5 Reasons You Don’t Get Things Done

Do you have a list of things that need to get done, but for some reason you never seem to get around to doing them? Sometimes it appears that everyone around you seems like a productivity genius…while you struggle to remember to feed the cat.

Fear not intrepid listener, you don’t have to keep staring at that same to-do list as it bullies you and taunts you with feelings of failure. In this episode we’re going to reveal the 5 Reasons You Don’t Get Things Done…and how to kick those reasons to the curb forever.


Click here to download or listen to this episode now.

Spiritual Foundations

This week’s Scripture seems appropriate to our topic. Check out what Jesus had to say in Matthew [25:29], “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.”

Ouch. That doesn’t sound like Gentle Jesus.

This Scripture comes from the Parable of the Talents. In this parable boldness is rewarded and timidity is reprimanded. In fact, Jesus actually calls the timid person a “wicked and evil servant.”

Double ouch.

Have you ever wondered why the most productive servant was richly rewarded while the timid servant had everything taken from him?

The answer lies within this episode.

Tip of the Week

Imagine that you have a bunch of charges on your debit card every month, and some of them are a total mystery to you.

Or worse, you haven’t looked at your statement in a while and you realize you’ve been paying a monthly charge for something you stopped using long ago.

If these scenarios sound familiar, I have a radical solution for you…just call in and get another debit card.

Why would I make such a suggestion? In this week’s episode I’ll tell you the story of what happened to me, and how you can learn from my mistake.

Feature Presentation: “5 Reasons You Don't Get Things Done…And How to Change

There are 5 main reasons you don’t get things done: 

  1. You don't know WHAT needs to be done.
  2. You don't know HOW to do what needs to be done.
  3. You don't know WHY it needs to be done.
  4. You don't have the time, energy, or resources you NEED to do what needs to be done.
  5. You don't have the COURAGE to do what needs to be done.

This week I’m going to give you the tools to change and start your journey to becoming a productivity master.

Here are some snippets from our conversation…

  • Sean’s Rant of the Week: Jesus talks about cold, hard cash ([4:52])
  • Two strategic errors rolled into one – why what you believe makes all the difference ([14:22])
  • Start with, Why? – the one question that lights the pathway forward ([16:14])
  • Why are we doing this? – The Story of Bob and the Ultimate Consulting Question ([16:44])
  • Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic – How to stop doing stuff that doesn’t matter ([18:01])
  • The next logical step – Rediscovering The Lost Art of Thinking and Task Management ([19:35])
  • The Missing Link – How what you don’t know really can hurt you ([21:54])
  • Making Socrates proud – The 3 questions you must ask yourself before learning a new skill ([23:27])
  • An excuse masquerading as a reason – The one thing you do all the time that needs to stop NOW ([25:44])
  • The uncomfortable experiment – You’re not as busy as you think you are ([27:15])
  • This may hurt a little – How to follow your own yellow brick road and go from coward to conqueror ([31:33])

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Ray Edwards is a world-renowned copywriter and communications strategist, writing for some of the most powerful voices in leadership and business including New York Times bestselling authors Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Tony Robbins. Ray is a sought-after speaker and author, hosts a popular weekly podcast, and blogs at RayEdwards.com.