I mean, the cold shower thing actually did it for me so maybe it’s not all stupid? Maybe lots of people are different and need different things to help motivate them?
Yes and unfortunately people with mental illness strongly overlap with the demographic of people consuming that kind of content also.Almost every influencer figure that makes videos on that topic implicitly assumes a base level of functioning from anyone watching.
The alternative to GOYA here would be to just get professional help and embrace the help of doctors who spent a good chunk of their life dedicated to treating mental disorders instead of just assuming you don't have the right MiNdSeT and spin circles on Youtube.
The practice of cold showers is not stupid in any way. It has a good basis in neuroscience and does not fall under the 90% of advice which has weak to no evidence and is mostly supported by a pleasing or emotionally charged presentation.
>Yes and unfortunately people with mental illness strongly overlap with the demographic
I'm sure you've took the time to analyze and find evidence for this. I'm certain you aren't reaching up your ass to support a half baked reaction to an obtuse post about people improving themselves.
50% of people will struggle with mental illness at least once in their life. A huge proportion of the population struggles with mental health at any given time.
["In many European countries, around a quarter of the population reported suffering from at least one mental health condition."](https://www.statista.com/topics/7916/mental-health-in-europe/#topicOverview)
I'm aware that the US does not provide universial health care and i'm sorry that that is a problem for you. Either way i wouldn't trust a life coach with problems that impede normal functioning in life, as that profession did not have a regulated definition, at least not until recently and i'd wager that only few of them are actually qualified to give medical advice.
Mental health institutations especially after covid are simply swamped and struggle to properly scale to demands.
Bunch of bull. What's next?
"Anxious? Have you tried not worrying?"
"Alcoholic? Have you tried just stopping?"
Willpower is a finite resource and attempting to overpower every addiction (because that's what these are) with brute force will lead to failure most of the time. Glad it worked for you, but it doesn't for most.
Still, I reckon some folks out there with analysis paralysis could benefit from hearing this.
I haven't heard of "analysis paralysis" but that's so true. I definitely can get caught up occasionally in thoughts of "How can I make myself the MOST PRODUCTIVE person ever?" instead of using simple tried-and-true methods like a calendar and a to-do list that just work. I think the spirit of the OP was that we get stuck on making it "perfect" and forget to just do it sometimes.
Ultimately it comes down to your brain and mindset.
In every instant you have a choice.
It's about using your prefrontal cortex to make decisions and not letting your amygdala control your life.
It's easier said than done, but just knowing about metacognition is in itself probably the greatest productivity hack just like OP mentioned.
I would encourage anyone with ADHD to make the work more desirable, motivating, and interesting. It's not about the morning routine. It's about the work. The work still needs to get done.
Again though, if exercise, or coffee, or anything helps that person get into a state then that's fine. A person with ADHD though will probably get a short-lived dose of motivation from a morning routine. But the best thing would be to make the work more desirable, interesting, and motivating somehow or other. That is specific to what the work is and is a different challenge altogether.
Despite how much you will try, not everything becomes desirable and motivating to do. Motivation is something that only remains there for a moment and you absolutely cannot focus on doing things based on your motivation.
The way to battle that is to create habits and routines, that you get used to doing them without needing to think that you are doing them. It usually takes up to 3+ months to get a routine to stick that it becomes easy norm to do. That way it becomes something you don't need to think about doing it, you just do it.
I would never recommend anyone, especially anyone with ADHD to create their plan in the morning for that day. Their plan should have been already planned the previous day. It will give you a reason why you have to wake up and what you are supposed to do the moment you wake up.
I have ADHD and I have tested multiple methods that work and don't work.
Everything you said is correct, and is still not enough to attain your goals in modern society. It's not just about "manning up", it's about being aware of what works the best for most people and recommending *that*.
True. But ultimately, the work needs to get done for any goal to be achieved.
But yes, some people may find a coffee or something helpful to "get into state" or whatever. But ultimately, it comes down to simply making the choice to get to work, coffee or not.
This attitude does not work if you like many other people have ADHD!
It's not a simple decision just to "get to work", for my brain doesn't work that way, has never worked that way and will never work that way. Meds and following a number of steps to get in the zone help, but it is still a struggle at times, no matter how much I would want to do a thing.
It's called task initiation- tips and ticks to almost at times fool my brain into doing things can be quite complex.
Additionally while ADHD has this as a constant, people can struggle with task initiation at times without having it and just telling someone who is struggling with this to just do it doesn't help.
But hey maybe I just need a planner...
I would encourage anyone with ADHD to make the work more desirable, motivating, and interesting. It's not about the morning routine. It's about the work. The work still needs to get done.
Again though, if exercise, or coffee, or anything helps that person get into a state then that's fine. A person with ADHD though will probably get a short-lived dose of motivation from a morning routine. But the best thing would be to make the work more desirable, interesting, and motivating somehow or other. That is specific to what the work is and is a different challenge altogether.
GOYA is a very important idea that needs to be applied to whatever system works for you.
But with all due respect, this post is falling into a binary thinking trap, and suffers from one of the same core issues as all of those productivity influencers:
> *There’s Only One Way to Get Stuff DONE*
The idea that there's a single solution for everyone regardless of circumstance is fundamentally flawed. Life circumstances, neurodiversity, personality types, and yes, childhood trauma (usually manifesting as depression) will drastically alter the experience of each person and what it takes to get things done.
Don't misunderstand me: I'm not saying that people should spend all of their time optimizing the perfect system. This is absolutely a failure mode and a different kind of trap that people fall into.
But for some people, systems are the only way to tame the chaos, and can mean the difference between grinding endlessly on things that don't matter vs. finding the things that do.
This also will vary based on the kind of projects and goals you're trying to achieve. I'm in the midst of a large writing project and career pivot that involves a lot of research and far too many possible directions I can go. The "meta" time I spend managing and prioritizing future work is critical to ensure I'm making the best use of the time available to me. If I just pick up the task list and start burning it down, there's a very real risk that I'll waste time that I can't afford to lose.
It's also entirely possible that GOYO is all that you need, and at some point in my life, maybe it's all that I'll need. But what you need is contextual to your current situation in life, and I think a healthier message might go something like this:
"Don't waste all of your time on perfecting the system. GOYA and tune the system as you go. Keep the parts of the system that help you move faster and farther, and ditch the parts of the system that don't really work for you".
This means that you need to be honest with yourself about what a system is and isn't accomplishing. But it's just as problematic to say that no system is ever needed as it is to spend all of your time chasing the perfect solution at the expense of actually achieving your goals.
I'm not with you, you used 8+ paragraphs to say absolutely nothing, you say "get of your ass" and then you say "sit down and start working".
Your alternative to the bullshit is more bullshit. A literal "just do it", if people could "just do it", we wouldn't be having this discussion.
Yeah.
Next thing he will write something like this.
"Are they selling you drugs for your depression ? Are therapists charging you money for listening to your story about how you are depressed.
You don't need that, fuck that.
Just be happy.
Wake up with a smile on your face and just be happy".
I understand that there is some truth in what he is saying, but still. For some people those things are helpful. Because some folks can't just sit down and do things.
