BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: Don't spend the next 38+ years of your life gathering tools to help you get results! You can get all the tools you need from this book.
It's all about getting to your desired result, and "To Getting It Done" will enable you to do that. How? Simple, by using the right tool. If you use the right tool, you can do anything!
This self-help book contains almost four decades of simple tools consolidated into one place anyone can use. It doesn't matter what task, goal, or problem you are trying to overcome to get to your desired result; there is a tool in this book for you, as well as some humor, sarcasm, and a few sea stories along the way.
BONUS: You won't have to spend 38+ years of your life in the Navy trying to figure it out.
Don't wait! Make a decision, pick a tool, take action, and get started RIGHT NOW. Your future self will thank you for it!
At the end of the day, if you've found just one tool that helps you focus on getting a successful result, improving daily or "To Getting It Done," that's what matters.
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT: Don't spend the next 38+ years of your life gathering tools to help you get results! You can get all the tools you need from this book.
It's all about getting to your desired result, and "To Getting It Done" will enable you to do that. How? Simple, by using the right tool. If you use the right tool, you can do anything!
This self-help book contains almost four decades of simple tools consolidated into one place anyone can use. It doesn't matter what task, goal, or problem you are trying to overcome to get to your desired result; there is a tool in this book for you, as well as some humor, sarcasm, and a few sea stories along the way.
BONUS: You won't have to spend 38+ years of your life in the Navy trying to figure it out.
Don't wait! Make a decision, pick a tool, take action, and get started RIGHT NOW. Your future self will thank you for it!
At the end of the day, if you've found just one tool that helps you focus on getting a successful result, improving daily or "To Getting It Done," that's what matters.
Bottom line up front (BLUF): To getting it done!
âIn any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.â
â President Theodore Roosevelt
We all want to get to our desired result, right? Isnât that the million-dollar question, as they say? Iâm going to assume you want successful resultsâI mean, what else is there?
Being more productive, getting better every day, getting a job done, making more money, solving a problem, or improving on a relationship are all successful results! Iâm being Captain Obvious here, but I was a Captain in the Navy, and countless times, the obvious has come out of my mouth, but thatâs a result and a sea story for another time.
âTo Getting It Doneâ is to get to your desired result. Thatâs what itâs all about, after all. You focus on what you want, take action, get it done, and get your desired result. Simple, right? And we all love simple and obvious. But if itâs that simple, why arenât we all getting our desired result every day? Aside from the seemingly straightforward process, is there something else we need to do?
Simply put, you use tools. If you use the right tool, you can find a solution for anything you desire. The trick is finding the right one that works for you. I spent the last 38+ years of my life in the US Navy collecting and refining the tools in this book. Anybody can use these tools. They have worked for me and others all over the world, just like you, from all walks of life, at sea above and below the oceans, overseas, in combat zones, and during a pandemic. These tools are simple and are things like daily planning, focusing, and creative thinking. You could call them results tools or success tools, but, there is no magic formula, just ways to take focused action to help you achieve your desired result, which is what we all want.
I offer these tools, so you donât have to spend 38 years of your life in the Navy learning to achieve your desired result. This book gives you all the tools you need and offers humor, sarcasm, and a few sea stories along the way. I mean, why would you even listen to a Sailor whoâs been in the Navy that long if they werenât going to tell you a sea story?
Why tools? Because tools are something we all have in commonâwe all use them in one form or another. Iâm going to make you aware of some results tools you can try, and, if you like them, add to your tool belt. Some of these tools you may already have and use now, some you have and are just not aware of them. Itâs beneficial to keep an open mind and check out new tools when the opportunity comes. Also, note that what worked for you last week may not work for you this week, or that what works for one person might not work for the other. Just because someone does things a certain way doesnât mean we all have to do it that same way. Thatâs why itâs important to keep trying new things until you find what works for you and helps you get the result you want. Trying new tools enables you to improve each day, and if youâre improving, taking action, and moving forward each day, you will get a positive result. And if youâre notâthen itâs obvious youâre not! So, ultimately this book will show you some tools to help you grow, take action, and move forward to get to your desired successful result.
