Transcription
Does this sound familiar? You set a goal in the morning or at the beginning of the year, but when the time comes, you look back and realize that you haven't accomplished much. Then you feel guilt and shame. You even start hating yourself. Your self-confidence goes down, and you enter the cycle of setting goals in the mornings and feeling guilty in the evenings. And this pattern keeps repeating for the coming weeks, months, and even years.
If what I just described sounds familiar, then this video is for you because today I will be summarizing Brian Tracy's book called "Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastination and Get More Done in Less Time." This is one of the most famous and practical books about procrastination and productivity. Please keep in mind that this is a very detailed and complete summary of the book. No book summary video can replace reading the book itself, but if there is one video that comes close to replacing the book, then it is this one.
Okay, let's get started and see what this frog-eating thing is all about. It's been said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day happily because you know that it can't get worse than that. In your case, your frog is your biggest, most important task, the one you are most likely to procrastinate on.
There are two rules of frog eating:
Number one: If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first. This is another way of saying that if you have two important tasks, then start with the biggest, hardest, and most important task first.
Rule number two: If you have to eat a live frog, it doesn't make sense to sit around and look at it for very long. You must develop the routine of eating your frog before you do anything else. I know it's easier said than done, but these 21 tips will help you to eat your frogs fast and effectively.
Number one: Set the table. Before you can determine your frog and get on with eating it, you have to decide exactly what it is you want to accomplish in each area of your life. Clarity is the most important concept in personal productivity. The number one reason why some people get more work done faster is because they are absolutely clear about their goals and objectives, and they don't deviate from them. The more clear you are about what you want and what you have to do to achieve it, the easier it is for you to overcome procrastination. A major reason for procrastination and lack of motivation is vagueness, confusion, and fuzzy-mindedness about what it is you're supposed to do, in what order, and for what reason.
Here is a seven-step formula for setting clear and effective goals:
1. Decide specifically what you want. Either decide for yourself or sit down with your boss and discuss your goals and objectives until you are absolutely crystal clear about what is expected of you and in what order of priority. It's amazing how many people are wasting time day after day on low-value tasks because of a lack of clarity. One of the very worst uses of time is to do something very well that need not be done at all. Before you begin climbing up the ladder, you have to make sure that it is leaning against the right building.
2. Write it down. The author calls it "thinking on paper." Think of when you need to have an agreement with a professional that is going to offer you a service. If you have that agreement on paper, it has a lot more value than having it just discussed verbally. In the same way, when you write your goals down, you are making an agreement with yourself. People with clear written goals can accomplish 5 to 10 times as much as others whose goals live only in their fantasies. That happens because to write it down, you need to stop and think clearly and consciously about it. Writing makes it tangible.
3. Set a deadline. A task without a deadline is something that can be done today, next month, or next year. Not setting a deadline for your important goal is like telling yourself it's okay to procrastinate on this specific goal and prioritizing all others.
4. List down everything you have to do to achieve your goal. For example, if your goal is to be healthier, then the list of things you have to do can be signing up for a gym, getting a diet plan designed, buying gym clothes, etc.
5. Organize a list into a plan. Organize your list by priority and sequence. Take a few minutes to decide what you need to do first and what you can do later. Decide what has to be done before something else and what needs to be done afterward. Even better, lay out your plan visually in the form of a series of boxes and circles on a sheet of paper. You'll be amazed at how much easier it is to achieve your goals when you break it down into individual tasks.
6. Take action immediately. Do something. Do anything. An average plan vigorously executed is far better than a brilliant plan on which nothing is done.
7. Do something every day to move yourself toward your major goal, even if it's a small action. Never miss a day. For example, today you can't do 30 push-ups as you planned. It's okay to do just 10, but don't miss a day.
Here's the summary of all seven tips and also kind of an example to show you how the end result would look like if you did this seven-step goal-setting exercise: Take a clean sheet of paper right now and write a list of 10 goals you want to accomplish in the next year. For example, you would write, "I earn X number of dollars per month" or "I weigh X number of pounds or kilos." Then go back over your list of 10 goals and select the one goal that, if you achieve it, would have the greatest positive impact on your life. Whatever that goal is, write it on a separate sheet of paper, set a deadline, plan how you will achieve it, take action on your plan, and then do something every single day that moves you toward that goal.