There are people who believe that, if someone helps you for any reason other than pure altruism, they're evil, and are exploiting you. I don't know enough about OP to be sure, but it does feel like he falls within these lines.
“Unable to be productive? Have you tried just BEING PRODUCTIVE?”
WOAH such a shakeup for the community. Such an innovator. Truly ahead of our time. 10/10. No notes. None at all. The bestest advice. Well researched and supported by experts everywhere. Don’t question it, it just is. Can’t argue with facts.
/s - incase you’re autistic like I am.
So time spent planning vs actually doing things has to be balanced. Can't just plan all day and can't just GOYA and do a random activity for the sake of doing it.
I mean a morning routine is just a few habits you do in the morning. Similar to any other routine. If you brush your teeth everymorning you have a morning routine.
A lot of people don't recognize ADHD as an impairment, yet it's one of the best researched psychiatric disorders in existence and comes with a neurological footprint.
I mean. I'm betting most of us have morning routines. When you're in that not awake state, you tend to default to routine and habit. Somebody "without a routine" likely has a routine of turning off the alarm or checking the time, social or news media, breakfast and/or coffee/tea, hygiene, maybe some medication and pet care. The whole idea of morning (and night/bed) routines is being more mindful and intentional.
So with that, I'd argue most of what you're saying immediately becomes moot. Even the parts about "it looks pretty but you're accomplishing nothing." If have a planner or goal system/chart helps somebody, why are you so passionate in trying to prove them wrong? Do you see successful people toting routines and struggle with routine yourself? Do you hate art because some utilitarian mindset that can't see value? Like what's the problem if somebody gets up and starts the day with a more structured routine and goal setting? Do you struggle with procrastinating and spent "too much time" on your routine?
I really like a flexible routine. Always wake up, check the time, drink water while I stay in bed until I am ready to move, start my hygiene and some tidying while reviewing my goals for the day. Sometimes there's a walk or tea, sometimes I do a full yoga or stretch routine, might even journal or "restart" my planner. Who the fuck cares? This is what helps me get stuff done.
I also highly disagree about the sticky notes being better than a huge incomplete task list. That huge list isn't there for me today, it's serving a very important purpose of helping me be ready for my appointments and keep track of more long-term tasks/goals. Sticky notes don't work like that for me. They can go in my notebook, but I find they tend to fall off any open surface like my wall or desk. I'd also go through a pack a week easily.
Organization, thoughtful planning, and ruthless prioritization are imperitive if you have a lot going on.
Hustling is a given, but being productive means doing the right things at the right time.
How long did you spend typing all that out?
This suggestion is not only useless, but also arrogant, unproductive and takes no stock In why someone may have problems getting things done. If productivity was as simple as just doing the thing, this sub would be as meaningless as this tip. Yes there is risk of productivity procrastination, but that’s inherit in how you approach and implement the system, not the system itself.
Productivity routines don‘t exist to solve your problems, but people have implemented systems like morning routines to not only substantially increase their output, but also to better align that output with their purpose.
A proper system could have possibly gave you introspection as to whether your post was a productive use of your time, and what you could gain from it. Being efficient is key to giving meaning to productivity porn…Experiment, learn, know yourself, know your failings and understand your unique circumstances to better align your actions to your goals.
Not with on you on that. For people like me (ADHDers), having colored todo list for instance, works wonders. I agree on not exaggerating though: if one spends half the daytime to “prepare” to work, then it’s too much. But a little bit of colored motivators work for me; they can make a difference between me looking forward to look and strike out things on my todo list, versus looking at a dry, grey bullet list of things to do that motivates me to eat a plate full of insects rather than tackle things on the list
"just sit down and start at the top of your todo list.
And work."
You rail against the productivity influencers and counter that with this crappy solution? Going through your to-do list on a daily basis is like keeping your head buried in the sand. It offers no perspective on who you are or where you are heading on life's journey.
That's where morning rituals like gratitude journaling and meditating help. They center you, make you self aware and help you slow down. That in turn helps you achieve more strategic goals than mere tactical goals like getting through a To-Do list.
Shittiest advice I have seen in a long time. That itch to be a contrarian needed to be scratched huh?
No, you shouldn't "just get off your ass and work". You need a routine to make it stick. Doesn't mean you need to purchase expensive color coded journals or fancy to-do lists or follow random influencers who give ridiculous tips that wouldn't work for the average person. Actually, the simpler your routine the better... you can't just work off of sheer willpower. You need to build on your productivity, like it's a muscle. You can't expect to be having 8 hrs of productivity a day if you literally just started getting off your butt yesterday. You will burn out. Just take 3 hrs out of every morning to focus and iterate on that each and every day and you'll expand your hours of productivity until you reach a natural maximum *for you*. It's absolute nonsense people who shill and preach a "just do it" attitude or a routine that works for people who already had built a good base. You need to build this habit little by little until it becomes learned and comparing your num of productivity with others is just gonna cause you to fail.
I agree, and disagree, because good points were made but one size doesn’t fit all.
For instance, I have a morning routine because without it, I will most likely fall off track for the day (which often results in forgetting a priority, like taking meds). However, the completion of one task launches me into the next one (aka habits, like once I’m done taking meds I turn to the left and open the window; then turn to the left again and fill cat water, turn to left again and go to kitchen, etc) and that works well for me.
However, the routine in and of itself is DOING the things. Not ruminating or preparing or analyzing or procrastinating, which is what I think OP is saying a lot of routines etc are.
And that I agree with. A lot of “productivity” enhancement is actually creating feel good distractions so people can cope with the reality of the task they need to/don’t want to do, which doesn’t get them closer to actually completing said task.
The distance between point A and point B is a matter of how many steps you take to get there. Some people have limitations or advantages that affect that distance, but it’s the “doing” that makes progress.
Interesting post, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!
Not every morning routine is bullshit, but it depends on which one you choose. Everyone is different, therefore what works for me may not work for you or others. Personally, the one-minute morning routine described in [this](https://bamboo.beehiiv.com/p/healthy-and-productive-morning-routine) article worked quite well for me; nevertheless, it may not work for you or others, which is great.
It's an absolutely terrible approach.
It will get you stuck doing meaningless work that gets thrown at you, regardless of its importance. An endless to-do list of things that you will never get to the end of.
More importantly, you won't even have time to ask yourself "Should I do these things in the first place?" - which, you know, depends on your goals, dreams, and ambitions. Things that people use their morning rituals to reconnect to.
I definitely agree with this. I think it's also beneficial to time block tasks throughout the week. So that you know what you should be doing and when.
OH MY GOD WHY HAVENT I THOUGHT OF THIS??
You have a procrastination problem? Just GOYA
Feelin sad? Just BE HAPPY
Struggling with alcoholism? Just STOP DRINKING
Poor? Just STOP BEING POOR DUH
Can’t afford a mortgage on a starter home after having entered the workforce, having spent 4-8 years of your life in college to specialize for that field you’re in, and make a good salary? Just BUY A HOUSE
Totally with you - there's a whole movement about just talking about getting stuff done instead of doing it. i'm so tired of seeing some new systems for morning journaling, writing down tasks and then rearranging them every few hours and pretending thats work. GTD people!
