4 Rule Plan on How to Be Productive

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I've been in the ever circling vortex of self-doubt, frustration, and loathing. It's no good so to speak. If I spend all this time typing this out to you and you don't let it be a little tinder for your fire, well, you're just letting us both down. And you don't HAVE to do that. You don't HAVE to do anything. But you get to choose. Here’s a simple 4-rule plan to stay productive in life:

Rule 1.

There are no more zero days. What's a zero day? A zero day is when you don't do a single thing towards whatever dream or goal or want or whatever that you got going on. No more zeros. I'm not saying you got to bust an essay out everyday, that's not the point. The point I'm trying to make is that you have to make yourself, promise yourself, that the new SYSTEM you live in is a NON-ZERO system. Didn’t do anything all day and it's 11:58 PM? Write one sentence, do one pushup, read one page of that chapter. One. Because one is non-zero. When you're in the super vortex of being bummed your pattern of behavior is keeping the vortex going, that's what you're used to. Turning into productivity ultimate master of the universe doesn't happen from the vortex. It happens from a massive string of CONSISTENT NON ZEROS. That's rule number one. Do not forget.

Rule 2.

Be grateful to the 3 YOU'S. Yes, there are three you's. There's the past you, the present you, and the future you. I

f you want to love someone and have someone love you back, you have got to learn to love yourself, and the 3 you's are the key. Be GRATEFUL to the past you for the positive things you've done. And do favors for the future you like you would for your best bro. Feeling down today? Stop a second, think of a good decision you made yesterday. Salad and tuna instead of Big Mac? THANK YOU YOUNGER ME. Was yesterday a non-zero day because you wrote 200 words (hey, that's all you could muster)? THANK YOU YOUNGER ME. Saved up some coin over time to buy that sweet thing you wanted? THANK YOU. Second part of the 3 me's is you got to do your future self a favor, just like y

ou would for your best friend (no best friend? You do now. You got 2. It's future and past you). Tired and can't get off Facebook/videogames/Internet?  Forget present self, this one's for future me, I'm going to rock out some push-ups. I'm doing this one for future me. Alarm clock goes off and bed is too comfy? Stay away for a moment, present self, this one's for my best friend, the future me. I'm up and going for a 5 km run (or 25 meter run, it's gotta be non-zero). MAKE SURE YOU THANK YOUR OLD SELF for 

rocking out at the end of every single thing.  That makes your life better. The cycle of doing something for someone else (future you) and thanking someone for the good in your life (past you) is key to building gratitude and productivity. Do not doubt yourself. Over time you should spread the gratitude to others who help you on your path.

 

Rule 3.

Forgive yourself. Maybe you got all the know-how, money, ability, strength and talent to do whatever is you want to do. But let’s say you still didn't do it. Now you're giving yourself a hard time 

for not doing what you need to, to be who you want to. Heads up champion, being disappointed in yourself causes you to be less productive. Tried your best to have a non-zero day yesterday and it failed? So what? I forgive you previous self. I forgive you. But today? Today is a non-zero masterpiece to the best of my ability for future self. This one's for you future homes. Forgiveness, use it. I forgive you. Say it out loud.

Rule 4.

Exercise and books. That's it. 

Very standard advice but when you exercise daily, you actually get smarter. When you exercise, you get high from endorphins. When you exercise, you clear your mind. When you exercise, you are doing your future self a huge favor. Exercise is a leg on a

 three legged stool. As for books, almost everything we've all ever thought of, or felt, or go

istle from Super Mario 3 " It gets you to the next level that much faster.ne through, or wanted, or wanted to know how to do, or whatever, has been figured out by someone else. Get some books to read. You know what else you could do? Read 7 habits of highly successful people. Read "emotional intelligence". Read "From good to great". Read “thinking fast and slow”. Read books that will help you understand. Read the bodyweight fitness forums and incorporate it into your workouts. Reading is the warp wh

That’s about it. There’s so much more when it comes to how to turn non-zero days into hugely non-zero days, but that’s not your mission right now. Your mission is non-zero and forgiveness and favors. You got a report deadline in the next 24 hours? Just focus, do remember the rules and do what you can within the next 24 hours.

I have joined IAM Group Limited Singapore to outperform some of my co-workers in terms of productivity. My workplace connects with people with as far as Yokohama, Japan and the Southeast Asia. Some of them even know IAM Group Ltd, but people from Yokohama Japan are so talented and such. I devised these 4 rules so I can keep up to my game. Remember, if you do things right for yourself, everything else should follow through.