Introduction: Do It Today by Darius Foroux

As I build out the content for my membership site, I find myself reading more books than usual. I'm reading books that I normally wouldn't read in my quest to find books off the beaten path. Some books have great ratings on Amazon, yet I didn't find them to be that great. Do It Today by Darius Foroux has some great information, but I don’t consider it a great book.

Now having said that, I was reminded of a conversation I had back in 2006 when I was writing my first book. I wanted to exclude an interview because I didn't think it was that great. But someone recommended that I keep it in, and gave a good reason. Because a book is not great to me, doesn't mean others won't find it great. The issue is that I’ve been reading a lot of books on specific topics, so based on what I read and learned, some books may not seem that great to me.

So far, I’ve read about 14 time management books, I probably have that many more to read. A lesson here is that it’s not about me. It’s about the reader, so based on what I read and learned, some books may not seem that great to me.

So far, I’ve read about 14 time management books, I probably have that many more to read. A lesson here is that it’s not about me. It’s about the reader. The book summary below is an excerpt of what I’ve added to the Art of Learning membership site.

Summary: Do It Today by Darius Foroux

Most of us, myself included, like to procrastinate, putting off things until tomorrow, but here's a little secret. Tomorrow never comes. So why not do it today? Figure out how to get the important things done.

To Gain Focus

1. Eliminate unnecessary activities. This means simplifying your life.
2. Think about past successes. Thinking about past successes makes you happy. Celebrate the small wins in life. This is something that I have to do more of.

Beat Procrastination

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” Abraham Lincoln 

Procrastination is a short-term fix. You’ll pay the price in the long term. People overestimate self-regulation, self-control, and willpower. Procrastinators delay work. Doing things you love, that takes you closer to your goals, helps you to overcome procrastination.

Slope of Procrastination

When you give in to one distraction and stop being productive, then you will give in to another distraction, then another. You cannot rely on willpower. It doesn't work, systems do. Have you ever noticed that the more successful people have systems they follow?

Things to Make You More Effective

• Self-imposed deadlines.
• Accountability systems.
• Work in intervals
• 30 minutes of exercise.
• Healthy diet.
• Eliminate distractions.
• Intrinsic motivation.

How do you spend your time? Identify your non-productive work? Eliminate time wasters when doing focused work. Disconnect from the Internet in the evening.

Evaluate Your Day

1. How did your day go?
2. Did you do the things you set out to do?
3. Review what you have to do the next day.
4. Visualize how you would like the next day to unfold.
5. Have a mantra.

Have a saying to repeat throughout the day to get you into a worry-free zone. Something as simple as “Let’s go” can be helpful. It means time to start.

Time Blocking

Block off time for your most important priorities. What are the most important things you'd like to accomplish?

Work on Universal Skills

1. Self-discipline: Stop listening to the negative voice in your head. You're better than that.
2. Personal effectiveness: Learn how to maximize your results.
3. Communication: Learn how to get your point across. You have to work with others.
4. Negotiation: You negotiate every day. Learn how to achieve a win/win outcome for everyone.
5. Persuasion: Learn how to get what you want ethically.
6. Physical strength and stamina: Exercise every day, and do some strength training.
7. Flexibility: Get up and stretch. If you work on your computer every day, set a time to get up and stretch.

Live Like You’re Immortal

Don’t put off living a fulfilled and satisfying life. The author recommends doing the following.

• Building a meaningful career that you’re proud of.
• Contributing to other people’s lives.
• Creating a product or service that is useful.
• Investing your money for your retirement.

When you think you’ll live forever, the following things may happen.

• You have all the time in the world to build something.
• You can make mistakes and learn from them.
• There’s no pressure to make things happen fast.
• You treat people with respect because other people will also be around forever.

Conclusion: Do It Today by Darius Foroux

I didn’t think this was a great book, but many people may think so. I found it too simplistic. The problem is that I’ve been reading a lot of books on time management, productivity, and overcoming  procrastination. Therefore, in the scheme of things, Do It Today does not have much to offer. But it doesn't hurt to read several books on any one topic.

However, this book may resonate with some people. You never know who needs to hear this message in the way it’s delivered.

The most accomplished people use books as problem solving tools. They carve out the time in their schedule to find solutions in the pages of a book. Let me help you to solve your own problems. Additionally, this program helps you to learn valuable career skills. Click the link MoreReads Success Blueprint Accelerator Program to buy.

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