Here Is the Only Thing that Matters

I've read over 200 business and personal development books and there is only one thing I can say.

Execution!

Execution!

Execution!

Your ability to execute is the only thing that counts. Not brains, not capital, not teams, and not any kind of endowment.

Can you stay on course? Answer that question correctly and you are staring at billions.

In a previous article, I wrote that intelligence is the ability to get things done.

Being smarter than the rest just means getting things done the right way but it all starts with ACTION.

Characteristics of Execution

Having figured out what it takes to make it to the next level, I started studying the discipline of execution. The following is a breakdown of the things that count the most.

1. Routine

If you are like most people, your routine has been set for you by your job, school calendar, or someone. Without them, you can get little done.

But here's the thing.

You can decide on the structure of your day. Even if there is already a structure in place, it can be improved upon.

A routine is what creates consistency and consistency is what produces results.

A routine also stops you from thinking!

When you don't have a routine, your brain evaluates so many options that you can barely move. But with a routine, you know what you need to get done by what time and by what methods. That's the power of routine. It is organized around results.

Your routine can be as simple as writing 200 words a day. It can be as crazy as running a marathon every morning.

Most high-performing people wake at 4 AM. There is nothing magical about that number but it keeps them focused.

I would suggest that you sit down right now and in one burst of thinking, decide I'm going to do this every day for X number of days. Nothing should stop you.

2. Mastery

The second most important thing when it comes to execution is mastery.

To execute effectively, you need to be so good at what you do that you derive pleasure from doing it.

When Masters sit down to do something, they are often oblivious of the passage of time. They get in what's called a state of flow.

Mastery also confers a sense of responsibility to the master. That sense of responsibility will keep you practicing for longer than if you say you just knew the 20% needed for an entry-level job.

Perhaps you will even have students and a community fully dependent on your output. Masters are paid for being masters not for the work they do.

3. Security

Nothing should stand in the way of execution. Create walls around your chosen path.

You can start by securing any gains that you make because the more you secure your gains the less you will suffer from disruptions.

What kind of disruptions are we talking about? They include bills, sicknesses, and interruptions from friends and family.

Get insurance. Create a strict ME TIME.

Say no more often than you say yes.

4. Calibrate your reward system

What gives you a dopamine kick? Do you do alcohol? Do you watch porn? Do you spend X amount of hours on social media? Stop or limit excessively.

As long as your brain is getting excitement from somewhere you will be that much lazy on the things that actually matter. There is a reason drug addicts are often dirty and smelly. Their brains make them lazy on purpose. It reserves as much energy as possible for the activity that brings in the rewards.

What's the lesson here?

As long as you are clean, your brain will start rewarding any activity you constantly engage in. It will make work and learning exciting and that matters a lot when it comes to execution.

I can add a few more things but as long as you have mastered the above four disciplines of execution, the world will be your playground.

Go and execute.