Comments on: Copywriters’ Ultimate Game-Changing Productivity Guide: Optimize Your Life in Just 18 Hours a Day

By: Peter Bowerman

Peter Bowerman — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:00:34 +0000

Love it, Lorraine!

How true. You can’t spit these days without hitting an article or ten on boosting productivity, time management, achieving goals, etc, and if you followed ALL their advice…well, you’d have what you so creatively outlined above. A very funny, but at the same time, serious reminder that you can’t do it all, and if you try to do it all, you’ll defeat your original purpose of trying to do it all in the first place (presumably to have some sort of peace of mind). Thanks for brightening my day…

By: Lorraine Thompson

Lorraine Thompson — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:47:50 +0000

@Amity: Yes, I’m sure your client won’t mind getting projects a few days late–as long as the lapse allows you to meditate, write in your journal, cultivate marketing thought-leadership and make homemade jam! ; >

@Jen: I know. It’s comforting to actually see a tally of hours–and realize the impossibility of doing it all.

@Matthew: Wise words, sir. Thanks for comparing my attempt at irony with the mighty Onion–a notion I’ll long cherish!

By: Matthew Stibbe (Bad Language blog)

Matthew Stibbe (Bad Language blog) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:53:48 +0000

Just what the Onion would have written about all the ‘self-help’ advice for writers on the blogosphere. Very funny and to the point.

The secret is to figure out the answer to the question “if everything’s possible, what’s important?” and do that. Easier said than done, of course.

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:19:06 +0000

This is great! You had me smiling at my computer screen, especially the middle part about writing blog posts, commenting on other people’s blogs, and reading blogs in and outside of your niche. I get so overwhelmed with this sometimes, and that’s before I even factor in my freelancing projects! So thank you, this was fun to read.

By: Amity Hook-Sopko

Amity Hook-Sopko — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:10:38 +0000

Great post! Wow! You nailed it!

Now that you add up the time involved, I’m pretty sure these ELCDT’s and all the streamlined processes are to blame every time I’ve missed a deadline.

By: Hugo Moolenaar

Hugo Moolenaar — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:52:27 +0000

Hi Lorraine,

Great jokes, but… why does it all look so much like my regular working schedule?

Skiing was great! I could easily be an ambassador of Austrian wines, too… They sell stuff like ‘Grüner Veltliner’ in the States?

By: Lorraine Thompson

Lorraine Thompson — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:09:51 +0000

Hi Hugo:

Thanks for commenting. Skiing sounds wonderful–not a sin at all, but much needed respite, I’m sure.

This post was meant as a joke–my way of poking fun at productivity experts who make it sound easy to fit an insane number of tasks into our lives.

While all of the above “ELCDTs” are great, it’s not possible to accomplish all of them.

Coincidentally, Terry Starbucker posted a related–and far more realistic–post today. It gives tips on developing a “focused brain” that helps you choose priorities. A must-read http://www.terrystarbucker.com/2010/02/28/the-secret-to-a-lifetime-of-productivity-and-five-ways-to-find-it/

By: Hugo Moolenaar

Hugo Moolenaar — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:51:31 +0000

Wow!

Thanks Lorraine, for this ultra clear list and great reminder.

I got so busy with all the other stuff (like work) that I started dropping some of the essentials, in the past few months!

Didn’t do any morning pages, since I went skiing in Austria two weeks ago. That’s a serious sinn!!

Thanks for the wake up call!

Hugo Moolenaar