The Most Important Productivity Habit That I Learned From Playing Sports

I’ve been an athlete for almost my entire life, and every coach, no matter what strategies they believed in or what their overall philosophy was, had this one notion embedded in the culture of every team that I played for.

They all stressed the idea of being prepared.

For example, whenever we walked into practice for the day, there was already a practice sheet with notes and an agenda for the day.

Whenever we would watch game film or practice film, there was always a list of plays which highlighted why a particular play was important and what we wanted to take away from it.

Whenever we had a game, there was already a scouting report made beforehand as well as key plays and tactics that would most likely be effective against our opponent.

Whenever we had a weightlifting session, listed on the board were the exercises, sets and even reps we had to do individually.

My point is that there was always a well thought-out plan beforehand.

We didn't just arrive, and then decide to take action.

We didn't just wing it.

We took action before we had to.

We lived by the 5 P’s (Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance).

And I have carried this habit over into everything that I do in life after basketball.

In truth, we all understand the essence behind being prepared.

But here's why it actually matters so much:

1. It eliminates decision-making. We already have to make thousands of decisions each day. Why would you possibly want to make another one if you don't have to? Having a plan beforehand eliminates the need to make an additional decision. It frees your mind of one less thing that it has to worry about which can make an incredible difference in your day whether you realize it or not.
2. It saves you a ton of time and energy. Imagine the time you save if you already have a system, process or plan in place before everything you do. Waking up at 5:00 am to workout might seem difficult to do if you've never done it before. What if you put on your workout clothes the night before and slept in them? How fast could you get out of bed and get to the gym? What about scheduling meetings with your boss or co-workers. What if you all had 3 set topics on the agenda that you would spend 10 minutes discussing separately along with a clock that alerts you when the time is up. How much time and energy would you save in that meeting instead of taking the typical hour-long meeting gossiping and going off-topic? Being prepared beforehand can save you much more time and energy that can be used in other areas of life.
3. It gives you something to access and track. With a plan in place, you actually have a set outcome or result that you're trying to reach. It gives you something to look back on and ask, "Did we/I accomplish what we (I) set out to do today?" Most people blindly go about their day, weeks and even years. Nothing is intentional. Nothing is done with urgency. And that's one of the main reasons why so many people get so little done. Having a solid everyday plan for your tasks and activities allows you to track your progress, analyze what you're doing wrong or right, and know how to change or adjust accordingly.

Here's how you can do it:

The key is simply knowing what you're trying to accomplish and setting yourself up to do that in the most effective way possible.

For example, whenever I want to write an article online, I first outline it, come up with a title and even pick images and videos I might use, all before I really began to get into the writing portion.

Whenever I want to send a cold-email to someone, I research their background, find something we might have in common and think about the right way to approach them or request something.

Whenever I'm on schedule to do a podcast interview, I come up with questions, topics, and notes beforehand so that I and my guest are prepared to have a fluid conversation.

I never dive into these activities without knowing, understanding and preparing for what I'm trying to accomplish.

Because without a plan in place, you can't track your success or even failure for that matter.

Without a plan, you don't have direction.

Without a plan, you’re done before you even get started.

If you want to maximize your productivity — have a plan in place.

Understand what you’re going to do before you do it.

Want to know how I went from athlete to entrepreneur? Get your free download of The Pivot Game right here ?? https://eepurl.com/c7hiP9

Malcolm Lemmons is a former professional athlete turned entrepreneur, author, and speaker. To check out more, visit his website at www.malcolmlemmons.com or connect with him on Twitter, Instagram.