Do you ever feel like you’re saying “yes” to all the right things, but aren’t making any progress?
Well, that’s because good opportunities hold you back.
There are always new, good opportunities:
• Another project that could make you look good at work
• Another way your business could make more money
• Another skill you could learn
But here’s the thing: good opportunities aren’t enough.
In the busy lives we all lead, investing in good opportunities only moves the needle a little, if at all.
You need to focus on great opportunities.
The ones that will actually change your life if you nail them.
Instead of spreading ourselves thin across lots of good opportunities, we get outsized returns by focusing all our time and energy on the great ones.
In today’s newsletter, I want to share 2 powerful lessons from Greg McKeown’s Essentialism that helped me:
- Separate great opportunities from merely good ones.
- Execute more effectively on those great opportunities.
Lesson 1: Use Strict Criteria
So, how do you separate the great opportunities from the good ones?
The answer is to use a strict criteria when you’re considering opportunities.
Here’s how it works:
When you get an opportunity, write down 3 minimum criteria it must meet for you to even consider it.
Then, write down 3 ideal or extreme criteria - things that would make this opportunity truly life-changing.
• If the opportunity doesn’t meet all of your minimum criteria, it’s a no.
• If it doesn’t meet at least two of your extreme criteria, it’s still a no.
This framework forces you to be more critical about the opportunities you take on, which means you’ll end up saying no to more tasks.
By filtering out the “good but not great” opportunities, you’ll free up time to invest in the ones that truly matter.
Once you’ve narrowed down the opportunities that matter, the next challenge is getting them done.
That’s where the second lesson comes in.
Lesson 2: The Power of Planning and Progress
Surprisingly, the secret to executing is taking a moment to plan before you dive in.
Now, I used to think planning was a waste of time.
I figured if I knew what needed to be done, I should just get on with it.
But that’s scientifically proven to be wrong.
Studies show that people are up to 25% more efficient when they take the time to plan.
Here’s why planning works so well: it breaks big tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.
Instead of feeling like you’re 10% done on a giant project, you’re 100% done with the first of 10 tasks.
This might seem like a subtle difference, but the impact is huge.
When you feel like you’ve barely made progress, it’s demotivating.
You feel stuck and overwhelmed.
But when you check off small, completed tasks, it builds momentum.
One task down? You can easily tackle the next.
Finish two? The next two will be easy.
Breaking big projects into smaller tasks makes it easier to stay motivated as you work through them.
And with that motivation, you can keep moving forward, making steady progress toward completing the most important work.
Summary
The most effective way to make real progress in life is to ignore good opportunities so you can invest your efforts on the great ones.
- You should use strict criteria to only work on great opportunities.
- Break down great opportunities into small tasks in a plan to accomplish them more easily.
With the right focus and execution, you’ll be surprised how much more you can accomplish (while actually doing less).
So, take a moment today to look at what you’re currently working on.
If you’re feeling stretched too thin, then use the criteria to see which of your opportunities are worth keeping and which ones you should ditch.
And if you’re confident with your opportunities but aren’t progressing much with them, it’s probably time to make a plan.
As always, thanks for taking the time to read this - hope you’re having a great week!
Thanks,
Tim