Optimization, Automation, and Outsourcing

How Do I Know What I Need, If I Don’t Know What I’m Missing?

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Every good craftsperson treasures their tools.

The excellent mechanics or carpenters or welders organize them on a shadow board, a peg board that not only holds the tools but has an outline or shadow of each. Obviously, that makes it more efficient for organizing tools, because everything goes in its proper place.

But more importantly, it lets you know what tools are missing.

If you have your tools on just a blank board, there’s nothing there to let you know that your claw hammer has gone missing, again. And you only know the claw hammer is gone, when you are frantically looking for it.

So if you are working with multiple people and the same resources, shadow boards are a good check in — check out process for the tools you share.

What, Ari does this have to do with automation?

The absence of something is a crucial element of productivity because often it’s not about knowing where things go, it’s about knowing what is missing.

For example, there are almost no triggers that I know of in an automated process that is based on the absence of action.

In Zapier for example, I can create a new Airtable card, that is a trigger, but there’s nothing in Zapier (yet) that says, “When there is no activity on this new Airtable card in two days, then “x” happens.”

Only a human being can detect what is missing. Any person who understands a shadow board can tell you when the claw hammer is missing. Anyone who builds systems and processes knows where to find the holes.

So that’s what I do. I look at systems and processes. I test them out and find the holes. Sometimes I have to dismantle the structure and begin again and sometimes; the fix is as simple as tracing an outline around a hammer.

The Hack I Use the Most

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When I think about IFTTT, I think about this cool thing a friend told me. “In business,” she said, “just look for two patterns: what gets people stuck, and what gets them unstuck.”

It’s entirely applicable to IFTTT because the platform has isolated all the annoying, mind-numbing, bottlenecks we encounter every day at home or work and has supplied a friendly, expeditious solution. (Sort of like me, but without the whole carbon-based organism stuff).

IFTTT is a post-it note system that actually works.

The Basics

IFTTT is short for “If this, then that,” and it’s built on the simple notion of cause and effect.

Kind of like when your toddler drops a spoon (or a bowl full of cereal) off the high chair. What happens next? Someone picks it up. The game begins.

On IFTTT these actions are called “recipes.” Like a link or image on Facebook? IFTTT will automatically save it to the destination of your choice.

There is an enormous number of IFTTT channels available and it can in and of itself become quite the rabbit hole, as you find yourself exploring areas you never thought needed IFTTT’s brand of optimization.

So keep your search for solutions timely and precise.

IFTTT currently supports over 70 different channels spanning a wide range of services, and it can perform basic actions such as calling or texting a phone or sending you an email.

Once you’ve gone through and activated a few channels, which gives IFTTT access to your various services or provides it with personal details — you’re ready to start.

But wait. Here’s where you control the technology, you don’t let it control you. And it will save you lots of time.

It’s important to remember that there is a vast difference between idea capture and idea brainstorming.

I get A LOT of ideas during the day. But they are just ideas. I can’t allow myself to fall prey to “Shiny Object Syndrome,” where every flash of inspiration leads me down a road I shouldn’t be concentrating on then, throwing me way off track.

So I just capture ideas. I don’t pursue them and IFTTT is my preferred method.

When I’m in a more contemplative, creative space at the end of my day, I can sort through these ideas more efficiently. But during the day, I don’t let the low focus of an idea get in the way of the high focus of my meetings and decision making.

It’s a process that protects my mind space, and it works.

Here’s how I file all my screenshots on any day that ends in “Y.”

Now all I do is go over these screenshots at a time convenient to me; usually, after the kids are in bed. Everything is in one place. So I’m not hunting through twenty different open tabs looking for that next big idea.

This story is published in Noteworthy, where 10,000+ readers come every day to learn about the people & ideas shaping the products we love.

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How I Process A Massive Amount of Content

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I’ve worn many different hats as an entrepreneur. But the one thing that has remained is my unique ability to distill enormous amounts of content into workable solutions for my clients.

I’m able to “connect the dots” really well. I like solving problems. Whether that’s the best way to get an idea out of your head, or automating your hiring process.

Here’s how I process a massive amount of content on a weekly basis.

I follow about 200 different blogs that put out over 1000 posts per day. I follow and actually read about 30 email newsletters each week. I’m currently subscribed to 22 podcasts, not including my own. And now that I’ve been doing this for a while, people send my things by Twitter, Slack, Email, and even SMS on a near hourly basis.

So, needless to say, it’s a lot.

There are two sides to what I consider “processing” content.

First you have to take it all in.

Second, you have to be able to disseminate it properly; which includes internalizing it so you can recall it at some later date if needed.

The first thing I do is get everything I find from all these different sources into one consolidated place. That place, is a Trello list.

My Content List on Trello

Now the cool thing is the way that things get onto this list, a lot of it is powered by automations setup with IFTTT.