Number two: Plan every day in advance. The 10/90 rule says that 10% of time used to plan your work can save you 90% of the execution time. This means that every 10 minutes of planning saves you 100 minutes of execution time. By setting aside 10 to 12 minutes every evening for planning, you can save up to 2 hours on execution on your next day.
Here's why planning is so important: Have you ever tried to go grocery shopping without a shopping list? Here's what happens when I do it: I buy items I don't even like just because they're on sale. I buy things that I still have at home and don't need to buy yet, and I forget to buy things I need, which makes me go back to the grocery store again in a few hours or the next day. This is also what life looks like when you don't have a good plan. You do things you don't need to be doing, and you don't do things you should be doing.
So, how to do the planning then? Planning doesn't have to be complex. All you have to do before you go to bed is write down the list of tasks you must complete the next day. When you do that, you allow your subconscious mind to work on the list while you sleep, and you will then wake up with new ideas on how to achieve them. Always work from the list and have different lists, not just one. For example, you can have a monthly list for the month ahead, a weekly list for the week ahead, and a daily list. You can also have a master list that contains all the possible tasks you must do.
Number three: Consider the consequences. Dr. Edward Banfield from Harvard University researched for 50 years trying to answer one question: What is the most important factor that makes people increase their chances to move to a higher social and economic class? In other words, what is the one factor that can accurately predict if you will become rich one day or not? Now, if you had to guess, what would you say? High levels of education? Being smart? Wrong. The factor that can more accurately predict if you will become rich one day or not is seeing the world with a long-term perspective. Long-term perspective turns out to be more important than family background, education, race, intelligence, connections, or virtually any other single factor. Your attitude toward time horizon has an enormous impact on your behavior and your choices. People who take a long view of their lives and careers always seem to make much better decisions about their time and activities than people who give very little thought to the future. Successful people have a clear future orientation. They think 5, 10, and 20 years out into the future. They analyze their choices and behaviors in the present to make sure that they are consistent with the long-term future that they desire.
So, here are two tips for you:
1. Get crystal clear on your long-term goals. Long-term thinking improves short-term decision-making.
2. Every day, before starting on anything, you should always ask yourself, "What are the potential consequences of doing or not doing this task?" Think continually about the potential consequences of your choices, decisions, and behaviors. If there is a task or activity with large potential positive consequences, make it a top priority and get started on it immediately. Whatever your frog is, resolve to gulp it down first thing.
Number four: Practice creative procrastination. The truth is that you can't do everything that you want to do. You have to procrastinate on something. The difference between high performers and low performers is largely determined by what they choose to procrastinate on. Creative procrastination is the act of deliberately procrastinating on those tasks that are of low value. You can only get your life and time under control when you discontinue lower-value activities. For you to do something new, you must stop doing something old. Getting in requires getting out; picking up means putting down. For example, working on small business administrative tasks and responding to messages and emails are the things that I purposefully procrastinate on. Yes, sometimes it pisses off some people who want a faster response from me, but it is something I can live with.
Besides purposeful procrastination, you also need to continually review your tasks to identify those that you can abandon with no real loss. Very often, we keep doing things just because we have been doing them and simply forget to ask ourselves if it really needs to be done. I personally use these four questions when reviewing my tasks:
1. Can this task be eliminated?
2. If it can't be eliminated, then can it be systematized and automated in a way that no work from my side is required?
3. If it can't be eliminated and can't be automated, then can it be delegated to someone else?
4. If it can't be eliminated, automated, and delegated, then is there an alternative way to do it so that it is faster, cheaper, and more efficient?
