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Under the pressure of deadlines, often self-created through procrastination, people suffer greater stress, make more mistakes, and have to redo more tasks than under any other conditions. Often the mistakes that people make when working under tight deadlines lead to defects and cost overruns that cause substantial financial losses in the long term. Sometimes a job actually takes much longer to complete when people rush to get it done at the last minute and then have to redo it.
Three Questions for Maximum Productivity
First, think this through for yourself. Then, ask your boss. Ask your coworkers and subordinates. Ask your friends and family. Like focusing the lens of a camera, you must be crystal clear about your highest-value activities before you begin work.
The second question you can ask continually is, “What can I and only I do, that if done well, will make a real difference?” This question came from the late Peter Drucker, the management guru.
This is the core question of time management. Answering this question correctly is the key to overcoming procrastination and becoming a highly productive person.
Do first things first and second things not at all. As Goethe said, “The things that matter most must never be at the mercy of the things that matter least.”
The fact is that you can’t do everything that you have to do. You have to procrastinate on something. Therefore, deliberately and consciously procrastinate on small tasks. Put off eating smaller or less ugly frogs. Eat the biggest and ugliest frogs before anything else.
One of the most powerful of all words in time management is the word no! Say it politely. Say it clearly so that there are no misunderstandings. Say it regularly as a normal part of your time management vocabulary.
Warren Buffett, one of the richest men in the world, was once asked his secret of success. He replied, “Simple. I just say no to everything that is not absolutely vital to me at the moment.”
Say no to anything that is not a high-value use of your time and your life. Say no graciously but firmly to avoid agreeing to something against your will. Say it early and say it often. Remember that you h...
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Most people engage in unconscious procrastination. They procrastinate without thinking about it. As a result, they procrastinate on the big, valuable, important tasks that can have significant long-term consequences in their lives and careers. You must avoid this common tendency at all costs.
The first law of success is concentration—to bend all the energies to one point, and to go directly to that point, looking neither to the right nor to the left. WILLIAM MATHEWS
Here’s how it works: You start with a list of everything you have to do for the coming day. Think on paper. You then place an A, B, C, D, or E next to each item on your list before you begin the first task. An “A” item is defined as something that is very important, something that you must do. This is a task that will have serious positive or negative consequences if you do it or fail to do it,
A “C” task is defined as something that would be nice to do but for which there are no consequences at all, whether you do it or not. C tasks include phoning a friend, having coffee or lunch with a coworker, and completing some personal business during work hours. These sorts of activities have no effect at all on your work life.
A “D” task is defined as something you can delegate to someone else. The rule is that you should delegate everything that someone else can do
Take Action Immediately The key to making this ABCDE Method work is for you to now discipline yourself to start immediately on your A-1 task and then stay at it until it is complete. Use your willpower
Eat the whole frog and don’t stop until it’s finished completely.
The Big Seven in Management and Sales The key result areas of management are planning, organizing, staffing, delegating, supervising, measuring, and reporting.
For a company owner or key executive, negotiating a bank loan may be a key result area. Hiring the right people and delegating effectively are both key result areas.
Give Yourself a Grade Once you have determined your key result areas, the second step is for you to grade yourself on a scale of one to ten
in each of those areas. Where are you strong and where are you weak?
A manager who cannot delegate properly is held back from using all his or her other skills at the maximum levels of effectiveness.
Refuse to rationalize, justify, or defend your areas of weakness. Instead, identify them clearly. Set a goal and make a plan to become very good in each of those areas.
One of the fastest and best ways to stop procrastinating and get more things done faster is for you to become absolutely excellent in your key result areas.
“I had been working very hard for more than eight years, and I doubled my income in just one month by focusing all my time and energy on my three key tasks.
“In thirty seconds, write down your three most important goals in life right now.”
In 80 percent or more of cases, people have three goals in common: first, a financial and career goal; second, a family or personal relationship goal; and third, a health or fitness goal.
Later in our coaching program, we expand this exercise by asking the following questions: 1. What are your three most important business or career goals right now? 2. What are your three most important family or relationship goals right now? 3. What are your three most important financial goals right now? 4. What are your three most important health goals right now? 5. What are your three most important personal and professional development goals right now? 6. What are your three most important social and community goals right now? 7. What are your three biggest problems or concerns in
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The main reason to develop time management skills is so that you can complete everything that is really important in your work and free up more and more time to do the things in your personal life that give you the greatest happiness and satisfaction.
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to enable you to spend more “face time” with the people you care about, doing the things that give you the greatest amount of joy in life.
Start a little earlier, stay a little later, and work a little harder. Don’t waste time.
Balance Is Not Optional
One of the best ways for you to overcome procrastination and get more things done faster is to have everything you need at hand before you begin.
When you are fully prepared, you are like a cocked gun or an archer with an arrow pulled back taut in the bow.
Begin by clearing off your desk or workspace so that you have only one task in front of you.
If necessary, put everything else on the floor or on a table behind you.
Create a Comfortable Workspace The most productive people take the time to create a work area where they enjoy spending time.
neater you organize your work area before you begin, the easier it will be
“You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”
The cleaner and neater your work environment, the more positive, productive, and confident you will feel.
Persons with comparatively moderate powers will accomplish much, if they apply themselves wholly and indefatigably to one thing at a time. SAMUEL SMILES
accomplish the biggest task in your life by disciplining yourself to take it just one step at a time. Your job is to go as far as you can see. You will then be able to see far enough to go further.
To accomplish a great task, you must step out in faith and have complete confidence that your next step will soon become clear to you.
Financial independence is achieved by saving a little money every single month, year after year.
Health and fitness are accomplished by just eating a little less and exercising a little more, day after day and month after month.
Then take just one step immediately. Sometimes all you need to do to get started is to sit down and complete one item on the list. And then do one more, and so on.
Upgrade Your Key Skills
The only certain means of success is to render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be. OG MANDINO
The better you become at eating a particular type of frog, the more likely you are to just plunge in and get it done.
