pore over the list, imagine following through on some of the entries, add new ideas, and eliminate those that no longer appeal to me. This helps me feel that I’m moving forward creatively and gets my priorities straight. “Then I get to work!”

Start by tackling something simple. If you want to improve on the amount of time it takes you to get ready in the morning (which ultimately will allow you to do more of what you do best), break your morning routine down into its component steps. Start with potential problem areas. Do you sometimes have to hunt for your car keys? Find a place to always put them and then always put them there.

Look at the tasks you most frequently perform, break them down into component parts, and ask yourself two questions about each of the steps required: Do I need to do this at all? (Often you don’t. But if you do . . .) Do I know someone who does this better? (I guarantee you do.)