As I’ve confessed in previous Ready for Play articles, I like to share life tips that make me stop and think. This quote from writer Scott H. Young may not have a clear football-officiating application. I just liked it.
“Each day, you write the numbers one to six on a piece of paper. Then write out the first, second, and up to the sixth most important tasks of the day. You then begin with number one. Even if you spend the entire day on that one task, there was no way you could have been more productive using any other system.”
At first glance, that sounds almost too simple. Just make a list and start with number one. But the deeper idea is about focus. It forces us to define what matters most before we begin our day.
Some people prefer to start their day with quick wins, tackling the easy tasks first. Others prefer to attack the toughest job right off the bat. Some people clear the short tasks before tackling the big ones, while others do the opposite. Different personalities work differently.
But Young’s method works across the board because it builds awareness and intentionality. It doesn’t matter whether you start small or start big. It matters that you’ve ranked your priorities and committed to working on them in order.
When he says, “there was no way you could have been more productive using any other system,” he’s not claiming it’s the perfect method for everyone. He’s saying that you can’t be more productive than when you’re fully focused on the most important thing.
Maybe the real takeaway isn’t just about productivity. It’s about clarity. If you can identify what truly matters, and have the discipline to give it your best effort, you’ll find progress comes faster, stress comes slower, and distractions lose their power.
Tomorrow morning, grab a piece of paper. Write down six tasks. Circle number one. Then give it your full attention.
Quiz
Read the quiz stem and then choose the best answer. (Choose all that apply.)
Free kick from the K-40. K27 kicks the ball high and deep. R99 races forward and slams into K27 at the K-42. R26 then catches the kick at the R-5 and is downed at the R-15.
- 10-yard penalty
- 15-yard penalty
- Team K may elect to enforce the penalty from the R-5
- Team K may elect to enforce the penalty from the R-15
- Team K may elect to enforce the penalty from the K-40
Review Rules 9-3-4, 10-4-2b