One of the best things I’ve ever read when it comes to accomplishing the things that you want done the most is to finish what is on your desk for today, and that is it.
By doing so, you finish what is on your desk that will bring you one step closer to being richer, wiser, and happier before the night ends. Before I read the article, I had already been doing this for myself in other areas of my life; this just further developed me along the journey.
I hadn’t realized that I had adopted the quality traits of being a task-oriented person over the years through the effects of compounding my efforts, thanks to a little book called The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy and the determination to break certain habits from my upbringing.
All these little methods, articles, and books that I read, combined with my personal ambition to be a better person, taught me how to solidify the steps and actions I was taking. If anyone wants to read the article mentioned, here it is:, How Do You Get Rich? Do What is On Your Desk and Do It Well
I took the philosophy of finishing what is on my desk a step further and applied it to my everyday life, creating systems for even seemingly small things such as cleaning dishes before bed and taking out the trash no matter what before bed.
Understand that in order to get something done, you have to put it on the agenda for today
It doesn’t matter how big or small; if it’s important to you, make time. It’s not about how much you get done within a certain day but about moving the needle forward.
If your goal is to write a book and you only have 15 minutes a day to do it, then dedicate those 15 minutes. Take those 15 minutes before bedtime, before you take a shower, or even while you’re going to the bathroom, make it happen.
The saying is true if you want something bad enough you’ll find something worth sacrificing for it. And no, we aren’t talking about the blood of an animal while chanting to the Gods above. We are talking about giving up those 15 minutes used scrolling on social media or watching TV. I personally believe that you can find more than 15 minutes if you have time to scroll on social media and stay up to date on current TV shows.
It all comes down to how bad you really want to move your life forward in the direction you want it to go.
I have my own rule, which is to complete three tasks a day that will carry me closer to my goal
As long as those three get done, I feel productive and successful for the day, and this is something I took to heart over the years as I fall in love with completing tasks. You should have your main tasks for tomorrow written down the night before—three things you need to get done that will move your life forward. As long as you accomplish those three, the others can come next.
So this might look like going grocery shopping after work, finally picking up that book you’ve had on your nightstand, and one other task. To make these tasks manageable, be realistic with your time and reasonable with where you are at with yourself and in life.
For grocery shopping, it could be that protein powder you’ve been wanting to start taking for muscle growth or healthier food options. Here, it means making a list, getting what’s on that list, and completing the task. Just make sure the list is realistic if you aren’t in the state to change up your entire eating habits even though you want to change them – so a protein powder might just be the only thing on the list to make the task realistic and effective to move yourself forward.
For picking up the book that had been sitting on your night stand for months, it looks like setting a goal of 1 – 2 pages at first especially if you haven’t read in a while due to a busy schedule. So, read the first page or two, complete the task and the more you get used to crossing a task off your list no matter how big or small you’ll start to get used to making time for the things important to you.
The key to completing tasks is to focus on the present, not the future. What you do today is all you can control right now.
For example, this blog is something I hope will eventually gain traction and make me a bit of income while I’m in college, but that’s out of my control. There’s nothing I can do besides write one article at a time to the best of my ability and SEO standards, and then move on to the next article. All I can do with schoolwork is focus on one task at a time: one assignment, one paragraph, one lecture at a time.
There’s something satisfying about checking off a task once it’s done and then moving to the next one. It only stays fun if you make it manageable and reasonable. Instead of trying to do all 20 tasks due for the week over a couple of days, spread them out reasonably within your schedule.
For example, if I know I have an exam coming up and need to practice, I’ll spread the time I need to dedicate to it over three days to practice. If I know I have homework due on Thursday and it’s Monday, I’ll do three assignments one day, three the next, and three the following day. As long as I repeat those tasks, I feel productive and good for the next day because I’m one step closer to achieving my goal, which is passing my class.
Each task you do should bring you closer to what you’re trying to achieve. As long as you keep that in mind and are able to tick off tasks each night, you’re already on your way.
The Broke College Student 
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