How to build momentum at Work

Raise your hand if you've recognized past the point of no return that you haven't been doing the stuff that truly matters, just to go ballistic, get overwhelmed, and set out to work longer and harder — while as yet doing the same things that you just beat yourself up for doing.

Don't worry; if I weren't writing, my hand would be up, too.

This issue emerges because there are two particularly challenging parts of the day for us creative people:

1. Getting an incredible start on the day.
2. Letting go by the end of the day.

These two difficulties are personally related. Since we often don't realize what we ought to be doing, we get involved in a great deal of easy -to -engage in tasks that often aren't the things that matter the most. By the time we get our heads straight, a great deal of time has been wasted, so we end up trying to overcompensate by working longer.

Then, at exactly the time when you're obviously not ready anymore to accomplish something without messing it up, you remember all the stuff you should've been doing in the first place. You realize that it won't complete regardless of how hard you beat yourself up about it, yet you also can't simply not do it.

Yes, my hand would even now be up.

It doesn't need to be this way. Interfering with this pattern is as simple as figuring out what we have to do, doing it, and after that checking by the end of the day to ensure we did it. Keep in mind, something's being simple is not the same as its being easy.

Here's the deal, however: unless you're great at planning your day, it's truly difficult to do it first thing in the morning. It's considerably easier to check email and begin the Loop, which only serves to repeat the similar pattern that you're trying to interrupt.

So, rather than trying it that way, attempt what I'm calling the 10/15 Split. The 10/15 Split is basically a quick check in and check out process. You spend 10 minutes in the beginning of your day checking in and 15 minutes by the end of the day checking out.

The way to getting the 10/15 Split going is actually in the check-out instead of the check in. That is the reason it gets more time, but at the same time this is on account of you asking harder questions. We'll start by discussing the check out.