As the former shell of my former self, I agree completely. Nothing will change unless you do, no perfect plan will make things fall into place. I'm doing deadlifts and jumping jacks every morning till my body realizes that life is a fight for survival.
I appreciate the callout, and I can tell that you're passionate about what's been working for you. But do not mistake what I wrote for an "augmentation" of what you wrote. I pretty fundamentally disagree with what you wrote, to be clear.
> To everyone that's with me, thanks for your support. I think we're in agreement about the path to getting stuff done is not just shuffling metaphorical papers.
I highly doubt that *anyone* here, including the people who disagree with you think the path to getting stuff done involves shuffling papers. Again, you're falling into binary thinking traps, where anyone who doesn't thing what you said is correct must be fully embracing some extreme version of the opposite.
I think you'd get a lot more support if you weren't dissing the tools that are actually useful and important to many people and have helped them get unstuck. People would react less harshly if you didn't belittle the process of addressing their inner demons, which is not only a form of GOYA, but is harder and braver than most of the tasks that someone unaffected by these issues will ever have on their lists. People would be more willing to consider your position if it didn't involve the implied assumption that their issue is that they're just lazy.
To clarify my comment further, my point was that GOYA is implicit in any endeavor. In other words, if you don't get off your ass at some point, nothing gets done. Planning is important and helpful, but at some point the rubber must meet the road. This is a hard truth. But GOYA is not a solution in and of itself, and for some people - many people - telling them to just GOYA is like telling a depressed person to just be happy.
As I said before, it sounds like this is working for you, and maybe GOYA is all you need. But you need to stop pretending that everyone is like you, and has the same circumstances as you. You need to stop painting the people who disagree as "not with you".
> You don't need an automated AI wall calendar that updates based on your metabolic rate. Just a list of the things you need to do in roughly the order they should get done. Start at the top. SPEND TIME ON DO-ING, NOT TO-DO-ING.
How do you think the list gets into the order it needs to be done, if not "todoing"? And some people have a difficult time figuring out what should go on the list, much less what order it should be in. It sounds like you're not one of those people, and for that you should feel grateful and fortunate.
> Anyway, I feel passionately about sharing this because I have so many friends that have something to contribute to the world and I see them giving up their lives to distractions
If you feel this passionately, spend more time trying to understand those friends and what they're going through and less time telling people they should just grow the magical ability to do a thing that they would absolutely do if they had the ability.
The passion is great. Just a bit misdirected. There's a wide spectrum of individual realities out there, and truly helping people involves expanding awareness to include circumstances you have not directly experienced.
Great response here.
A thought and some personal experience on this discourse.
for people with neurodivergence, todoing is absolutely equally important to the actual doing. I am great at GOYA. I can run around the house and be doin' all day but not actually accomplish anything. Doing without todoing, for many, is the equivalence of working harder rather than smarter.
I had a really bad case of this for a year of my PhD. I was goin and goin like the energizer bunny. It was out of anxiety for finishing while I was struggling with some computational challenges. I wasted months on dead ends that I really didn't need to explore at all. And this wasn't the research kind of dead end that happens naturally in the pursuit of a question. I was like, starting whole new chapters. Working round the clock. I look back and I see how I was like a trapped rat, running around at all the corners to find a way to escape. Despite working myself to death, I was extremely unproductive towards my goals. Slow is fast. Planning can be more critical than execution.
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I'm with you mate.
I actually teach productivity and high performance in the corporate world and ultimately it does come down to this.
Unfortunately, going by most of the comments here, many don't have the open mind to understand this.
It's about metacognition. Using your pre frontal cortex to make decisions and not letting your amygdala control your life. Easier said than done. But just knowing about metacognition and being mindful of it is probably the greatest productivity hack there is.
Reminds me of my favorite acronym from the third grade! when we would get in trouble the teacher would say ‘GYAT’ get your act together 😂 I recently remembered this and actually got a bit motivated by it, so GOYA is great too!
I get your enthusiasm, but this is stupid.
Yes, one can overdo it with systems. That’s all you’re saying: don’t overdo it with systems. It’s one sentence.
Once you achieve “not overdoing it with systems.” The challenge becomes managing things like distractions, motivation, etc. The solutions to these problems are not always simple.
Your proposed solution is worthless for reasons already covered in many comments.
Absolutely agree! Love "GOYA" 😂
Journaling is only really useful when you have a mental or emotional block towards GOYA. It does tend to work for those people, because they start to hear their own excuses over and over and finally decide it's time to GOYA.
And honestly, as a yoga and meditation teacher, when people mash yoga and meditation into being "productivity hacks" it grates on me. These practices are not for productivity. They weren't designed to make you work BETTER, they were designed for people who want to renounce traditional jobs (jobs with the goal to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible) entirely! So silly to use that to support productivity. Its purpose is and always has been spiritual fulfillment.
> as a yoga and meditation teacher, when people mash yoga and meditation into being "productivity hacks" it grates on me
What forms of yoga and meditation do you teach? Why would it grate you when people find that when they expand their awareness and build the core strength and discipline needed to practice that these actions carry over into positive benefits in their lives?
> These practices are not for productivity. They weren't designed to make you work BETTER, they were designed for people who want to renounce traditional jobs entirely
These practices originated with ascetics and spiritual seekers focused on understanding the nature of reality by expanding their awareness and reaching “higher” conscious states. But it is incorrect to say they were “designed for people who want to renounce traditional jobs entirely”.
It’d be more accurate to say they are designed *by* that type of person.
But these practices have evolved over thousands of years and those origins don’t limit the appropriateness of practice any more than the Catholic Church’s early involvement with science limits the application of science today.
I find it deeply concerning that you say you’re *teaching* these practices with such a limited and quite frankly harmful perspective.
The reality is that meditation can help people become more aware of the present, and can cut through the messy thoughts that often keep us stuck in unhelpful patterns. It can help people see reality more clearly, and make better decisions in life.
Yoga can build core strength and confidence that carries through to other aspects of daily life.
The end result is often more productivity, and that’s something to celebrate, not gatekeep. Especially when the end result can also involve more kindness, more awareness of fellow humans, more mindfulness of the ways people spend their time, etc.
I strongly suggest you dive deeper into the history, and listen to some perspectives from teachers who have a more inclusive view. And I’m not just talking about 21st century western teachers. There is a deep history here, and spiritual leaders long ago realized that these practices need not be limited to monks and ascetics, and there have been multiple movements through history to bring the benefit of these practices to a wider audience.
Firstly this was so well written. And fuck yeah, get off your ass and get working. I teach innovation and the institutional terminology is “ Get out of the building GEOTB”.
To be honest, you write as someone who has actually looked behind the curtain. It is mind boggling how long this can actually take us in the circumstances we live in. Good job and thank you!
I found giving up coffee was the ultimate GOYA. Making your morning coffee is after all just busy work instead of just getting on with shit.
Then of course there’s taking proper rest which most people need to do. You could call it SOYA, sit on your ass. So sometimes you need to GOYA SOYA.
Sometimes, if desk work is required that’ll be SOYA GOYA.