So how did I come about this knowledge? 38+ successful years in the US Navy, thatâs how. But why should you trust me? What do I know about tools? So what?
Well, to start, let me tell you my personal âwhyâ for writing this book about getting things done using tools. It is a way to give back or pay forward, as it would be a shame to take all those years of hard lessons learned (tools) and not share them with others or do nothing with them. These tools have always worked for me and countless others in the Navy and civilian life to whom Iâve had the pleasure of passing them. This book tucks these tools nice and neat into a place for you to use.
You can do anything with the right tool! You have the worldâs most powerful tool right inside your head, so youâre already starting successfully. The problem is that most people donât use it to achieve their desired results. Instead, they drift through life, thinking about what they donât want, how hard something is to do, or that as long as they eat and have a place to sleepâin other words, just the basicsâthey are ok. No need to try different tools to go after their desires or dreams. So they get stuck in the same old routine year after year. Iâm not exempt from thisâIâve done some of these same things and still do sometimes. We all do. Weâre human, after all. But there is always an alternative or a tool to help move forward. Just take action! Suppose you donât have a simple process that allows you to get things done, like finish the report due to your boss in three days, pay your bills, face your fears, create a stream of passive income, or remember your significant otherâs birthday to keep you out of hot water. All you need is to use a little of the right tool, and youâll be on your way from ordinary to extraordinary!
Once you find the tool that works for you, itâs like nirvana or âta-da!â It only takes one to make a difference. One tool, one spark, one bit of inspiration or momentum to get it started, and then off you go! It makes you feel fantastic, motivated, inspired and gives you massive energy, knowing you have a tool to help you achieve results! Once you find that one tool and take focused action on using it to be successful, others start coming out of the woodwork, and suddenly you have another tool that helps, and then another. Pretty soon, you will have a phenomenal tool belt that consistently delivers what you need when you need it. That sure beats excuses!
People have many excuses why they donât get things done. Funny story (first sea story of the book, by the way): Once upon a time, on a submarine repair ship in Guam many years ago, I was thinking of working on a book about excuses. A group of friends with similar thoughts, whom Iâll leave nameless to protect their delicate interests, would sometimes talk about this subject. Our conversations centered on why when you tell Sailors to do something, not everyone gets it done, and on the comical excuses they came up with for why they didnât get it done. People come up with some humorous and unbelievable excuses, and when you think youâve heard it allâtrust me, you havenât.
For example, weâd ask Seaman Schmuckatelli (people always use that name in the Navy as an example) why he didnât do something when we were all standing right on the flight deck when the word got passed. In response, the Sailor would say, âSorry, I didnât get the word because when you were talking, I saw a cloud in the sky that looked like a clown face.â Or maybe something like, âSorry, I didnât hear what you said because Seaman Soanso was making funny faces at me, and it distracted me.â
There were some doozies, for sure. But although the excuses were funny, I finally realized they made excuses because I had not given them the right tools. Sure, they were still accountable, but with a little more effort on my part or a different tool, like effective communication, they may have gotten the word, gotten the job done, and not had an excuse. (It was still funny!)
How does this apply to you, besides making you laugh? Is there a funny or serious excuse youâre telling yourself for not getting something done that was important to you and could positively impact your life? Are you still searching for the right tool to get that result? It feels awesome when you get results versus excuses. The real question is, what can you do to get results?
The number one thing you can do is focus on that one thing youâve decided to accomplish, take action, get started, and get it doneânothing trumps that! It is that simple, and itâs always been at the forefront of my mind when working on a goal, mission, or task, big or small: How can I get it started and done by taking focused action now and keeping it simple along the journey? After spending all that time in the Navy, Iâve heard many ways to do things, worked for and with many leaders, and Iâve been through more systems on how âwe should do somethingâ than is humanly possible to imagine. But in the end, it comes down to just a few things: Again, focus on that one thing you want to accomplish, get started, use a tool, and take action until you get your desired result.
