The James Bond Challenge
Ian Fleming's 007 series. 14 books. 100,000,000 copies sold. Currently, more than half the global population have seen at least one Bond film.
Fleming's early endeavors include journalism and military service. During WWII, he worked for Britain's Naval Intelligence Division. Tasked with overseeing the 30 Assault Unit and T-force intelligence branches, Fleming also contributed to Operation Goldeneye (which, fittingly, he later named his writing retreat in Jamaica).
Fleming's wartime service and career as a journalist fueled the background, detail, and depth of the James Bond novels.
As is the nature of effective art, the art is a natural extension of the artist themselves—the passion, creativity, and indulgences of James Bond's fictional exploits grounded in Fleming's non-fiction experience.
The extravagances of James Bond were Fleming's own. This culminated in the right story at the right time: audiences were hungry for the British spy thriller after WWII and during the Cold War Era, a uniformly compelling topic in an unstable age.
Though greatly admired for the punch of his prose, often underappreciated is Fleming's meticulous research and devotion to detail. He invited others to screen his manuscripts for inaccuracies, demanding complete precision in his work. This extraordinary standard formed unseen—though critical—pillars to 007's phenomenal success. The details are not luxuries. They are mandatory.
An extraordinary accomplishment; an extraordinary writer. More compelling than what Fleming accomplished is how.
“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
Fleming adhered to his schedule religiously: breakfast, a morning swim, then three hours of writing—uninterrupted. His home's study became a sanctuary. An additional hour late in the day, writing continued.
Fourteen Bond novels starting at age 43. An overwhelming accomplishment for any author; such a prolific endeavor only possible through unwavering discipline, focus, and intensity.
Let's consider Parkinson's Law in the context of us.
It is an extraordinary truth: in work and life, when constrained by schedule, we get it done. We adapt our actions to the time allowed. We conquer. It's the work deadline that, no matter the sacrifice, must be met. It's the full day of errands which, when urgency requires, are completed by mid-morning. When we have to, we find a way.
None are immune, and most are unaware, of The Parkinson Law's universal truth. We only function with a sense of urgency when necessity dictates.
We're going to shatter the paradigm.
The 007 Challenge
Our day begins with our Golden Hour, that time committed—with no excuses—to our highest calling. The Golden Hour is sacred; never to be skipped, never to be viewed as a luxury. It feeds the best within us. It fuels our lives. It is a necessity.
Our strategy: The Golden Hour complete by 007. By seven in the morning, we have invested our hour. We have laid the foundation for our day—and our lives—while the rest of the world is waking up.
Now, we take this further.
The 10:00 AM Challenge
At seven AM, we set a timer. A three-hour countdown. We inventory the day's responsibilities and, with Parkinson's Law in mind, set an aggressive goal: completing all by 10:00 AM.
The Golden Hour done. The day's core tasks done. And it's ten in the morning. Set yourself to the task. You've got this.
As to the work itself, we divide the day's responsibilities into two categories:
1. Activity
2. Productivity
Most activity must be seen for what it is—a distraction to keep us from the truly productive actions we care not to do. We find things that feel productive; comforts that—though not core priorities, seem meaningful enough. We justify doing the easy stuff first. We sell, and buy, our own bullshit.
Our mindset: we're going to war with "activity".
Write two columns: activity and productivity. For a full week track your standard daily actions, placing each into the appropriate column.
Truly meaningful work—productivity—quickly announces itself.
We attack the day, finding no comfort in pseudo-productive "tasks". We prioritize; we execute. The heaviest lifting done first.
Your Golden Hour is complete by 7:00 AM. Does 10:00 AM seem lofty for all else? Try it. Challenge yourself. You'll be amazed at what you're capable of as the clock ticks down.
There's no greater gift than time, which you have now given yourself in abundance. Use it effectively.
The work projects that truly matter. An early assault on tomorrow's responsibilities. Some brief, well-earned leisure. Best of all—a second Golden Hour—or more. Ian Fleming returned to his writer's desk an extra hour every day. Do the same.
For each of us, there comes that wonderful moment when the day's doing is done. When, with pride in the day’s accomplishments, we’ve earned the right to decide all to follow.
I'll meet you there at ten.
Mark Joseph Huckabee
