Make Some Magic Happen” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWg7XqeD1yM The title is a bit misleading – this is less about magic in the sense of “making something magical happen” and more about just “getting things done”. You can find a full transcript for the show here: http://www.thesimpleway.com/archives/2012/03/06/jenny-and-jeremy-go-deep-into-getting-things-done/ and a short video of one of the techniques being demoed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0kYwS2-o9w In our example, Jeremy and Jenny are talking about how to get some things done around the house: They decide it’s time to put some shelves up in the garage. But they keep hitting a roadblock – and it’s all Jenny’s fault: Jenny is the one who has already decided it’s time to put some shelves up in the garage. So, here’s what they do: Jeremy says, “Okay, well, I can help you with that,” and he does so. She says, “Thank you so much!” and Jeremy replies with, “No problem!” What kind of a response is that? Well, Jenny is the leader of the household, and so even if Jeremy is doing some work on a task that she had already decided to do, she wants to make it clear that she appreciates it, and that he should consider himself part of her team (or, better yet, a part of “the team” in general) So, that’s the second principle, and here’s the first: We all have things we want to do. But if you’re going to succeed in getting it done, there are things you have to do first: You need to ask, what are my priorities right now? You need to determine which projects are currently the most important. (One way to do that is by using the project management system I showed you last week – which, by the way, is called OmniFocus.) You need to put those tasks first. Now, you might be saying to yourself: “But I don’t know what my top priorities are!” And that’s completely understandable. That’s why you need to ask the right question. The question you want to ask is this: “What am I going to focus on tomorrow?” Because the reality is, tomorrow you might not have as much energy or as much motivation to work. You might have a lot of interruptions. If you ask the right question, you’ll be able to focus on tasks that are most important to you, and to put your full energy into them. Because when you do that, then the rest of your life – the tasks that are less important – will go much more smoothly. One of my favorite quotes on this is: It’s not the important things that get done. It’s the unimportant things. So, Jeremy and Jenny are getting their priorities straight. But they’re not done yet. One of the other great things about OmniFocus is that it enables you to view and interact with your priorities in a really powerful way: you can assign “due dates” to the things that you’ve been focusing on, and track what you’re still working on – what’s still in progress. If you’re not already using OmniFocus, I would recommend downloading a demo version and playing around with it. I would recommend installing the app on your Mac or iPad, then using that on your iPhone or iPod touch. Then, when you get back to your Mac, you can use the “Handoff” feature in your Dock to open your OmniFocus tasks right from your iPhone or iPod touch, so that you don’t have to switch back and forth. Here are some other resources: The OmniFocus manual, which has more about all of the features and functions of the system, is available for free download here: http://manuals.simile-widgets.com/manual/OmniFocus/index.html This document is a PDF version of the book. There’s also a free webinar (audio only) which will be held on February 15th, 2013 at 11am EST and will focus on the principles of OmniFocus: http://goo.gl/D1kM9n If you’re watching this video on February 6th, 2013, the free webinar will take place on February 15th, 2013, at 11am EST. The principles of OmniFocus are all about making more of your daily time. You’re not just spending your time doing tasks that you have to do. You’re not just scheduling in your time. You’re doing things to optimize and structure your time, so that you can get more things done, in a more productive way. This may seem like a really obvious thing. But it’s true, and it’s very important. We’re all overloaded with too many things to do – which can make us feel so scattered and disorganized. By asking yourself what you need to do, first, and then putting your focus on the tasks that are most important to you, you will be able to clear away a lot of your clutter, and just get more things done. And the really cool thing is, you will feel more energized and more productive once you’re on top of your priorities. Now, if you have any questions, comments, thoughts, or anything else to say, let me know! You can write to me on Twitter: @thesimpleway, or you can email me: josh@thesimpleway.com If you found this video helpful, please consider donating to my Patreon. Your support makes all the difference. And I will be donating 10% of every dollar that is donated to me, on February 13th, 2013, to the American Red Cross relief efforts for tornado victims in Moore, Oklahoma. This one goes out especially to my followers in Oklahoma and throughout the Midwest, and also to my supporters in Oklahoma City who are recovering from this devastation. Thanks again for watching. Good luck with your own priorities, and good luck in whatever you’re doing, today. Thanks again, everyone!