Over the last week I’ve found myself absorbed in old seasons of 24. Despite having seen them already, for some reason they are still entertaining. Let’s face it. Jack Bauer is a bonafide badass and can teach us a thing or two about getting shi#$# done. Jack Bauer can stop a nuclear warhead from being launched in the span of 24 hours, and yet most of us don’t achieve near this level of productivity. He seems to get more done in one day than most of us do in a year. So, what is that Jack Bauer can teach us about getting shi#$# done?
Time Constraints/Urgency: One thing that Jack Bauer is constantly faced with this the pressure of getting things done under a strict timeline. Granted, writing a blog post is not as urgent of an issue as stopping a nuclear warhead. But, what if we implemented time constraints into our working lives and left ourselves no choice but to get all this shi#$# done. Our productivity might be so effective that we could work one day and get so much done on that one day that we don’t have to work much the rest of the week or if we are really good, the rest of the year. Hell, if you are Jack Bauer you show up once every 2 years for work.
Trust Your Instincts: Given all the conspiracies, cover ups and diversions that occur, Jack Bauer always seems to be right on the money about what the next move should be. Everything is a chess game and he’s always a few moves ahead. Be a few moves ahead and you’ll probably get alot more done than you originally planned to.
Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission: If the tasks you need to get done are in the context of a working environment, then just do whatever the hell you need to do. Jack Bauer continually violates CTU protocols but at the end of the day, he achieves an end result. Rules are not for you or me. So, fu#$# em.
Keep Your Head in the Game: One thing that amazes me is how Jack Bauer manages to keep his head in the game despite being under intense pressure. Millions of people are not going to be harmed if you don’t get your shi#$# done, so you really have it easy when it comes to keeping your head in the game. This is really about saying present and focusing on exactly what you re doing.
Be Relentless: If there’s anything that sets Jack Bauer apart from the rest of the CTU agents is that he’s relentless. He’s willing to get the job done at any cost. While I“m not advocating that you torture and torment people in order get to your end result, I think this kind of determination might serve you well as you attempt to increase your productivity.
AT the end of the day, nobody deals with the amount of bullshi#$# that Jack puts up with in one day. One of the mysteries of 24 is that Jack never eats, sleeps or takes a shi#$# in 24 hours. Under these circumstances he manages to get all this stuff done. So, really maybe we have no excuse for our lack of productivity other than the fact that we’re just fuc#$#ing lazy.
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Hey buddy,
Ask for forgiveness not permission. This is a great rule for every entrepreneur. It goes far also, very far into what we need to do in order to be successful.
We often overestimate how hard our audience, clients or colleagues will come down on us if we make a genuine mistake. Not a mistake because we were sloppy and gave a half hearted effort, no, I mean a real failure, simply because we tried something new and it didn't work.
We always think that people will never forgive us. Guess what? They do! Even massive disasters like the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico hasn't stopped people from buying gas at BP stations.
So what does that say about our efforts?
Last I checked if we mess up we aren't going to destroy an entire coast line :)
Cheers Srini, great material as always, the clean air of CR is doing you good.
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