What if effort isn't your problem? [WRAP 193]

Hey Reader, remember a couple weeks ago when I struck out in slow pitch softball and pulled a muscle because I swung too hard?

Well, last night I crushed one. I'm talking a no-doubter-out-of-the-park* home run that sailed over the outfielders' heads.

And here's the wild part. I wasn't swinging any harder than when I struck out. I swung less hard!

The difference? Everything was lined up. My feet, my hips, my shoulders, the bat... all moving together in one smooth motion. I caught the ball right in the sweet spot, and it flew over the fence.

I actually laughed running the bases because it felt easy.

Later, it hit me: this is exactly how productivity works too.

Most of us think the answer is working harder, doing more, hustling longer. But what if the real shortcut is just getting everything lined up first?

When your long-term vision is clear, your weekly goals support that vision, and your daily tasks directly connect to those goals, everything flows. You make more progress with less grinding. It doesn't feel difficult because you're not fighting against yourself and all the distractions.

The weeks that feel like home runs aren't when you're white-knuckling your way through a to-do list. They're when your actions and your goals are moving in sync.

👀 Video to Watch: How to Actually Achieve Your Goals

Want a preview of my goal setting framework? In this video you'll learn about OMG and GAP planning—and a little bit about how your vision makes it all come together.

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📖 Books to Read: Steal Like An Artist

Austin Kleon is one of my favorite writers and artists. His books made a big impact on me in my creator journey, especially Show Your Work. But the book I'm recommending today is Steal Like An Artist, because it showed me how to "connect the dots" of the people I was inspired by to form my own voice and sense of style. His "reading with a pencil" essay inspired the notecard below.

Thanks for reading today, and if anything stood out to you I'd like to hear it!

Talk soon,

Matt "Sweet Spot" Ragland