Let's take going to the gym as an example. You can't eliminate exercise; you need it for a healthy life. Obviously, you can't delegate and automate it either, so the first three questions cannot help you here. However, you can find an alternative way, which is instead of spending 3 hours exercising in the gym, you can do a 30-minute intense full-body workout at home and finish the whole process in an hour. Don't get me wrong; I'm not against going to the gym. I really like it, and if I could, I would do it for a very long time. I went to the gym three times a week, but then it got really hard to keep doing it. At some point, I had to stop. Here's why: When I made the decision to go to the gym three times a week, I was single, had no kids, and didn't have a business to run. But now the situation is different. I had major changes in my life, but I kept my old gym habit, which required quite some time. If you go to the gym, then you know this well: you have to pack your things, travel to the gym, have a small talk with a friend, exercise, have a shower, have one more small talk on the way out, travel back home, unpack your things, and have rest. The whole process took at least 3 hours for me. On the other hand, exercise at home takes only 1 hour.
So, to recap this lesson: First, purposefully procrastinate on low-value tasks because you can't be doing everything. Second, regularly review your tasks using the above four questions in order to eliminate, delegate, or improve efficiency.
Okay, next lesson:
Five: Use the ABCDE method continuously. The author teaches a technique to help you decide what to do first and next when it comes to setting your daily priorities. After you list all tasks for the next day, rate each of them using the letters A, B, C, D, and E.
* A tasks are those with the most serious consequences if left undone, and only you can do them. They are also the items that have the most positive consequences if done well. For example, talking to a key customer or hiring an assistant. You might have more than one A task, in which case you will use A1, A2, etc., to classify them. A1 is the ugliest frog that you should eat first, and so on. Only after you finish your A tasks, you'll go on to B tasks, which are things you should still do, but they have minor consequences. The rule is: you never do a B task if you have an A task left undone.
* Your C tasks are the things you want to do, but have no consequences if left undone. For example, phoning a friend or chatting with a coworker are C tasks.
* A D task is defined as something you can delegate to someone else. The rule is: you should delegate everything that anyone else can do so that you can free up more time for the A tasks that only you can do.
* Finally, E tasks are what you can eliminate totally with no consequences. This may be a task that was important at one time but is no longer relevant to you or anyone else. Often, it's something you continue to do out of habit or because you enjoy it.
Always start your day with the A1 tasks and then move on until you're done. If you realize that your A tasks are taking so much of your time that you never have any time left for B's and C's, maybe you need to break your main goal into even smaller tasks so that you don't get overwhelmed.
Number six: Focus on key result areas. Who doesn't want to earn more and move up faster at work? And still, many people find it hard to perform their best. Ever wonder why? It's because most people aren't sure why they're getting paid. They forget that they were hired for one purpose: to achieve a specific result. The author says that every job can be broken down into 5 to 7 key result areas. These are really important areas that you can't ignore. Think of key areas as the most vital functions of the body, like blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. If any of these functions stop, it leads to the death of the organism. It's the same if you don't do well in any of these key areas; you could lose your job. The key result area is something that you are completely responsible for. If you don't do it, it won't get done. For example, in management, the key result areas are planning, organizing, delegating, supervising, and measuring. If you're a small company owner, hiring the right people and delegating effectively can be your key results area. For a receptionist or secretary, tasks like typing letters, answering calls promptly, and transferring callers efficiently define their key result areas.
Here's a two-step formula to get really good at your key result areas, earn more, and get a promotion:
1. Clarity is essential. Identify the key result areas of your job. Make a list of things you need to do well to excel in your job. Grade yourself from 1 to 10 for each area, 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. Grading will allow you to see your strengths and weaknesses. Then ask yourself this question: "What one skill, if I developed and did it in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on my career?" Look into yourself for the answer; you probably know what it is.
2. Talk to your boss about this question and your list. Ask for honest feedback. Listen to their advice. Talk to your co-workers and your family too. You can get better when you are open to constructive input from others.
