Get Work Done People: How John Williams Tackles his To Do List

John Williams is the author of WHSmith business book of the month F**k Work, Let's Play: Do What You Love and Get Paid for It and is currently writing a follow-up, Crazy Successful. Here's his unconventional approach to how he remains productive!

Q: John, how do you prioritise and manage your tasks effectively?

A: Well, I have to admit that clever task management apps don't work for me. I've tried several, I fill them up with stuff and then end up not going back to them. I rely on deadlines to drive my productivity. For example, having a book deal gives me a clear deadline and holds me accountable.

Q: Why do you prefer changing environments while working?

A: I’ll sometimes invest significant time seeking out an environment that energises me. That might mean getting dressed a bit more smartly, packing my stuff up, and cycling to a coworking space. Just the journey to get there shakes me up and gets me thinking differently. 

I also spend time abroad, particularly in the winter (which lasts approximately 6 months in England) and in a couple of weeks I will zip off to Porto for a week to make the end of the main part of writing my new book. There is a coworking and coliving space there where I can bothhave company and have my privacy when I want it. Plus good weather of course!

I will clear my calendar for the week so I can really tune in to my next project, designing a 5-day challenge for entrepreneurs who want to stand out in a crowded market.

Q: How do you maintain focus and minimise distractions during work sessions?

A: I use timers and ‘Do not disturb’ mode to keep me focused, then put on music. If I find myself procrastinating, I use something I describe in my book called microblocking. I set a countdown timer for just 20 minutes, sometimes even less, switch off all distractions, and dive in. When the timer goes off, I allow myself to stop. Keep doing that for a few days and I’m usually in the swing of things.

Q: What about delegating tasks?

A: I have a technical VA and he helps a lot when I am launching a new workshop or course. He can set up the page and shopping cart etc so all I have to do is the more creative stuff like writing sales copy.

Q: Do you have a sophisticated productivity tracking system?

A: I tried David Allen's Getting Things Done but couldn’t get on with it. I knew it wasn’t for me when he suggested writing down every idea that comes to you and review the whole list each week. I have so many ideas that this alone would take me 4 hours a week!

What works best for me is scheduling time in my diary for tasks – and then getting someone else to make sure I actually do them!

Q: What is your overall perspective on productivity and success?

A: The book I’m working on now is called Crazy Successful and the premise is that the more creative you are the more unconventional, weird, and even ‘crazy’ your psychology is (perhaps more than you like to admit, even to yourself). That means standard productivity systems may not fit. You have to find your own unique solution, even if it looks a little crazy to other people.

A lot of creative people and entrepreneurs have some flavour of neurodiversity such as ADHD (about 4 times the number of the general population) and that means we need to factor in our weak ‘Executive Function’ (the parts of the brain that are good at getting things done on time).

Download John’s free 12-page guide 

“7 Steps To Creating A Crazy Successful Business” at www.theideaslab.co

Get John’s advice on writing a bestselling non-fiction book at crazysuccessful.substack.com