  • I use Feedly to follow all of the different blogs and when I “save” something on Feedly, IFTTT creates a card for it in Trello
  • If I get an interesting email and I forward it to a special email address for my Trello board, it creates a new card in the list
  • If I visit a cool website on my desktop I click the Trello extension and it creates a card in my list.
  • The coolest one is if I take a screenshot on my iPhone of a text message or a website or even a screen on a particular app, IFTTT will turn that into a card.

So that’s how everything gets into one organized place. It means I can grab things on the fly that I want to look at later, and then when I’m in a focused place, I can batch process those new items.

It also helps me commit many of these items to memory through the use of spaced repetition which means I’m exposing myself to the same piece of information more than once at different intervals. Basically, if in three years somebody says, “Is there an app that does X” most likely I’ll be able to recall the answer easily because of this method.

This is the fun part. I produce content for nearly a dozen different outlets on a weekly basis. There’s our client emails, general newsletter, Less Doing Podcasts, our FB group, our Mastermind, etc.

I approach my main list in Trello as a sorting list. I look at it and decide if it’s something I want to try out or work on myself, if it needs to go to someone on my team or if it’s going to go to my content board.

My Content Board and Calendar

Once it’s on the content board I know what channel it has to go to and I can put due dates on items, which organizes my content calendar so I can consistently produce items, 7 days per week, and be cognizant of upcoming holidays or other events that might effect content.

Backup

I have a redundancy in place.

No matter what gets saved to my list, IFTTT also creates a note in Evernote. I use it as my ultimate brain dump because Evernote is good at bringing back content that’s relevant in the moment. It does that through the things you add to it in the moment as well as whatever you search for on Google. It will pop up with any related notes from your “external brain.” This ensures that nothing ever falls through the cracks and there’s always a place for things to go in order to be useful.

Whenever you are ready…here are 4 ways I can help you become more replaceable and grow your business:

1) Join our FREE Facebook Group – The Replaceable Founder

2) Get our FREE Replaceable Founder Mini-Course

3) Come to our next One-Day Intensive “Becoming Replaceable Workshop” in NYC

4) Want to work with us privately? Just answer a few questions and find out if you’re a good fit. Apply Now

How I Use Alexa to Get More Done

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I got the Amazon Alexa for my birthday and things haven’t been the same since. It’s had a profound impact on my home life in ways I wouldn’t have expected. This little “gadget” is powerful beyond most people’s imaginations and I’m just scratching the surface, but here are some of the awesome ways I use Alexa every day.

The Basics

Anytime we run out of a food item, before I’ve put the empty container in the trash, I belt out “Alexa, add Milk to my shopping list.” She confirms cheerfully and it immediately updates the shopping list in the associated iPhone app.

While at the store, I can check items off and if my wife is at home and wants to add something before I checkout, she just tells Alexa. This means we never run out of anything and our shopping trips are very efficient. This is the ultimate expression of the external brain.

I love making soft boiled eggs and have found that 6 minutes and 10 seconds in boiling water makes the perfect egg. So, early in the morning, with my eyes barely open, I put the eggs in boiling water and say “Alexa, set a 6 minute 10 second timer.” Her alarm sound is really pleasing. While she’s counting down I’ll ask “Alexa, what’s the weather today?”

When we change a diaper on the baby and it’s getting to the bottom of the package, I can say “Alexa, order more diapers” to which she responds “The last diapers you ordered were X for $Y, would you like these?” I’m only too happy to say yes and continue on my way.

My kids love Alexa. Not only does it force them to speak clearly and in a loud voice, but they can ask really interesting questions. The other day Ben said “Alexa, what kind of reptiles live in China?” After she recited the 20th reptile, I softly said “Alexa, stop.”

The boys also like baking so not only can I say “Alexa, how many ounces are in a cup?” But she has a ton of integrations with other sites. So using the AllRecipes “skill” she can walk me step by step through a baking recipe.

And of course, who doesn’t love a good dance party? The boys will say “Alexa, play Yellow Submarine” and she’s all too happy to comply.

The Secret Sauce

The real magic with Alexa is in it’s integrations, the most dynamic of which is through IFTTT which allows Alexa to connect to hundreds of services. I can say “Alexa, it’s cold in here” and using the Nest thermostat she’ll turn the heat on.

I can say “Alexa, turn on the TV to PBS Kids” and the Harmon Universal Remote will do as I command. “Alexa, turn off the black lamp” you can guess what happens next, thanks to a Philips Smart Plug.

My favorite is Alexa’s built in To Do List. I’ve set it up so that I can have Alexa add something to my list and that will post a task for one of the virtual assistants at Priority VA to get to work on it.

You can even use specific phrases to trigger just about anything. “Alexa, I just had a glass of water” can make a notation in your fitness tracking app. “Alexa, text my wife to call me when she can” is a pretty useful command.

The Big Idea

Using your voice to issue these types of commands means the shortest distance between your brain and action in something or someone else. You can use your working memory for coming up with new ideas, fresh brainstorming, and plain old peace and mindfulness. It also means there’s never hesitation where you have to decide how you will retain, or even act upon the information you develop.