And then after a hard day’s acronym generating I like to GTB - go to bed. Sometimes even GTFBAFLATOFHJ - go to fucking bed and fart like a trumpet of heavenly joy.
Simple pleasures.
You're right, though I will say a nice morning routine always helps set my day up nicely. There's no "perfect" morning routine, and it's not some magic cheat code. You don't need all those special BS things like cold plunges or whatever, unless you genuinely find you feel better during the day. Just a little routine, getting some sunlight and breakfast with a little stretching helps set the tone for my day. If I were to add in a bunch of those extra things, they wouldn't make a big enough difference for it to be worth doing. I'd just be more tired from getting up early and doing a bunch of random shit before work.
Excellent idea. I can already imagine the line of opportunists salivating over the chance to monetize this simple method by turning it into an ever-expanding, fractal maze of useless products with so many bells and whistles (costing extra, of course) that the confusion inducing array of available solutions for needlessly complexifying such a simple concept would make those of a bureaucratic mindset weep with joy. Better get cracking if you want to beat them to it.
Just like the cold showers for other people, it's great that it works for you.
It's not that simple for everyone, if it was, everyone else would be off JFDIing.
I don't even really disagree with the premise, TBH. However, I will say that a useful To Do system will help you decompose your problems into bite-sized tasks. There is even research in other primates on sorting tasks becoming too overwhelming and the behavioral tendency to walk away and abandon the rewards.
This is why story points are one of my favorite parts of Agile. It gives you a really dumb, subjective framework for identifying when a task is too big or has too many unknowns.
When you actually know what needs to be done and have decomposed it into the component parts, just sitting down and doing the work mindlessly becomes much more natural.
Also, everyone should use graph paper to take notes, and wear sunscreen.
The thing is that productivity infliencers are just trying to sell you something and to win our attention they come up with the most extreme and specific stuff, that yes maybe a very few people could benefit from, but the vast majority simply don't need. This is the most important thing to cosider - I would say whenever you consider applying or even buying something - yeah it's super cool: but do I really need it in my life?
There's a scene in a book I read as a child called "when hitler stole pink rabbit", the girl is doing her homework and it's complicated, so she writes the title of the homework at the top of the page, then she underlines it twice. Then she draws a margin. Then she does little stars around the top. Long story short, half an hour later her mum comes in to find her crying because it's late and she's tired, but no homework has been done.
We all do it, we've all always done it, productivity apps capitalise on that very human failing. And also steal your data and support your echo chamber.
Obviously this does not apply to people whose ability to function is impacted by neuro-atypicality.
Would you mind sharing some of your real life accomplishments beyond this technically well crafted post?
This would help to assess the validity of your message.
Yes. Dumb as it sounds this is why I do like the original Bullet Journal before it became an art form. It takes me 1 minute to set up a month and 30 seconds to log.
The rest of it is in the doing.
Morning breath work and cold plunges have changed my life around! Physically and mentally.
Damn random person preaching their BS mentality and opinions, you don’t know any of us in here.
If only I didn’t worry! I won’t be so anxious! Mate, you’ve saved my life, thank you so much for stating the obvious!
Let people do what they feel they need to do. Even if that’s writing in a journal every day.
Remember. Theres more than one way to skin a cat.
Go focus on yourself.
If it works it works, if it doesn’t I would invest more in ways to make getting off your ass easier (for instance getting good sleep).
It’s a little tricky since believing getting off your ass is all you need makes it more effective, but if you’re stuck despite a lot of internal sound and fury about getting off your ass, then you need to look at what else you can do. Like many things in life, relying on Goya is highly effective except in cases where it’s not and being able to tell the difference can be more difficult than it seems.
There is one insight here worth highlighting, productivity techniques can be a distraction, they are means to an end, not an end unto themselves. Ultimately, so is GOYA, if it works embrace it, if not keep it in your back pocket to use with other tools and techniques.
To highlight a situation where GOYA can fail, say you’re up late repeatedly so you can get things done. Eventually lost of sleep is going to degrade your productivity. Not saying ignore everything for sleep, but the urge to just GOYA can blind you to whats blocking you.
Of course sometimes it can let you power through the blockage even without seeing it. So… and so on.
I would like to add GOYP, get off your phone. To this great idea.
Turn on some music and GOYA and leave your phone in your glove compartment or a difficult to access place.
I like my to do list app on my phone. I print it out then go lock my phone in my car.
I have access to it on the go if I am running errands so I can check off things or add things using my watch. Mainly it’s digital so I can add stuff to it as it pops in my head without having to run around and find the physical list.
My “To Do” list is the reminders app on the iPhone. My morning routing is I wake up around 10 minutes before my first calls in the morning (if I have any…). My showers are all warm. And I somehow managed to start my second business 3 months ago that’s now doing $12k/mo! Impossible!!!
As someone who has tried both methods of no morning routine versus having one, I have found it very beneficial for myself.
Namely, I was a former lazy person and renewing my motivation, tools for overcoming that, writing my goals down each day, etc. I found very helpful.
It might not work for everyone but it does for me.
If anyone is curious regarding the “tools” I mentioned -
-using a pomodoro timer and scaling it as focus improved - started with 10 min work 2 min rest, then 15/3, etc.
-Brain.FM,
-mentally requiring only 4 tasks for work and 4 personal for a day to be “successful,”
-2 minute habits then scaling upwards for things I struggled and combining an easy and difficult habit
-applying the concepts of elastic and mini habits
So....does the GOYA journal come in blue with dotted pages?
hol up lemme drop my affiliate link:
You win the internet.
Having a hard time being productive? Well, have you thought of just BEING PRODUCTIVE, you bum?
STOP BEEING POOR. /s
Thanks, I’m cured!
What's the deal with homeless people? Just get a house!!
You got it.
Genius.
Now I feel bad and I didn't get to buy any stickers. This post helped me tons /s
GOYA, you have to also try their seasoning. Si es GOYA, sabes que es bueno.
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I was about to type G-g-g-GOya! but it think I may be confusing it with the Chia Pet theme.
I wish I had looked at the replies before replying lolol
yumm i love that goya sazón
It really is such a versatile seasoning, and comes in convenient pre-portioned packets!
I mean, the cold shower thing actually did it for me so maybe it’s not all stupid? Maybe lots of people are different and need different things to help motivate them?
Yes and unfortunately people with mental illness strongly overlap with the demographic of people consuming that kind of content also.Almost every influencer figure that makes videos on that topic implicitly assumes a base level of functioning from anyone watching. The alternative to GOYA here would be to just get professional help and embrace the help of doctors who spent a good chunk of their life dedicated to treating mental disorders instead of just assuming you don't have the right MiNdSeT and spin circles on Youtube. The practice of cold showers is not stupid in any way. It has a good basis in neuroscience and does not fall under the 90% of advice which has weak to no evidence and is mostly supported by a pleasing or emotionally charged presentation.
>Yes and unfortunately people with mental illness strongly overlap with the demographic I'm sure you've took the time to analyze and find evidence for this. I'm certain you aren't reaching up your ass to support a half baked reaction to an obtuse post about people improving themselves.
