Yadunand Kamath's Key Ideas from Do It Today: Overcome Procrastination, Improve Productivity, and Achieve More Meaningful Things
by Darius Foroux

We know what we have to do, but we don't do it. We prefer to escape work and that's at the core of procrastination.

Rely on a system to avoid procrastination.

• Improve mental toughness with Stoicism, Pragmatism and Mindfulness
• Exercise every day.
• Control your life with your daily habits. Eliminate all bad habits and only concentrate on good habits.
• Set a small list of important tasks to complete everyday

It takes time to develop and use such a system to become productive. Make sure to tweak the system according to your needs and priorities and let it help you build your life.

Do it TODAY, not tomorrow

• Eliminate all ideas, work, objects, etc. that are not required right now.
• Think about your past success to boost your serotonin, which will in turn boost your focus.
• When you lose focus, acknowledge it first. Admit that you have a problem that needs a solution.

Focus on your life. Think about what matters to you.

Stay on the path, do the work and keep distractions to a minimum.

When you procrastinate, you might feel better in the short-term, but you will suffer in the long-term.

Procrastination may lead to:

• Depression
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• Irrational beliefs
• Low self-confidence

Procrastination is not innocent behaviour. It is a sign of poor self-regulation.

Willpower doesn't work. Systems do.

Step out of your comfort zone. Freedom is your enemy.

If you want to get things done, you need rules.

• Self-imposed deadlines create urgency
• Accountability systems create responsibility
• Working in intervals improves focus
• Exercise and a healthy diet gives you energy
• Eliminating distractions takes away temptations

If you know why you're doing something, even the most annoying tasks become bearable.

Take a step back, think about why you do what you do, and then rely on a system that supports it.

P.S. - I'm looking for accountability partners. DM if interested

A big part of being productive is about getting rid of unproductive habits we all have.

• Working too much
• Worrying too much
• Being stubborn and sabotaging yourself and others
• Unnecessarily checking emails, social media, news, etc.
• Escaping your life and your issues
• Saying yes to everything
• Not writing things down and relying only on your memory
• Being hard on yourself
• Neglecting personal education

Combine all your productivity rules to create a system and use it to avoid being unproductive

• At the end of the everyday, reflect on your actions
• Plan for the next day
• Disconnect from the Internet
• Find a job that you love, and are also good at
• Have a Mantra and start using it. It must be something you believe in.
• Manage your attention, not your time.

Focus determines the quality of your life. No focus means no control of your attention.

• Reduce the usage of smartphones
• Perfectionism destroys productivity. The opposite is slacking, which is also bad. So, do great work like a perfectionist and don't give too much attention to your goals like a slacker.
• Read books everyday
• Take a vacation
• Always cut to the chase
• Say no to everything that doesn't support your goals and values
• Don't consume too much information
• Create routines and avoid making decisions
• Don't multitask
• If you're having a shitty day, press reset.
• Do the work