Whenever you are ready…here are 4 ways I can help you become more replaceable and grow your business:

1) Join our FREE Facebook Group — The Replaceable Founder

2) Get our FREE Replaceable Founder Mini-Course

3) Come to our next One-Day Intensive “Becoming Replaceable Workshop” in NYC

4) Want to work with us privately? Just answer a few questions and find out if you’re a good fit. Apply Now

Taking a Second Look at Your To-Do List

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We use a ton of productivity tools here at Less Doing.

IFTTT…

Fika…

Evernote…

Toggl…

Dashlane…

Voxer…

Intercom…

I’d bet money I’m the world’s biggest fan of Slack and Airtable.

These and the other tech tools are assets we use to keep our operation running smoothly.

But you want to know a secret?

The tools you use to take your productivity to the next level don’t always have to be high-tech to be high-value. In fact, sometimes the most productive tool in your arsenal (note — I said “your arsenal” not mine) is something you’d least expect…

The to-do list

That’s right, the to-do list — that idea-gathering device I’ve long lambasted — can occasionally be useful.

Many of you create to-do lists every day, and of course, I know why — they’re simple, familiar, and somewhat effective at helping you catalogue your thoughts.

But like any productivity tool, the to-do list is only as good as you make it, and when you don’t make your to-do list good — man — will it slow you down.

In fact, it’ll do more than slow you down — it’ll paralyze you.

Projects will stall, reminders will stack, and that to-do list will keep growing…

And growing…

And GROWING…

You’ll feel overwhelmed, incapacitated, and utterly incapable of making clear, impactful decisions.

When this happens, whatever positive use you could have extracted from the to-do list will be next to nil.

Unless…

Unless you can find a way to remove the roadblock…

Fortunately for you, I have one.

Give your to-do list to someone else.

No, I’m not telling you to hand it off to a VA (though that is an option), I’m telling you to give your to-do list to anyone else.

Just ask them to look at it, see what questions they ask, and what comments they make.

●. Why are you trying to do that?

●. Wouldn’t it be easier to hire someone to help?

●. How are you going to get that done?

●. This doesn’t make sense…

●. I did something like this before…

It’s an incredibly powerful way to get the ball rolling again on stalled projects.

A fresh pair of eyes can point out something that you’ve failed to notice. It can motivate you to re-prioritize and re-organize.

Again, the person you give your to-do list to can be anyone — a VA, a friend, or a stranger at the bus stop, it doesn’t matter.

It’s going to help you gain a different perspective and zero-in on what’s getting holding up your most imperative projects.

Whenever you are ready…here are 4 ways I can help you become more replaceable and grow your business:

1) Join our FREE Facebook Group — The Replaceable Founder

2) Get our FREE Replaceable Founder Mini-Course

3) Come to our next One-Day Intensive “Becoming Replaceable Workshop” in NYC

4) Want to work with us privately? Just answer a few questions and find out if you’re a good fit. Apply Now

Why Your “To Do” List Is Holding You Back

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I’ve written extensively about the damaging effects of using to do lists. The problem with so many to do lists is that people tend to put things on them they can’t reasonably do. Typically they can’t do them because they are too big of a project (like “write book”) or because they can’t move forward until some 3rd party does something first. Most to do lists just end up being a dumping ground and either people feel a false sense of accomplishment because they “put it on their list” or they look at the list and that voice inside our heads that pushes us to complete the uncompleted (formally known as the Zeigarnik Effect) tells us to do all of these things, that we can’t actually do, and our brains basically put a moratorium on any form of productivity.

If you’re using a whiteboard as your to do list, stop reading right now, take picture, and erase it immediately. You’re guaranteeing you’ll never get those things done.

However, if you’re to do list looks like this, there’s hope…

and here’s why, while I don’t believe in to do lists, I do believe, very strongly, in DOING lists.

A DOING list is a place where you can put a task or project and have a clear path towards actually getting it completed. This is where Trello comes in. Trello allows you to put your tasks into an “assembly line” of sorts that follow a Kanban system (basically the Japanese version of lean manufacturing). You can use Trello to organize pretty much anything but if you use it for project management than you have projects that correspond to a board, each board has lists which represent phases (like To Do, Doing, Done, or Prospect, Lead, Customer for example), and each card is a task. Below is my DOING list.

Now the special thing is that I have an entire team attached to my board. Your team might consist of work colleagues, a spouse, contractors, or maybe a virtual assistant. Nothing sits without some action to it because these items are never static. They can move from one phase to another, even other boards if they become relevant to that project. You can always move a project forward because the pathways to do it are right there before you.

Whenever you are ready…here are 4 ways I can help you become more replaceable and grow your business:

1) Join our FREE Facebook Group — The Replaceable Founder

2) Get our FREE Replaceable Founder Mini-Course

3) Come to our next One-Day Intensive “Becoming Replaceable Workshop” in NYC

4) Want to work with us privately? Just answer a few questions and find out if you’re a good fit. Apply Now

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