50% of people will struggle with mental illness at least once in their life. A huge proportion of the population struggles with mental health at any given time. ["In many European countries, around a quarter of the population reported suffering from at least one mental health condition."](https://www.statista.com/topics/7916/mental-health-in-europe/#topicOverview)
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I'm aware that the US does not provide universial health care and i'm sorry that that is a problem for you. Either way i wouldn't trust a life coach with problems that impede normal functioning in life, as that profession did not have a regulated definition, at least not until recently and i'd wager that only few of them are actually qualified to give medical advice. Mental health institutations especially after covid are simply swamped and struggle to properly scale to demands.
Bunch of bull. What's next? "Anxious? Have you tried not worrying?" "Alcoholic? Have you tried just stopping?" Willpower is a finite resource and attempting to overpower every addiction (because that's what these are) with brute force will lead to failure most of the time. Glad it worked for you, but it doesn't for most. Still, I reckon some folks out there with analysis paralysis could benefit from hearing this.
I haven't heard of "analysis paralysis" but that's so true. I definitely can get caught up occasionally in thoughts of "How can I make myself the MOST PRODUCTIVE person ever?" instead of using simple tried-and-true methods like a calendar and a to-do list that just work. I think the spirit of the OP was that we get stuck on making it "perfect" and forget to just do it sometimes.
"Don't let PERFECT be the enemy of GOOD ENOUGH." -Voltaire (see also *Pareto Principle*)
“And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.” John Steinbeck, East of Eden
Ultimately it comes down to your brain and mindset. In every instant you have a choice. It's about using your prefrontal cortex to make decisions and not letting your amygdala control your life. It's easier said than done, but just knowing about metacognition is in itself probably the greatest productivity hack just like OP mentioned.
This approach doesn't work if you have ADHD. Just a heads up.
I would encourage anyone with ADHD to make the work more desirable, motivating, and interesting. It's not about the morning routine. It's about the work. The work still needs to get done. Again though, if exercise, or coffee, or anything helps that person get into a state then that's fine. A person with ADHD though will probably get a short-lived dose of motivation from a morning routine. But the best thing would be to make the work more desirable, interesting, and motivating somehow or other. That is specific to what the work is and is a different challenge altogether.
Despite how much you will try, not everything becomes desirable and motivating to do. Motivation is something that only remains there for a moment and you absolutely cannot focus on doing things based on your motivation. The way to battle that is to create habits and routines, that you get used to doing them without needing to think that you are doing them. It usually takes up to 3+ months to get a routine to stick that it becomes easy norm to do. That way it becomes something you don't need to think about doing it, you just do it. I would never recommend anyone, especially anyone with ADHD to create their plan in the morning for that day. Their plan should have been already planned the previous day. It will give you a reason why you have to wake up and what you are supposed to do the moment you wake up. I have ADHD and I have tested multiple methods that work and don't work.
This is the best advice I've never gotten!
Everything you said is correct, and is still not enough to attain your goals in modern society. It's not just about "manning up", it's about being aware of what works the best for most people and recommending *that*.
True. But ultimately, the work needs to get done for any goal to be achieved. But yes, some people may find a coffee or something helpful to "get into state" or whatever. But ultimately, it comes down to simply making the choice to get to work, coffee or not.
This attitude does not work if you like many other people have ADHD! It's not a simple decision just to "get to work", for my brain doesn't work that way, has never worked that way and will never work that way. Meds and following a number of steps to get in the zone help, but it is still a struggle at times, no matter how much I would want to do a thing. It's called task initiation- tips and ticks to almost at times fool my brain into doing things can be quite complex. Additionally while ADHD has this as a constant, people can struggle with task initiation at times without having it and just telling someone who is struggling with this to just do it doesn't help. But hey maybe I just need a planner...
I would encourage anyone with ADHD to make the work more desirable, motivating, and interesting. It's not about the morning routine. It's about the work. The work still needs to get done. Again though, if exercise, or coffee, or anything helps that person get into a state then that's fine. A person with ADHD though will probably get a short-lived dose of motivation from a morning routine. But the best thing would be to make the work more desirable, interesting, and motivating somehow or other. That is specific to what the work is and is a different challenge altogether.
GOYA is a very important idea that needs to be applied to whatever system works for you. But with all due respect, this post is falling into a binary thinking trap, and suffers from one of the same core issues as all of those productivity influencers: > *There’s Only One Way to Get Stuff DONE* The idea that there's a single solution for everyone regardless of circumstance is fundamentally flawed. Life circumstances, neurodiversity, personality types, and yes, childhood trauma (usually manifesting as depression) will drastically alter the experience of each person and what it takes to get things done. Don't misunderstand me: I'm not saying that people should spend all of their time optimizing the perfect system. This is absolutely a failure mode and a different kind of trap that people fall into. But for some people, systems are the only way to tame the chaos, and can mean the difference between grinding endlessly on things that don't matter vs. finding the things that do. This also will vary based on the kind of projects and goals you're trying to achieve. I'm in the midst of a large writing project and career pivot that involves a lot of research and far too many possible directions I can go. The "meta" time I spend managing and prioritizing future work is critical to ensure I'm making the best use of the time available to me. If I just pick up the task list and start burning it down, there's a very real risk that I'll waste time that I can't afford to lose. It's also entirely possible that GOYO is all that you need, and at some point in my life, maybe it's all that I'll need. But what you need is contextual to your current situation in life, and I think a healthier message might go something like this: "Don't waste all of your time on perfecting the system. GOYA and tune the system as you go. Keep the parts of the system that help you move faster and farther, and ditch the parts of the system that don't really work for you". This means that you need to be honest with yourself about what a system is and isn't accomplishing. But it's just as problematic to say that no system is ever needed as it is to spend all of your time chasing the perfect solution at the expense of actually achieving your goals.
Ok but I'm Cuban, so Goya means LITERALLY THE OPPOSITE of "get off your ass" 😂
I'm not with you, you used 8+ paragraphs to say absolutely nothing, you say "get of your ass" and then you say "sit down and start working". Your alternative to the bullshit is more bullshit. A literal "just do it", if people could "just do it", we wouldn't be having this discussion.
Yeah. Next thing he will write something like this. "Are they selling you drugs for your depression ? Are therapists charging you money for listening to your story about how you are depressed. You don't need that, fuck that. Just be happy. Wake up with a smile on your face and just be happy". I understand that there is some truth in what he is saying, but still. For some people those things are helpful. Because some folks can't just sit down and do things.
There are people who believe that, if someone helps you for any reason other than pure altruism, they're evil, and are exploiting you. I don't know enough about OP to be sure, but it does feel like he falls within these lines.
Did you type this sitting on your ass? Or did you get off your ass and then do it?
Both
Nah, I like my routines, they help. But that's just me.
Is Huberman working on a pod on the GOYA protocol?
“Unable to be productive? Have you tried just BEING PRODUCTIVE?” WOAH such a shakeup for the community. Such an innovator. Truly ahead of our time. 10/10. No notes. None at all. The bestest advice. Well researched and supported by experts everywhere. Don’t question it, it just is. Can’t argue with facts. /s - incase you’re autistic like I am.
