There is incredible value in taking direct action.
In fact, the smallest and seemingly most insignificant actions are inherently more valuable than the eighteen new things you learned but did nothing about.
In your quest to acquire more free time, achieve your most important goals, and live a more prosperous life, the only strategy that ultimately matters is the one that creates the results you want—and, ideally, in the shortest amount of time possible.
Every other strategy you could adopt is, therefore, not as valuable and deserves little or none of your attention.
A single action that pushes you directly toward your goal builds momentum. It gets the ball rolling and knocks down the wall of inertia standing between you and what you want most.
As a productivity coach, I have worked with many high achievers who fall victim to the same traps as the rest of us. One of the most common traps is valuing activity over productivity, busyness over progress, and nonsense over results.
We come to believe that if we stay busy enough, surely something important is getting done, right?
Unfortunately, no. Being busy only leads to being busier.
In the process of valuing activity over productivity, you will accomplish some important tasks, but at a huge cost: increased stress, fatigue, burnout … you know the drill.
Your mission in everything you do is to identify the single action that is the very next most important task to accomplish. That single action will have more value than a dozen indirect actions that keep you feeling busy, but ultimately going nowhere.
Put some deep thought into the actions you take, the events you attend, the projects you take on, and the goals you decide to pursue with an enthusiastic fervor.
Every action matters.
Every single one.
Now that you have reached the end of the book, it is time to bring The Free‐Time Formula to life. I encourage you to follow this simple plan over the next seven days.
Take one direct action per day.
Move closer to your goal of acquiring more free time, more balance, more achievement, or simply more rest.
On day one, the best first step is to find out what's going on in this season of your life. The Self‐Evaluation and Time Audit should take no more than an hour to complete unless you want to dig in deep on the evaluation questions.
Depending on where you are in your current season, this will either be incredibly obvious or quite challenging with a complex web of tasks to wade though. Either way, write down the select few goals that matter the most right now—goals that you will be building your life around for the next few months. The fewer goals you commit to, the easier every other step in the process will be.
Choose a simple but effective exercise that will get your blood pumping. Interval training and strength training are two effective possibilities, but be sure to check with your doctor and personal trainer for a customized health plan.
This is a fun day! Cutting nonsense is a highly rewarding activity. Take your time here and cut everything you can. Be willing to make some difficult decisions.
I recommend scheduling a two‐ to three‐hour block where you can completely focus on one task. If you normally do not have focused blocks like this, one session can change your life forever.
Start with one, and then next week you can tackle another. Some distractions are sneaky and will resurface easily. Plan accordingly and fight your nemesis with everything you've got!
There is work time, and there is play time. When the whistle blows, stop. When the free time shows up, take advantage of it. Purposeful recovery is a powerful tool to replenish what you need and begin again next week.
As a final parting message, I hope that reading this book has served you as much as writing it has served me.
I opened the book with a peek into the darker side of productivity, how prioritizing achievement over wellness lead me to the dire consequence of landing in the emergency room.
I want to end the book on a hopeful note because that is what I feel today: hope.
Productivity is a dirty word for many people because they believe it represents just doing more things they do not want to do. In my world, productivity has always been a grand and hopeful opportunity to accomplish unbelievable goals and truly bring dreams to life.
I am sure that, like me, you want more—more achievement, more prosperity, and more free time to enjoy the best parts of truly being alive.
Along the way, take a moment to pause.
Take some time out of your busy schedule to look around, ask some tough questions, regroup, and begin again more intelligently.
Getting the results we want and truly living a life of prosperity happens when we do the few things that make the biggest difference. If we do not pause now and then, we will likely find ourselves back in the storm of activity, missing the simple and profound moments of stillness.
This is a journey. Unfortunately, there is not a magical end destination that will provide all the answers to the questions posed in this book.
However, there is something beautiful in the mystery and uncertainty that comes from being human.
I hope you achieve your own happiness, focus, and productivity in the midst of your mystery, and that the ideas in this book can help you structure a direct plan to achieve what matters most to you.
The smallest and seemingly most insignificant actions are inherently more valuable than the eighteen new things you learned but did nothing about. Your mission in everything you do is to identify the single action that is the very next most important task to accomplish. That single action will have more value than a dozen indirect actions that keep you feeling busy, but ultimately going nowhere.
There are many actions you can choose from, so start in the beginning and progress one step at a time. The Seven‐Day Action Plan provides the starting blocks you need to bring your Free‐Time Formula to life.
Take some time out of your busy schedule to look around, ask some tough questions, regroup, and begin again more intelligently. Getting the results you want and truly living a life of prosperity happens when we do the few things that make the biggest difference.
Be sure to use #FreeTimeFormula when you tell all your friends online about how much nonsense you just cleared from your calendar.
If you want to connect with me directly, you can explore my website, JeffSanders.com, find me on Twitter, @JeffSandersTV, and on Facebook, JeffSanders.com/facebook, and even send me an email, Jeff@JeffSanders.com.
Readers of The Free‐Time Formula get free access to a variety of bonus materials to supplement the book including a guided workbook, book club questions, templates, and more. Sign up: www.JeffSanders.com/FreeTimeBonus.
The 5 AM Miracle is dedicated to dominating your day before breakfast. Learn the latest self‐improvement strategies and dive deep into everything from healthy habits and early mornings, to personal development and rockin' productivity. Listen to the podcast: www.5amMiraclePodcast.com.
Designed for high achievers and entrepreneurs, The Rockin' Productivity Academy provides ongoing community, support, monthly training videos, and exclusive interviews with successful people from a variety of industries. Learn more: www.RockinProductivity.com.
If you are looking for a way to boost your productivity, this is a great place to start. The 47 Strategies Self‐Assessment analyzes your current level of productivity and then offers up advanced strategies to optimize your ability to get more done every day. Learn more: www.47Strategies.com.
Now that you have finished this book, here are a few phenomenal reads that will optimize your productivity and success.