Most of the time, most books I read are not worth a lot. They stimulate my brain, and keep me in mental shape, but usually, business/motivation and self help books are only “ok.” A lot of it has to do with the way the publishing industry works (i.e. there’s no viable market for 30 page articles, so they have to fill an entire book). A lot of it has to do with the kind of “least common denominator” approach–trying to write for “Everyone” means that the book is useful for “noone.”
The Power of Focus…is largely like that. It is a big, ambitious, meandering book that resells a lot of the ideas that most buyers will have (20 pages on writing goals down, etc). There is one idea that redeems the book, and makes it worth the 5 hours I spent with it. If I can get this idea down–then the book will have served me.
“Have a Zero Exceptions Policy.”
That’s it. Second chapter. They advocate building habits one at a time, and then having a zero exceptions policy behind them. Meaning, you are gonna work out? OK, up at 5:30 and work out, zero exceptions. One habit at a time, zero exceptions.
There are a lot of things I want to do, but I let whims change my mind too much. How I “feel” about something–as if that matters–dictates what I’m going to do or not do. Having a “Zero Exceptions” policy to establishing new habits is very powerful. I run my day off of a checklist that starts with the alarm going off at 4:45 during the week (soon to be weekends), and ends with me going to bed by 10:45.
But there are times that my days are frayed. I’m doing INFINITELY better than I was (thanks to Getting Things Done, in part), and I’m trending in the right direction (i.e. I’m earning money, writing, losing weight, and I’m connected with my faith).
But–if I had a Zero Exceptions policy…and I integrated habits into my life…one at a time, boom, I’d be slamming progress.
So, now I do:
Plan my food 100% of the time.
I was doing well, winning the battle of exercise, but killing myself with the garbage I ate. If I plan and prepare my food, 100% of the time, this won’t happen anymore.
So it’s time to plan my eating, my food. I’ll figure out how to do that in a minute.
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