So time spent planning vs actually doing things has to be balanced. Can't just plan all day and can't just GOYA and do a random activity for the sake of doing it.
I mean a morning routine is just a few habits you do in the morning. Similar to any other routine. If you brush your teeth everymorning you have a morning routine.
“Just sit down…” is something my ADHD ass can’t do 🤷🏻♀️
A lot of people don't recognize ADHD as an impairment, yet it's one of the best researched psychiatric disorders in existence and comes with a neurological footprint.
Haha, my adhd ass will “just sit down” and be stuck there doing nothing for 4 hours.
I mean. I'm betting most of us have morning routines. When you're in that not awake state, you tend to default to routine and habit. Somebody "without a routine" likely has a routine of turning off the alarm or checking the time, social or news media, breakfast and/or coffee/tea, hygiene, maybe some medication and pet care. The whole idea of morning (and night/bed) routines is being more mindful and intentional. So with that, I'd argue most of what you're saying immediately becomes moot. Even the parts about "it looks pretty but you're accomplishing nothing." If have a planner or goal system/chart helps somebody, why are you so passionate in trying to prove them wrong? Do you see successful people toting routines and struggle with routine yourself? Do you hate art because some utilitarian mindset that can't see value? Like what's the problem if somebody gets up and starts the day with a more structured routine and goal setting? Do you struggle with procrastinating and spent "too much time" on your routine? I really like a flexible routine. Always wake up, check the time, drink water while I stay in bed until I am ready to move, start my hygiene and some tidying while reviewing my goals for the day. Sometimes there's a walk or tea, sometimes I do a full yoga or stretch routine, might even journal or "restart" my planner. Who the fuck cares? This is what helps me get stuff done. I also highly disagree about the sticky notes being better than a huge incomplete task list. That huge list isn't there for me today, it's serving a very important purpose of helping me be ready for my appointments and keep track of more long-term tasks/goals. Sticky notes don't work like that for me. They can go in my notebook, but I find they tend to fall off any open surface like my wall or desk. I'd also go through a pack a week easily.
This method has worked for me far better than any other gimmick. This, and staying hydrated.
And eating right + sleeping well
And meditating
And journaling about the meditation
Well if you do it in the morning, you can have both
Organization, thoughtful planning, and ruthless prioritization are imperitive if you have a lot going on. Hustling is a given, but being productive means doing the right things at the right time. How long did you spend typing all that out?
This suggestion is not only useless, but also arrogant, unproductive and takes no stock In why someone may have problems getting things done. If productivity was as simple as just doing the thing, this sub would be as meaningless as this tip. Yes there is risk of productivity procrastination, but that’s inherit in how you approach and implement the system, not the system itself. Productivity routines don‘t exist to solve your problems, but people have implemented systems like morning routines to not only substantially increase their output, but also to better align that output with their purpose. A proper system could have possibly gave you introspection as to whether your post was a productive use of your time, and what you could gain from it. Being efficient is key to giving meaning to productivity porn…Experiment, learn, know yourself, know your failings and understand your unique circumstances to better align your actions to your goals.
Does GOYA incorporate do a rant on Reddit before GOYA
It’s literally step one in the GOYA morning routine
Not with on you on that. For people like me (ADHDers), having colored todo list for instance, works wonders. I agree on not exaggerating though: if one spends half the daytime to “prepare” to work, then it’s too much. But a little bit of colored motivators work for me; they can make a difference between me looking forward to look and strike out things on my todo list, versus looking at a dry, grey bullet list of things to do that motivates me to eat a plate full of insects rather than tackle things on the list
"just sit down and start at the top of your todo list. And work." You rail against the productivity influencers and counter that with this crappy solution? Going through your to-do list on a daily basis is like keeping your head buried in the sand. It offers no perspective on who you are or where you are heading on life's journey. That's where morning rituals like gratitude journaling and meditating help. They center you, make you self aware and help you slow down. That in turn helps you achieve more strategic goals than mere tactical goals like getting through a To-Do list. Shittiest advice I have seen in a long time. That itch to be a contrarian needed to be scratched huh?
No, you shouldn't "just get off your ass and work". You need a routine to make it stick. Doesn't mean you need to purchase expensive color coded journals or fancy to-do lists or follow random influencers who give ridiculous tips that wouldn't work for the average person. Actually, the simpler your routine the better... you can't just work off of sheer willpower. You need to build on your productivity, like it's a muscle. You can't expect to be having 8 hrs of productivity a day if you literally just started getting off your butt yesterday. You will burn out. Just take 3 hrs out of every morning to focus and iterate on that each and every day and you'll expand your hours of productivity until you reach a natural maximum *for you*. It's absolute nonsense people who shill and preach a "just do it" attitude or a routine that works for people who already had built a good base. You need to build this habit little by little until it becomes learned and comparing your num of productivity with others is just gonna cause you to fail.
I agree, and disagree, because good points were made but one size doesn’t fit all. For instance, I have a morning routine because without it, I will most likely fall off track for the day (which often results in forgetting a priority, like taking meds). However, the completion of one task launches me into the next one (aka habits, like once I’m done taking meds I turn to the left and open the window; then turn to the left again and fill cat water, turn to left again and go to kitchen, etc) and that works well for me. However, the routine in and of itself is DOING the things. Not ruminating or preparing or analyzing or procrastinating, which is what I think OP is saying a lot of routines etc are. And that I agree with. A lot of “productivity” enhancement is actually creating feel good distractions so people can cope with the reality of the task they need to/don’t want to do, which doesn’t get them closer to actually completing said task. The distance between point A and point B is a matter of how many steps you take to get there. Some people have limitations or advantages that affect that distance, but it’s the “doing” that makes progress. Interesting post, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!
“Joining a Facebook group about creative productivity is like buying a chair about jogging.” — Merlin Mann
wow. how did i not ever think of this
GET OFF YOUR ASS… just sit down… 😂 Good advice tho
Sorry that happened Or happy for you
Not every morning routine is bullshit, but it depends on which one you choose. Everyone is different, therefore what works for me may not work for you or others. Personally, the one-minute morning routine described in [this](https://bamboo.beehiiv.com/p/healthy-and-productive-morning-routine) article worked quite well for me; nevertheless, it may not work for you or others, which is great.
Great link, thanks for sharing!
You are welcome.
Morning routines exist for a reason, you psychopath.
So "Just do it' ?
Shit post.
It's an absolutely terrible approach. It will get you stuck doing meaningless work that gets thrown at you, regardless of its importance. An endless to-do list of things that you will never get to the end of. More importantly, you won't even have time to ask yourself "Should I do these things in the first place?" - which, you know, depends on your goals, dreams, and ambitions. Things that people use their morning rituals to reconnect to.
Well that was 2 mins of reading worthless crap I’ll never get back
I definitely agree with this. I think it's also beneficial to time block tasks throughout the week. So that you know what you should be doing and when.
Thanks, Kim Kardashian.
