Paula Rizzo, author of Listful Living, has written a new newsletter where she discusses the TV show Shark Tank and what it can teach viewers about productivity.

What Shark Tank Can Teach You About Productivity
When it comes to the things we’d like to achieve, there’s no shortage of ideas. Think about what’s on your bucket list. Learning a second language, writing a book, running a marathon…
It all sounds so exciting, but having lots of great ideas doesn’t guarantee any action.
So how do you make those ideas happen? (Lists are a good start! Get my list-making starter kit here).
Before you get started, first you have to really sell the goal to yourself. You can’t expect to achieve something if you’re not all in.
Imagine yourself explaining your goal to a panel of people, like on the show Shark Tank.
Before appearing on a show like that you would prepare by doing research on your business, if you have a business partner you might delegate who will speak about what parts. Finally, you would come up with a plan for your business. You should do the exact same with your goals.
Use these three steps to sell yourself on your goal:
Research.
If your goal is to write a book, you’re going to need to do quite a bit of research. Not just into the book idea itself, but into your competition, what agents you would send the book to, etc.
By doing a bit of research, you’ve already given your book direction. Plus, this helps to map out just how long this goal will take to achieve. Research is key to understanding what your goal will actually entail.
Delegate.
If this is a shared goal, it’s good to split up tasks and think about what your specific skills are.
Try to play to your own strengths when deciding who does what. Even if this is a solo goal, you can still outsource some of the more mundane tasks, giving yourself time to focus on the important parts.
Plan.
A goal without a plan is just a wish. Creating a plan doesn’t just help you assign time for your goals, it allows you to comprehend exactly what’s involved. Having a plan shows that you’ve thought about all the different outcomes.
For example, saying “I want to exercise more in 2021” doesn’t sound all that convincing, does it? But if you say “I want to run a half marathon” and you pull out your training plan — suddenly it sounds a whole lot more feasible.
Listful Living
A List-Making Journey to a Less Stressed You
A best-selling author and Emmy-award winning television producer for nearly 20 years, Paula Rizzo produced health, wellness, and lifestyle segments with a range of top experts, including JJ Virgin, Jillian Michaels, and Deepak Chopra. Rizzo brings her experience to this new project. Readers will learn their stress style and strategies for shaping their days in more productive ways. With self-assessments and exercises, this guide will bring readers to better patterns and better, more organized lives.