Alright, so I finally got around to trying out those secret tips from Donnie Ward everyone’s whispering about. You know how it is, life gets busy, but damn, this stuff seemed too interesting to ignore.
The Starting Point: Skepticism Mode On
Honestly? My first reaction was “Secret tips? Sounds kinda gimmicky.” I’ve seen so many “game-changers” flop. But hey, Donnie’s got a rep, right? Figured I’d give it an honest shot, no shortcuts. Grabbed my laptop, a notebook (old school, I know), and a huge mug of coffee. Ready to dive in.
Jumping Into The First Tip
Donnie talks a lot about “micro-timing” things, whatever that means. Turns out, it’s just breaking your stupidly long to-do list into like, 10-minute chunks. Sounded too simple. But whatever.
Yesterday morning was brutal. Had emails piled up, reports due, laundry mountain erupting in the corner. Instead of staring at the chaos feeling paralyzed, I did this:
- Set my timer for exactly 10 minutes.
- Picked ONE tiny thing: “Answer Karen’s annoying email about the quarterly figs.”
- Worked ONLY on that until the timer screamed.
Boom. Email done. Felt… okay, kinda good actually. Did it again: “Find those missing expense receipts.” Another 10 minutes. Stuff was actually getting done, piece by piece. Weird.
Hitting The Wall (Of Course)
Donnie also went on about “strategic procrastination.” Basically, pick what to put off. Sounds nuts when you’re drowning, right?
Tried it when the boss suddenly dropped a new project draft in my lap, right as I was finally tackling laundry mountain. My usual panic-mode started. Instead, I stared at the draft, took a breath, and thought: “Can this honestly wait 24 hours without the world ending?“
The answer? Probably. I chose to put that project draft aside intentionally. Focused back on my current 10-minute block (socks!). Felt guilty at first, like I was being lazy. But later? Grabbed that draft with a clearer head and knocked it out faster than usual. Mind slightly blown.
The Real Kick In The Pants
His big “secret sauce” was about “reframing friction.” Sounds like psychobabble. He used this ridiculous example: think of annoying tasks like dental floss. You hate doing it, but you do it ’cause the alternative (gum disease, hello?) sucks more. Gross, but kinda works.
So, I had this awful spreadsheet to update – boring, tedious, soul-sucking. Hated it. Tried the floss thing. “If I don’t do this crap now, tomorrow I’ll waste two hours explaining to Mike why the numbers are wrong, and he’ll chew me out. That sucks WAY worse.” Suddenly, updating cells felt… less painful? More like grabbing a hammer and banging out a quick fix before the whole shelf collapses. Didn’t make it fun, just made it feel necessary in a less rage-inducing way.
Where I’m At Now & The Ugly Truth
Been doing this for about a week. Results? Honestly mixed, but leaning positive. The micro-timing is gold for digging out of a hole. Strategic procrastination saved my sanity twice already. The reframing thing? Still feels a bit forced sometimes, but hey, if comparing spreadsheets to dental floss gets them done… whatever works!
But here’s the real secret Donnie doesn’t scream about: None of this is magic. It’s just tiny tricks to trick your own damn brain into starting and focusing a little better. It’s hacking the resistance, not the work itself. The work is still work.
And yeah, I tried telling my team lead about the “micro-morale” boost (my terrible term for that small win feeling). You know what she said? “Just manage your time better.” Classic. Like I haven’t tried that for a decade. Thanks, boss.
Anyway. It works. Sorta. Mostly. Better than just flailing helplessly, for sure. Worth the experiment? Absolutely. Would I trade these tricks for a cleaner inbox and less meetings? Hell yeah. Maybe someday!
