Alright, so I kept seeing this Nick Chirios dude everywhere – YouTube, forums, people raving about his results. Honestly, I was curious but skeptical. Everybody’s got “secrets,” right? Figured, screw it, let’s actually do his stuff instead of just watching. See if it lives up to the hype.
My Starting Point: Kinda a Mess
My workflow before trying Nick’s ideas? Honestly, chaotic. Jumping between projects, feeling busy but not seeing massive progress. I knew I needed to clean things up, maybe work smarter, not just harder. That’s when I decided to dive into his so-called “best practices.” No fancy promises, just action.
Step 1: The Ruthless Organization Tweak
First thing hit me? How Nick stresses order. Like, stupid-level organization. This felt basic, but man, I tried it hard. I grabbed my notebook and literally started writing down:
- The ONE big goal for the month (not 10 things). I picked the most crucial project.
- The 3 daily tasks that HAD to happen to push that goal forward. Max 3. Period.
- Blocking time ruthlessly. Instead of “I’ll do X sometime today,” I scribbled “9-10 AM: ONLY work on Task #1.” Phone off, email closed.
Felt rigid at first. Almost annoying. But forcing myself to write it down the night before? That was the trick. Woke up knowing exactly where to start, no brain power wasted deciding.
Step 2: Embracing the “Start Ugly” Mindset
Another thing Nick talks about? Just starting, even if it sucks. Perfection paralysis is real. My brain loves making things “perfect” before I begin, which means… often never beginning. So, I applied it to recording a video.
- Normally: Script for days, lights perfect, rehearse endlessly… maybe record.
- This time: I knew I needed a video about topic Y. Grabbed the camera around lunchtime (terrible lighting!), no script, just hit record and started talking. Raw, messy, stumbled a bunch.
The magic? After that messy take, it was EASY to make it better. I knew what needed fixing. Instead of endless prep, I actually had something to work on. Got the “final” version done faster than ever. Shocking how well “start ugly” works.
Step 3: Doing Less Stuff (Seriously)
This was counterintuitive. Nick bangs on about focusing intensely on fewer things. I used to be proud of juggling 5 projects at once. Spoiler: None were rocking. So I made a stupidly simple rule: If it wasn’t moving my big monthly goal forward immediately, I wouldn’t start it.
That meant saying “no” to cool collabs (that would take weeks), ignoring shiny new tool ideas (that would need setup time), and basically clearing the mental clutter. My to-do list looked emptier, but man, the items on it GOT DONE. Deep work only on the essentials. Less stress? Absolutely.
The Result? Seriously Faster Than Expected
Okay, so this wasn’t weeks. After about 7 days of actually sticking to this: my main project moved forward more than it had in the last month.
- That organized start? Cut morning waffling. Boom.
- “Starting ugly”? Got real progress happening faster than planning.
- Focusing? Actually finished tasks instead of leaving them 80% done.
Is it magic? Nah. Just basic stuff done consistently and with a bit of ruthlessness. Biggest shift wasn’t the techniques themselves, but actually forcing myself to TRY them day after day, no excuses.
My Takeaway? Stop Watching, Start Doing
Watching Nick’s vids is motivating, sure. But the real boost? Doing the damn work his way. These “pro tips”? They’re just disciplined habits packaged nicely. The organization kills the chaos. Starting ugly kills procrastination. Focusing kills scattered effort. Simple. Brutally effective.
So yeah, hype justified? For me, hell yes. Not because Nick invented anything wild, but because he pushes the simple basics harder than anyone else I’ve seen. Took action, got results. Fast. No fluff.
