Welcome back everybody, I'm your host Greg McEwan, I'm the author of Essentialism and Effortless
and I am on this journey with you to learn so that we can figure out how to design a life
that really matters. Do you ever feel that your life is becoming more and more reactive?
Even where you get good things done in a day, you still feel like your life is living you
rather than you intentionally living your life. Well in today's episode I'm going to share with you
the one two three method. It's simple, it's clear and it's something that you can utilize today
and every day to be able to design a more essential life. Let's get to it.
If you're listening to this episode for the first time, I invite you to subscribe to the Greg McEwan
podcast so that you can get new episodes every Tuesday and every Thursday.
This week I reread the Nike staff memo from 1977. You can tell it's been written in a hurry,
even cutting through the rules of good grammar to just say what it is they wanted to say. Number 10
on the list is basically if we do the right things will make money pretty much automatic.
And I was thinking about that this week when I was listening to an episode of Millionaire
University where Justin Williams describes the seven ways successful companies grow and how when
you get those pieces put together right the end results the bottom of the funnel let's say
really starts to work naturally even effortlessly and I'm not the only person that's enjoying
the Millionaire University there are other listeners who just love it.
One listener writes I've found every episode to be extremely informational,
motivational and fun to listen to so join me in listening to the Millionaire University podcast.
New episodes drop Mondays and Thursdays. You can find the Millionaire University on Apple,
Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to an episode today and subscribe.
Just today I got an email about an app subscription that I signed up for unknowingly.
So this is now a subscription that will come monthly or maybe it was annually,
I don't really remember if I forget about it. And I know full well you've had this experience.
You get around to checking your credit card statements, your bank statement and you find
not one but too many different things that you've signed up for that you've completely forgotten
about. I mean subscriptions are really based on that sort of model. So this is one thing that
attracted me to rocket money. It's a service that provides a whole series of features but one
thing that really grabbed me in the first place was their ability to either eliminate or manage
or negotiate on your behalf for subscriptions. So if you have no idea just how much you're spending
each month, you need rocket money. It's a simple, great app that tracks all of your expenses so
you know exactly where your money is going. And you can do that by going to rocketmoney.com slash
Greg. That's rocketmoney.com slash Greg. Have you ever met someone like Sarah? You might not know
her by name but you've met her type. She's always on the go juggling projects, tasks and life's
unexpected curve balls. Her to-do list is endless, her energy frequently depleted and the
satisfaction from accomplishing things can sometimes be surprisingly low. But imagine if you will
that she stumbles upon a method simple on the surface yet profound in its impact. The 123 method,
a rule of thumb rooted in principles from essentialism and in the concept of effortless execution.
Step one, identify that one essential project. It's the project that aligns with your goals,
your passions, your purpose. This is what you invest a solid three hours on. Of course it doesn't
have to be exactly that but that's the rule of thumb. Preferably in the morning when your
mental energy is at its peak. This is based on the principle that focused,
undistracted work can lead to extraordinary results. Step two, you identify two tasks that are
urgent and essential. These aren't just any tasks, they're tasks that might have serious implications
if they're not done today. And by capping it at two you prevent overwhelm and ensure quality
execution. Step three, the final step is about maintenance. Identify three things that help maintain
order and effortless execution. It could be doing laundry, paying bills, making your meal plan,
having a calendar meeting, the maintenance items that if left undone make your life far harder
than it needs to be. Let's go through each step with a little more context. Step one in the process
is identifying your priority for today. Long time listeners have heard this before but it's worth
repeating. The word priority has its origins in the Latin word prior which means first or earliest.
Priority was singular in its use. First recorded in the 14th century, signifying the state or
condition of being earlier or proceeding in time, rank or importance. The idea was simple.
