“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”
– Albert Einstein
[Note: Today’s post is taken out of a short eBook that I am writing. I wanted to share this section ahead of time both because I thought it was useful and because I wanted some feedback on whether or not my theory made sense.]
What is a faux achievement?
A faux achievement is something that tricks your mind into thinking that you are actually accomplishing something. In reality you are still procrastinating, but you’ve managed to camouflage your diversions so that they look vaguely like work. If we look at a traditional to-do list, in the style that many people advocate, we can easily spot all of the faux achievements:
To Do:
1. Write to-do list
2. Take a shower
3. Get dressed
4. Make Coffee
5. Call mom
6. Check email
7. Visit the store and buy groceries
8. Edit two hour video for client
While a list like this is fine for someone who just needs to do errands or wants to get a few household chores done on a lazy Sunday, it’s terrible for an entrepreneur. I know, because I’ve been tricked by this kind of list on multiple occasions. For someone who is self-employed faux achievements are activities that don’t actually generate them money or help their business to grow. Making coffee and calling mom are noble endeavors, but they won’t help your company.
The worst part about faux achievements is the fact that they easily dupe you into thinking that you’ve been productive. Let’s take a look at that same to-do list once most of it has been finished. You’ll quickly notice how ineffective these goal sheet actually was:
To Do:
1. Write to-do list
2. Take a shower
3. Get dressed
4. Make Coffee
5. Call mom
6. Check email
7. Visit the store and buy groceries
8. Edit two hour video for client
Despite the fact that our entrepreneur knocked out almost the whole list, they only did one task that will actually benefit their career. Everything other than checking their email was just fluff. Although traditional wisdom would say that they completed all of their easy goals first and were able to build up momentum for the most grueling task, I’ve experienced the opposite. A day of grocery shopping, talking on the phone, and doing other menial tasks will drain your energy. By the time that you sit down to actually do your real job, you’ll be worn out and exhausted.
My strategy is a lot different. It forces me to tackle the hardest task first. This way I get my work out of the way early, and have more time to enjoy myself and do other projects. Right now as I type these words it is 2 pm, I’ve made all my money for today and am going to spend some time working on this book before I go outside for a walk. While everyone else is stuck inside wasting their time and dragging out assignments, I’ll be freer than Boosie.