What to do if you feel like you're falling behind in life

Introducing the 5 whys analysis

In partnership with

If you read my last email, it was all about why you shouldn’t compare yourself to others who are more “successful.”

But that’s easier said than done.

So here’s what you can do instead -

It’s something this student in my life tracking course said gave them clarity.

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The 5 whys analysis

Ask yourself why 5 times.

Here’s an example:

I feel like I’m falling behind in life…everyone else seems to have it together but I can barely balance my work and life.

Why can’t I balance your work and life?

I think it’s because I have poor time management skills and always procrastinate what I need to do. So I end up feeling overwhelmed and overworked, like I don’t have time for anything I want to do.

Why do I procrastinate?

I feel so drained after certain tasks that it’s easier to just go on my phone and doomscroll. This makes me feel guilty but I just don’t have the energy to do what I should do.

Why don’t I have energy?

I do a lot of things I don’t enjoy right now, especially when it comes to tedious and boring tasks (feels harder for people with ADHD). I procrastinate but they’re still on my mind so it just makes me feel guilty and overwhelmed all the time.

Why is it so hard to do things I don’t enjoy?

It might be an ADHD thing, or it could be because I don’t have proper systems and habits set up to make these chores/boring tasks easier to do. Since I keep putting it off due to not having a system, it just drains energy every day until the deadline approaches and I do everything in a panic.

Why don’t you have proper systems in place for boring task management?

I didn’t know where to start, I was scared of doing things “wrong” since I’m a perfectionist.

Finding the root cause: perfectionism, lack of clarity, and inability to set up a system

After asking why 5 times, you should arrive at the root cause of the issue.

From there, it’s a lot easier to come up with a solution.

Try this ChatGPT prompt:

You are an expert productivity coach. I conducted a 5 Whys Analysis to get to the root cause of my problem, which I will copy paste below. Help me come up with solutions to address my problem.

Here’s what ChatGPT suggested for me:

  • Set clear goals

  • Use Pomodoro

  • Do more enjoyable tasks

  • Set up a reward system

  • Experiment to beat perfectionism

But this advice is kinda basic…

That’s why I created my life tracking course

It gives you clarity because I tell you exactly what to do,

And make it easy to get started with lots of templates.

The life tracking course goes over:

  1. Setting a Life North Star Metric

  2. Conducting a Time and Energy Audit

  3. Setting up daily, weekly, monthly routines

  4. TTL method

  5. Project prioritization ranking system

  6. Using psychology (Zeigarnik Effect) to make habits easier

And a lot more.

Here’s a cheat sheet with everything the course covers.

If you want to sign up for the next cohort in October,

Just vote in the poll below.

Interested in a life tracking course?

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See you in your inbox again next Monday!

Jennifer

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