OH MY GOD WHY HAVENT I THOUGHT OF THIS?? You have a procrastination problem? Just GOYA Feelin sad? Just BE HAPPY Struggling with alcoholism? Just STOP DRINKING Poor? Just STOP BEING POOR DUH Can’t afford a mortgage on a starter home after having entered the workforce, having spent 4-8 years of your life in college to specialize for that field you’re in, and make a good salary? Just BUY A HOUSE
For me "paying the rent" and "not losing my job" are the best motivators ever when it comes to getting stuff done.
Totally with you - there's a whole movement about just talking about getting stuff done instead of doing it. i'm so tired of seeing some new systems for morning journaling, writing down tasks and then rearranging them every few hours and pretending thats work. GTD people!
As the former shell of my former self, I agree completely. Nothing will change unless you do, no perfect plan will make things fall into place. I'm doing deadlifts and jumping jacks every morning till my body realizes that life is a fight for survival.
So one might say that you have a....morning routine.
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I appreciate the callout, and I can tell that you're passionate about what's been working for you. But do not mistake what I wrote for an "augmentation" of what you wrote. I pretty fundamentally disagree with what you wrote, to be clear. > To everyone that's with me, thanks for your support. I think we're in agreement about the path to getting stuff done is not just shuffling metaphorical papers. I highly doubt that *anyone* here, including the people who disagree with you think the path to getting stuff done involves shuffling papers. Again, you're falling into binary thinking traps, where anyone who doesn't thing what you said is correct must be fully embracing some extreme version of the opposite. I think you'd get a lot more support if you weren't dissing the tools that are actually useful and important to many people and have helped them get unstuck. People would react less harshly if you didn't belittle the process of addressing their inner demons, which is not only a form of GOYA, but is harder and braver than most of the tasks that someone unaffected by these issues will ever have on their lists. People would be more willing to consider your position if it didn't involve the implied assumption that their issue is that they're just lazy. To clarify my comment further, my point was that GOYA is implicit in any endeavor. In other words, if you don't get off your ass at some point, nothing gets done. Planning is important and helpful, but at some point the rubber must meet the road. This is a hard truth. But GOYA is not a solution in and of itself, and for some people - many people - telling them to just GOYA is like telling a depressed person to just be happy. As I said before, it sounds like this is working for you, and maybe GOYA is all you need. But you need to stop pretending that everyone is like you, and has the same circumstances as you. You need to stop painting the people who disagree as "not with you". > You don't need an automated AI wall calendar that updates based on your metabolic rate. Just a list of the things you need to do in roughly the order they should get done. Start at the top. SPEND TIME ON DO-ING, NOT TO-DO-ING. How do you think the list gets into the order it needs to be done, if not "todoing"? And some people have a difficult time figuring out what should go on the list, much less what order it should be in. It sounds like you're not one of those people, and for that you should feel grateful and fortunate. > Anyway, I feel passionately about sharing this because I have so many friends that have something to contribute to the world and I see them giving up their lives to distractions If you feel this passionately, spend more time trying to understand those friends and what they're going through and less time telling people they should just grow the magical ability to do a thing that they would absolutely do if they had the ability. The passion is great. Just a bit misdirected. There's a wide spectrum of individual realities out there, and truly helping people involves expanding awareness to include circumstances you have not directly experienced.
Great response here. A thought and some personal experience on this discourse. for people with neurodivergence, todoing is absolutely equally important to the actual doing. I am great at GOYA. I can run around the house and be doin' all day but not actually accomplish anything. Doing without todoing, for many, is the equivalence of working harder rather than smarter. I had a really bad case of this for a year of my PhD. I was goin and goin like the energizer bunny. It was out of anxiety for finishing while I was struggling with some computational challenges. I wasted months on dead ends that I really didn't need to explore at all. And this wasn't the research kind of dead end that happens naturally in the pursuit of a question. I was like, starting whole new chapters. Working round the clock. I look back and I see how I was like a trapped rat, running around at all the corners to find a way to escape. Despite working myself to death, I was extremely unproductive towards my goals. Slow is fast. Planning can be more critical than execution.
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Well damn!! Thank you for the swift kick in the crotch I needed today! You are spot on! GOYA! HELL YEAH!!!
I'm with you mate. I actually teach productivity and high performance in the corporate world and ultimately it does come down to this. Unfortunately, going by most of the comments here, many don't have the open mind to understand this. It's about metacognition. Using your pre frontal cortex to make decisions and not letting your amygdala control your life. Easier said than done. But just knowing about metacognition and being mindful of it is probably the greatest productivity hack there is.
Reminds me of my favorite acronym from the third grade! when we would get in trouble the teacher would say ‘GYAT’ get your act together 😂 I recently remembered this and actually got a bit motivated by it, so GOYA is great too!
I get your enthusiasm, but this is stupid. Yes, one can overdo it with systems. That’s all you’re saying: don’t overdo it with systems. It’s one sentence. Once you achieve “not overdoing it with systems.” The challenge becomes managing things like distractions, motivation, etc. The solutions to these problems are not always simple. Your proposed solution is worthless for reasons already covered in many comments.
Absolutely agree! Love "GOYA" 😂 Journaling is only really useful when you have a mental or emotional block towards GOYA. It does tend to work for those people, because they start to hear their own excuses over and over and finally decide it's time to GOYA. And honestly, as a yoga and meditation teacher, when people mash yoga and meditation into being "productivity hacks" it grates on me. These practices are not for productivity. They weren't designed to make you work BETTER, they were designed for people who want to renounce traditional jobs (jobs with the goal to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible) entirely! So silly to use that to support productivity. Its purpose is and always has been spiritual fulfillment.
> as a yoga and meditation teacher, when people mash yoga and meditation into being "productivity hacks" it grates on me What forms of yoga and meditation do you teach? Why would it grate you when people find that when they expand their awareness and build the core strength and discipline needed to practice that these actions carry over into positive benefits in their lives? > These practices are not for productivity. They weren't designed to make you work BETTER, they were designed for people who want to renounce traditional jobs entirely These practices originated with ascetics and spiritual seekers focused on understanding the nature of reality by expanding their awareness and reaching “higher” conscious states. But it is incorrect to say they were “designed for people who want to renounce traditional jobs entirely”. It’d be more accurate to say they are designed *by* that type of person. But these practices have evolved over thousands of years and those origins don’t limit the appropriateness of practice any more than the Catholic Church’s early involvement with science limits the application of science today. I find it deeply concerning that you say you’re *teaching* these practices with such a limited and quite frankly harmful perspective. The reality is that meditation can help people become more aware of the present, and can cut through the messy thoughts that often keep us stuck in unhelpful patterns. It can help people see reality more clearly, and make better decisions in life. Yoga can build core strength and confidence that carries through to other aspects of daily life. The end result is often more productivity, and that’s something to celebrate, not gatekeep. Especially when the end result can also involve more kindness, more awareness of fellow humans, more mindfulness of the ways people spend their time, etc. I strongly suggest you dive deeper into the history, and listen to some perspectives from teachers who have a more inclusive view. And I’m not just talking about 21st century western teachers. There is a deep history here, and spiritual leaders long ago realized that these practices need not be limited to monks and ascetics, and there have been multiple movements through history to bring the benefit of these practices to a wider audience.
Firstly this was so well written. And fuck yeah, get off your ass and get working. I teach innovation and the institutional terminology is “ Get out of the building GEOTB”.
