You know what’s sometimes really weird about trying to find a solution to our problems?

Is that we tend to hear the same things over and over again. I felt this way once when I was really looking for ways that I could get more things done without simply adding more things to my day.

I realized that I wasn’t making time for important people in my life as I should.

It was really a wake-up call when my daughter said to me at dinner one day, “Mommy, why are you working all the time?” Truth be told, I was eating my spaghetti while thinking about the list of things that I still had to do when she said that. I wasn’t really paying attention to her chipper chatter about the 12th drawing she made this week.

And I knew it was a matter of time for her to notice.

Worse, I felt like I was only half-heartedly clocking in BOTH my work and parenting.

Which means that NEITHER of the two things get proper attention.

And yet, when I look for ways to get out of this cycle, I keep hearing people say things like:

• Do a checklist, a pros and cons list, and scratch them off. Are we building a grocery list or trying to create an impact in the world?
• Create a calendar, stick to it, and set reminders. Done that, and let’s face it—it never works.
• Always add value at every turn. But who’s got the time!?
• Wake up at 4:30 AM then meditate 3 times a day. Again … where can I find the time?
• Follow famous people’s morning routines. Yeah, you mean I need to buy a $40 coffee to get jazzed up? No, thanks.

To be fair, I’m not saying no to all of these. I believe they have a time and place. But to rely on them to create massive changes in our lives is a bit unrealistic.

Take the Value-Add advice you keep hearing. The exhausting thing about this is that no one answers how we can possibly have enough time to keep adding value?

Plus, when our focus is on adding, and not on taking things off of the shoulders of others (and our own)—we’ve already lost.

To time.

And in doing so, we’ve lost our own time.

Which is why I talk about finding ways to become invaluable, to get massive leaps, and make a big difference in this world—with small steps.

There are some ways that you can get more done TODAY even if you don’t always feel like it. 

1. Think in terms of legacies. Not lists. Yes, even when you’re looking at your day. Ask, what is the ONE thing you want to leave behind when you’re done with your day? And focus on that ONE thing. Of course it’s great if you get more things done. But if you think of some of the great public figures you follow, usually you know them for ONE memorable, impactful things. Not one hundred.
2. Look for what can fly first. Then the figures will follow. Before I started my business, watching talented people give up on their dreams, as I always say, feels very much like watching your favorite character in a story die an unnecessary death. It’s painful to watch. Surprisingly, this tends to happen when you’re not finding small wins that can help you fly and you’re focusing instead on the figures. Part of living an extraordinarily meaningful life in ordinary ways is to lean on something totally underrated: momentum. Find ways to fly first, catch momentum, and other things will follow.
3. Say no early and yes later. This is HUGE. People always think of opportunities in the context of getting to YES fast. Anyone who has had massive success know that this is not always the case. But when you intentionally say yes and no for the right reasons, you’ve gifted yourself hours and hours of time to do things your way. And do this once you’ve decided that it’s not for you. This will bring you peace of mind earlier and help you sleep better at night. 

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