There was one thing that stood out as being the foremost or leading concern. However, as time
progressed and the pace of life became more complex, particularly in the modern industrial age,
the term evolved to encompass the plural priorities. Indicating a shift in thinking,
suddenly it became common to speak of having multiple top concerns or tasks,
reflecting the multifaceted demands of contemporary life. This linguistic shift underscores a deeper
societal change wherein individuals are frequently torn between 32 things that they think
are all the priority. Everything changes in the tone of a day once we have identified the one key
mission. The thing that we need to give our most concentrated energy onto and spend those two or
three hours of our peak mental abilities invested in, which brings us to step two in the one,
two, three method. This is where we identify two tasks that are essential and urgent.
When we neglect the important but urgent tasks, we expose ourselves to a cascade of negative
consequences. These tasks by their very nature require immediate attention because of their
potential impact on our personal or professional lives. Ignoring them can lead to missed opportunities,
strange relationships or compounded problems. Over time, neglecting such tasks can result
in crisis management, where we're constantly putting out fires rather than proactively addressing
issues. This reactive approach not only elevates stress levels but also drains our energy,
time and resources. Additionally, it can tarnish our reputation, hinder growth and a road trust
among peers or loved ones. By not focusing on the important yet urgent matters, we inadvertently
set ourselves on a path of perpetual catch-up, making it difficult to achieve long-term goals
or maintain a sense of balance in our life. I should say that sometimes I have got this wrong,
in focusing so much on the things that are essential and not urgent,
I have sometimes let the things that are important and urgent build up to a point
that I pay a far greater price for what could have been done earlier and easier.
So this takes us to step three in the one, two, three method. Identifying three items of maintenance
that we're going to get completely done today. Neglecting the maintenance items of our lives,
whether they pertain to our physical health, relationships or even tangible possessions,
can lead to gradual deterioration. Maintenance is of course the act of preserving the good and
ensuring longevity. By not attending to these regular upkeep tasks, small issues can magnify
into significant problems. For instance, skipping routine health check-ups might result in undetected
conditions that could have been addressed earlier. Similarly, not dedicating time to nurture
relationships can lead to feelings of distance or misunderstanding. On a tangible level,
failing to maintain a car or a home can result in costly repairs down the line.
In essence, overlooking maintenance creates a snowball effect. What starts as a minor oversight
can accumulate into overwhelming challenges, often demanding more time, energy and resources
than if they had been addressed promptly. So this is it, the one, two, three method. Identifying
one priority project that you want to invest the early hours of the day to, two essential but
urgent tasks that you want to complete next. And then three items of maintenance that will help
your life to run smoothly and as effortlessly as possible. The rhythm of our lives and the weight
of our choices hinge on a simple understanding. Clarity in prioritization. The history of the word
priority reminds us of the value in singularity and focusing on that which is truly paramount.
Yet as the demands of our modern age increase, we often find ourselves juggling the urgent with
the essential. This dance while complex becomes easier to navigate with the one, two, three method.
In summary, the one, two, three method is a structured approach to managing our lives with intent
and focus. At its core, it emphasizes the importance of prioritizing a single essential project
every day. Addressing two urgent tasks and then getting three items of maintenance done
so that life moves forward smoothly. In a world saturated with distractions and endless to-dos,
this method can guide us to what truly matters. By concentrating our energies in this way,
we not only boost productivity but also find at least a little more harmonious balance
between urgency and importance. Why does it matter? Because in the race against time,
having a clear roadmap ensures we're investing our hours in endeavors that align with our purpose
and goals. To embark on this next step of the journey, begin by seeking clarity on your
paramount project for today. Identify your top urgent tasks and pinpoint three specific
maintenance items that will help you sustain your rhythm and flow. In doing so,
you're taking the reins, directing your life in order to design a life that really matters.
And that's a theme we're going to continue in the next episode, which will be my interview with
Oliver Buchmann, the author of 4,000 weeks, a conversation that enhances and deepens
this solo episode today. What is one thing that stood out to you today? What is one thing you can do
immediately to put it into action? And who is somebody that you can share the 123 method with
so that this conversation can continue now that the podcast has come to a close? Thank you really,
thank you for listening, and I'll see you next time.
This episode is brought to you by the YAP Media Podcast Network.
I'm Holla Taha, CEO of the award-winning Digital Media Empire YAP Media,
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