The past couple of weeks, I’ve been reading this book called “Do it today”. It’s been good since I started—just 10-20 minutes at night before sleep, reading 2-4 pages. It helps you pick up some valuable points, understand different perspectives, and most importantly, keep your gadgets off and enjoy some peaceful reading.
This book is all about increasing productivity and reducing procrastination. So, here’s how I ended up selecting it. When I decided to start reading, I went straight to a bookstore in a mall, specifically the Crossword shop, to search and pick one. I was clear that I didn’t want a big book because I knew I wouldn’t read it, so I wanted something small and within my budget.
Initially, I wanted to get a book with poems about living life alone or dealing with loneliness—something along those lines. But when I got there, I saw so many options. That’s when I thought about how I had been feeling stressed at work due to excessive effort at times, and I figured I should read something about working more effectively. That’s how I ended up getting this book written by Darius Foroux.
To give a small idea about the author—he enjoys reading and writing, researches productivity, procrastination, and related topics, and creates his own content. Writing isn’t his first job; he’s tried many things before, but now he does what he truly enjoys. I didn’t know all this when I bought the book, but as I read, I found it relatable—at least for me.
Now, enough extra information. Let me share some important things from the book that I found useful and have tried working on.
Growing 0.1% every day
Whatever kind of person you are—be it an introvert or an extrovert—you don’t have to step out of your comfort zone all of a sudden to achieve success or whatever people say. Just focus on learning something every day, and you’ll be doing well
Planning Ahead and Freeing Your Brain
Plan your days ahead—ideally, the evening before. Write down what you need to do tomorrow, and the rest will fall into place. I’ve tried it, and it works. There’s more to it—the reason we write things down is so we don’t have to rely on memory. This frees up our brain for other things and eliminates the fear of forgetting, which is something everyone experiences.
Turn off Notifications
I usually don’t have notifications turned on for most apps—just my mailbox and office chat. But I always had a widget that showed my WhatsApp messages, and unconsciously, I kept checking them every time I used my phone. I removed that widget, and now my mind feels free. I don’t remember anything unnecessary, I stay focused on work, and things just flow. The whole point is—if you have constant exposure to something, it will distract you. Just remove it and use it only during your free time.
Avoid Unnecessary Information Consumption
Knowingly or unknowingly, we consume a lot of unnecessary information that drains our energy—whether it’s unwanted social media drama, gossip, or anything irrelevant that takes effort to keep up with. Just avoid it. It’s not worth it.
I’m documenting this to remember it for myself, and hopefully, some of you will find it useful too. It’s worth trying—see how it goes! Also, let me know if it works or doesn’t—I’d love to discuss and understand your experience!
Reach me out at abhisek3122@gmail.com
Timeline:
[Feb 16, 2025] - Bought the book at Crossword, Pheonix, Chennai
[Mar 6, 2025] - Writing this blog!