One of the major reasons for procrastination is that people avoid jobs and activities in those areas where they have performed poorly in the past. Instead of setting a goal and making a plan to improve, most people avoid that area altogether, which just makes the situation worse. The better you become in a particular skill area, the less you will procrastinate and the more motivated you will be. Remember, your weakest key area sets the limit for your overall performance. Even if you're great in six out of seven areas, one weak part can stop your growth. For example, delegating tasks is a key area for a manager. If a manager struggles with delegation, it hampers his ability to use his other skills effectively. Poor delegation skills alone can lead to job failure.
Number seven: Pareto Principle. Right now, if you have a list of 10 things to do, two of those things will turn out to be worth more than the other eight items put together. Here's an interesting thing: each of these tasks may take the same amount of time to finish, but one or two of those tasks will bring you more results than all the others combined. This is because of the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle. You probably know about it, so we'll not go much deeper, but what it basically means is that 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results, 20% of your customers will account for 80% of your sales, etc. Often, the task that is in the top 20% is the frog, and the sad fact is that most people procrastinate on those tasks. They busy themselves instead with the least important 80%, which contributes very little to results.
Before you begin work, always ask yourself, "Is this task at the top 20% of my activities?" Resist the temptation to clear up small things first. Let me repeat: never start with small things first. Never say to yourself, "This will only take 10 minutes, so let me finish it, and then I will start on the main task." It's never 10 minutes. I've tried it many times, and it always ends badly. Those small tasks seem to multiply very quickly. Once you finish one, another one pops up, and just like that, you end up spending the most productive part of your day on low-value tasks. Remember, whatever you choose to do over and over eventually becomes a habit that is hard to break. If you choose to start your day on low-value tasks, you soon develop the habit of always starting and working on low-value tasks. This is not the kind of habit you want to develop. The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you seem to be naturally motivated to continue. There's a part of your mind that loves to be working on significant tasks. Your job is to feed this part of your mind continually.
Number eight: Apply the law of three. Cynthia, a skeptical student, had a coaching session with the author. At first, she found it hard to believe the author's promise of doubling her income and gaining more free time within a year. To begin, the author had Cynthia list her tasks. She had 17 responsibilities, which kept her working tirelessly and neglecting her family. Then the author asked, "If you could focus on only one task from this list all day long, which one would contribute the greatest value to your company?" It didn't take her long to identify the most crucial task and circle it on her list. This process was repeated for the second and third most valuable tasks. The author proceeded to reveal a surprising fact to Cynthia. He informed her that a staggering 90% of her contribution to the company resided within those three tasks. Everything else she did was either supportive or complimentary and could be delegated, downsized, outsourced, or eliminated. Empowered by this realization, Cynthia approached her boss with a bold proposition on a Friday to delegate or outsource all but her top three tasks. She believed this focus could double her contribution, and she suggested that her pay should double accordingly. Cynthia's boss, after reviewing the critical tasks, gave his wholehearted agreement. He recognized their significance and promised to support her in outsourcing or delegating minor responsibilities. He also pledged to double her income if she succeeded. Cynthia's dedication paid off, as within just 30 days, her output and income doubled. After over 8 years of relentless work, she managed to transform her life.
Now, here are the two exercises you should try:
1. Determine the three most important tasks in your work. Ask yourself, "If I could do only one thing all day long, which task would contribute the greatest value to my career?" Repeat this exercise two more times. Once you've identified your big three, focus on them exclusively.
2. Identify your three most important goals in each area of your life. Organize them by priority, make plans for their accomplishment, and work on your plans every single day.
Number nine: Prepare thoroughly before you begin. Think of the time when you prepare a meal. You start by gathering all the ingredients and placing them on the kitchen table. Then, step by step, you start putting the meal together. Similarly, the more organized and tidy your workspace, the easier it is to start and stay focused on your goals. So, begin by clearing your desk or workspace, focusing on one task at a time. Put everything else aside. Collect all the necessary information, reports, and materials needed in order to start working and continue working until the job is done.
Here are the two exercises that will help you prepare thoroughly:
1. Take a good look at your desk or office, both at home and at work. Ask yourself, "What kind of a person works in an environment like this?" The cleaner and neater your work environment, the more positive, productive, and confident you will feel.