Throughout this book, at the beginning of each chapter, youâll find a Bottom Line Up Front or BLUF! This is a wonderful tool to tell you exactly what you should focus on in that chapter. Youâll know what to expect as you read, especially if I start telling sea stories and it gets out of hand! A BLUF allows me to tell you about this tool in less than three seconds.
Each chapter contains directions on how to use the tool, examples of how it worked, and some chapters even include a fun sea story, and who doesnât like sea stories!
This book has two parts:
Part 1: Process tools.
Use these tools to create a system of your own to make each day your most productive day ever. You can either use this entire process or use it to tweak on your own. Remember, everyone has positive tools already, so donât throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, build these tools into what you already have, making it better. Thatâs the best way to grow in life or business, constantly building on your foundation.
These processes are the same ones Iâve used during my naval career in many challenging environments and situations. These tools involve:
⢠Using creative thinking and focus. ⢠Creating a daily plan.
⢠Having a process/habit/goal.
⢠Being a problem solver.
⢠Taking care of your people.
These fundamental elements will lead to success in any line of work, personal goal, or endeavor in any environment. These process tools worked on submarines, aircraft carriers, and in a pandemic, and they will work for you too!
Part 2: Supplemental tools.
The tools in this section are important ones you can easily add to your tool belt and use along your lifeâs journey, depending on the situation.
You should try each tool and see if it works, especially if you feel like quitting or giving up. Instead of doing that, try another tool and keep moving forward. One can never have too many tools in their tool belt. Also important: Always be on the lookout for ways to improve. If what you are doing now works for you, keep doing that while constantly finding ways to improve little by little (hint: such as using the tools in this book). If you are always tweaking your process, it will always enable you to be successful. âYou make things better when you get things done, and when you get things done, you get results.â You can quote me on that!
Donât wait! You can make a positive difference in your life anytime you want by using tools to achieve your dreams! If you already know what you want, you can get started todayâno more excuses! Decide to pick a tool and get started RIGHT NOW. As I like to say, your future self will thank you for it.
I wish you smooth sailing, and I know you will find tools in this book that will inspire you, give you confidence, help you focus, prompt you to take action, enable you to do your very best every day, help you improve and grow daily, and get you to your desired result!
At the end of the day, if youâve found just one tool that helps you focus on getting a successful result, improving daily or âTo Getting It Done,â thatâs all that matters.
Michael Whitt
To getting it done!
Every day, we all have things we need to get done or problems to solve. If youâd like to get better at it, then this book is for you. Thereâs no better way than learning from someone who has mastered different tried and tested ways to get a job done. The author shares his decades of experience in the U.S. Navy and the set of tools he used in different situations.
You might recognize many of the productivity concepts he shares. In fact, you can sum up the book with, âIf you want to get things done, do something and keep at it.â Itâs as simple and as difficult as that. And maybe we all need Captain Obvious (as he refers to himself) as a guide to see a project through from start to finish.
Part 1 of the book urges you to focus on what you want, take action, and get it done. The author offers tools you may already use at a personal or organizational level. But he urges you to keep an open mind because âwhat worked last week may not work todayâ.
If you struggle to start and complete projects, then youâll find this section invaluable. At the start of each chapter, you have Bottom Line Up Front. This tells you the focus of the chapter, offers a tool, and how to use it or tweak the process to be most productive.
In Part 2, he offers Supplemental Tools to add to your arsenal and use depending on the situation. This section is useful when you get stuck or need inspiration. To illustrate his point, the author shares several sea stories, as expected. But he also incorporates real-life examples that include former presidents, entrepreneurs, and media personalities. The style of writing is easy to read and understand.
I like the simplicity of the tools offered. The ones that resonate with me are how you can use gratitude to help you refocus on the task at hand. How your mentors can include people in history, and how he stresses the importance of relationships.
To get the most out of the book, read it through once to understand, and highlight points to return to. It makes for a handy reference as you go about getting things done.