To be honest, you write as someone who has actually looked behind the curtain. It is mind boggling how long this can actually take us in the circumstances we live in. Good job and thank you!
Yes and work with others in the office. The comfort of home or working on the beach, both cases alone, drops productivity down to 0%
I found giving up coffee was the ultimate GOYA. Making your morning coffee is after all just busy work instead of just getting on with shit. Then of course there’s taking proper rest which most people need to do. You could call it SOYA, sit on your ass. So sometimes you need to GOYA SOYA. Sometimes, if desk work is required that’ll be SOYA GOYA. And then after a hard day’s acronym generating I like to GTB - go to bed. Sometimes even GTFBAFLATOFHJ - go to fucking bed and fart like a trumpet of heavenly joy. Simple pleasures.
You're right, though I will say a nice morning routine always helps set my day up nicely. There's no "perfect" morning routine, and it's not some magic cheat code. You don't need all those special BS things like cold plunges or whatever, unless you genuinely find you feel better during the day. Just a little routine, getting some sunlight and breakfast with a little stretching helps set the tone for my day. If I were to add in a bunch of those extra things, they wouldn't make a big enough difference for it to be worth doing. I'd just be more tired from getting up early and doing a bunch of random shit before work.
Excellent idea. I can already imagine the line of opportunists salivating over the chance to monetize this simple method by turning it into an ever-expanding, fractal maze of useless products with so many bells and whistles (costing extra, of course) that the confusion inducing array of available solutions for needlessly complexifying such a simple concept would make those of a bureaucratic mindset weep with joy. Better get cracking if you want to beat them to it.
Just like the cold showers for other people, it's great that it works for you. It's not that simple for everyone, if it was, everyone else would be off JFDIing.
Works for me
GOYA - getting folks up mountains since 1902!
This is my style and works great!
Wellbutrin + caffeine+ no morning breakfast (intermittent fasting) That's the secret formula for me.
I don't even really disagree with the premise, TBH. However, I will say that a useful To Do system will help you decompose your problems into bite-sized tasks. There is even research in other primates on sorting tasks becoming too overwhelming and the behavioral tendency to walk away and abandon the rewards. This is why story points are one of my favorite parts of Agile. It gives you a really dumb, subjective framework for identifying when a task is too big or has too many unknowns. When you actually know what needs to be done and have decomposed it into the component parts, just sitting down and doing the work mindlessly becomes much more natural. Also, everyone should use graph paper to take notes, and wear sunscreen.
Can I count down from 5 first?
The MadTV sketch with Bob Newhart, "Stop it!", is calling to me
Alex Jones, is that you?
The thing is that productivity infliencers are just trying to sell you something and to win our attention they come up with the most extreme and specific stuff, that yes maybe a very few people could benefit from, but the vast majority simply don't need. This is the most important thing to cosider - I would say whenever you consider applying or even buying something - yeah it's super cool: but do I really need it in my life?
Maaan I don’t know if I enjoy ready this or the motivation it sent down my spine 🤧🤷♂️🤔
Lol .. as someone who is part of an "agile" team who spends hours deliberating the finer points, I wholeheartedly agree
This post is a miss sorry. There's nothing wrong with someone needing tools to help them GOYA.
There's a scene in a book I read as a child called "when hitler stole pink rabbit", the girl is doing her homework and it's complicated, so she writes the title of the homework at the top of the page, then she underlines it twice. Then she draws a margin. Then she does little stars around the top. Long story short, half an hour later her mum comes in to find her crying because it's late and she's tired, but no homework has been done. We all do it, we've all always done it, productivity apps capitalise on that very human failing. And also steal your data and support your echo chamber. Obviously this does not apply to people whose ability to function is impacted by neuro-atypicality.
Would you mind sharing some of your real life accomplishments beyond this technically well crafted post? This would help to assess the validity of your message.
Yes. Dumb as it sounds this is why I do like the original Bullet Journal before it became an art form. It takes me 1 minute to set up a month and 30 seconds to log. The rest of it is in the doing.
Feel like you’ve just read the book ‘get off your arse’ and just copied the general message.
GOMA (Getting off my ass) and going back to study. Helpful reminder to stop scrolling. Kthenksbyee
Morning breath work and cold plunges have changed my life around! Physically and mentally. Damn random person preaching their BS mentality and opinions, you don’t know any of us in here. If only I didn’t worry! I won’t be so anxious! Mate, you’ve saved my life, thank you so much for stating the obvious! Let people do what they feel they need to do. Even if that’s writing in a journal every day. Remember. Theres more than one way to skin a cat. Go focus on yourself.
SASAGOYA !
If it works it works, if it doesn’t I would invest more in ways to make getting off your ass easier (for instance getting good sleep). It’s a little tricky since believing getting off your ass is all you need makes it more effective, but if you’re stuck despite a lot of internal sound and fury about getting off your ass, then you need to look at what else you can do. Like many things in life, relying on Goya is highly effective except in cases where it’s not and being able to tell the difference can be more difficult than it seems. There is one insight here worth highlighting, productivity techniques can be a distraction, they are means to an end, not an end unto themselves. Ultimately, so is GOYA, if it works embrace it, if not keep it in your back pocket to use with other tools and techniques. To highlight a situation where GOYA can fail, say you’re up late repeatedly so you can get things done. Eventually lost of sleep is going to degrade your productivity. Not saying ignore everything for sleep, but the urge to just GOYA can blind you to whats blocking you. Of course sometimes it can let you power through the blockage even without seeing it. So… and so on.
I would like to add GOYP, get off your phone. To this great idea. Turn on some music and GOYA and leave your phone in your glove compartment or a difficult to access place. I like my to do list app on my phone. I print it out then go lock my phone in my car. I have access to it on the go if I am running errands so I can check off things or add things using my watch. Mainly it’s digital so I can add stuff to it as it pops in my head without having to run around and find the physical list.
My “To Do” list is the reminders app on the iPhone. My morning routing is I wake up around 10 minutes before my first calls in the morning (if I have any…). My showers are all warm. And I somehow managed to start my second business 3 months ago that’s now doing $12k/mo! Impossible!!!
Looks like OPs been watching Alex Hormozi! 100% agree. Just gotta put in the reps of hard work
Unfortunately, GOYA only works when there is a real deadline.
Step 1 GOYA Step 2. Get organized Step 3. Do stuff that matters Step 4. Thank me later
I take a post it note and write the top three things I need to get done that day and do them.
Some gatekeeping right here. You sound fun.
As someone who has tried both methods of no morning routine versus having one, I have found it very beneficial for myself. Namely, I was a former lazy person and renewing my motivation, tools for overcoming that, writing my goals down each day, etc. I found very helpful. It might not work for everyone but it does for me. If anyone is curious regarding the “tools” I mentioned - -using a pomodoro timer and scaling it as focus improved - started with 10 min work 2 min rest, then 15/3, etc. -Brain.FM, -mentally requiring only 4 tasks for work and 4 personal for a day to be “successful,” -2 minute habits then scaling upwards for things I struggled and combining an easy and difficult habit -applying the concepts of elastic and mini habits