Getting things done Archives - Neil Martin

Illustration of a line of dominoes on a wooden floor, starting with a tiny one at the front and each one growing larger towards the back

Line up your dominoes

A domino the size of a fingernail can knock over one taller than a man. How I break big goals into small dominoes, and why they go in the diary.

Illustration of an open paper diary on a lamplit desk at night, one appointment crossed out in gold, with a mug of tea and a phone lying face down

The power of no

Life

A message lands, and my thumb types yes before my head has caught up. Why the word no is worth practising, and how to say it kindly.

The cover of The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, centred in a thin gold frame on a midnight blue background under the words From my bookshelf, with the line “Change might not be fast and it isn’t always easy. But with time and effort, almost any habit can be reshaped.” beneath it

How The Power of Habit explains my nightly gratitude journal

Life

How every habit runs on a simple loop, why you replace bad habits instead of breaking them, and how to make a new one stick for good.

The cover of The Power of No by James Altucher, centred in a thin gold frame on a midnight blue background under the words From my bookshelf, with the line “When you say yes to something you don’t want to do, here is the result: you hate what you are doing, you resent the person who asked you, and you hurt yourself.” beneath it

The book that taught me no is a complete sentence

Business

Why a yes you don’t mean turns into resentment, and how to say no without a speech so you get your time back for what matters.

The cover of The ONE Thing by Gary Keller, centred in a thin gold frame on a midnight blue background under the words From my bookshelf, with the line “Multitasking is a lie.” beneath it

What The ONE Thing taught me about spinning too many plates

Business

Why multitasking is a lie, the paper demo I use to prove it, and the to-do list of one that keeps my day on the thing that matters.

Illustration of a kitchen before dawn, a training plan of ticked boxes pinned to the wall and a pair of running trainers waiting by the back door

What marathon training taught me about big goals

Life

A dark winter morning, a three-hour training run, and a plan stuck on the kitchen wall. What getting ready for my first marathon taught me about chasing anything big.

Getting things done

Line up your dominoes

The power of no

How The Power of Habit explains my nightly gratitude journal

The book that taught me no is a complete sentence

What The ONE Thing taught me about spinning too many plates

What marathon training taught me about big goals

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