2. Resolve today to clean up your desk and office completely so that you feel effective, efficient, and ready to get going each time you sit down to work.
Number 10: Take it one oil barrel at a time. The author once crossed the Sahara Desert, a 500-mile (85 km) stretch, with no water, food, plants, or animals. Many people had died trying to cross it before, getting lost in the darkness or buried by shifting sands. To help travelers, the French placed black oil drums every 5 km along the route. During the day, you could always see two drums: the one you just passed and the one 5 km ahead. By focusing on the next drum, the author successfully crossed the desert, taking it one oil barrel at a time. This same approach applies to achieving a great goal. Instead of overwhelming yourself, break your goal into small steps and focus on one task at a time.
Here are two exercises you must try:
1. Select any goal, task, or project in your life on which you have been procrastinating and make a list of all the steps you'll need to take to complete it.
2. 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. You will be amazed at what you eventually accomplish.
Number 11: Upgrade your key skills. You probably did this in school. If there was a class that you were really good at, you always attended that class and actually enjoyed it. However, you always procrastinated and found excuses not to attend the class you were really bad at. We do the exact same thing with our tasks. We procrastinate on the ones that we are bad at. The solution is to get better at those tasks that are crucial for your success but you procrastinate on them a lot. The better you get, the more likely you are to dive in right away. Upgrading your skills is one of the key factors for productivity.
There are three steps to mastering new skills:
1. Read at least 30 minutes every day.
2. Convert your traveling time to learning time by listening to audiobooks or podcasts as you drive or commute.
3. Take all the courses and seminars you can find.
The more you learn, the more confident and motivated you'll feel, and the less you will procrastinate.
Number 12: Identify your key constraints. Let me ask you a question: You already have several important goals, and you've been working on them quite a while now. Why haven't you reached them yet? Here's the thing: between where you are today and any goal or objective that you want to accomplish, there is one major constraint, bottleneck, or choke point that is stopping you. Your job is to identify it clearly. What is it that's holding you back? What sets the speed at which you achieve your goals? What determines how fast you move from where you are to where you want to go? Why aren't you at your goal already? Regardless of what your goal is, there is always a limiting factor that determines the speed. Your primary job is to identify that limiting factor, then concentrate all your mental energies on eliminating that one key factor. This can be the most productive use of your time and talents. This constraint may be a person whose help or decision you need, a resource that you require, a weakness in some part of the organization, or something else, but the limiting factor is always there, and it is always your job to find it.
The 80/20 rule also applies to the constraints in your life and in your work. This means that 80% of the constraints—the factors that are holding you back from achieving your goals—are internal. They're within yourself, within your own personal qualities, abilities, habits, disciplines, or competencies, or they are contained within your own company. Only 20% are on the outside, in the form of competition, markets, governments, or other organizations. You must have the courage and honesty to look deeply into yourself for the limiting skills. Keep asking yourself, "What sets the speed at which I get the results I want?" Once you found the answer, dedicate all your time to resolving that limiting factor. The time dedicated to solving it will be the best use of your time.
Number 13: Put the pressure on yourself. When you were a child, all you did was just play and have fun. Your parents ran behind you all the time to make sure you were doing the important things, such as eating the right food or studying. Now you're an adult, and nobody's collecting behind you or directing you in the right direction. Many people in the world never leave this childhood mode. They're waiting for someone to come along and inspire them to become the person they want to be. But the problem is, no one's coming to rescue them. These people are like waiting for a bus on a street where no buses go. Only about 2% of people can work entirely without supervision. We call these people leaders. This is the kind of person you can be if you decide to reach your full potential. You must form the habit of putting pressure on yourself and not waiting for someone else to come along and do it for you. You must choose your own frogs and then make yourself eat them. Raise the standards on yourself. Make a game of starting a little earlier, working a little harder, and staying a little later. The main benefit you'll get from that is a boost in your self-esteem. Psychologist Nathaniel Brandon defines self-esteem as the reputation you have with yourself. Everything you do builds up or pulls down your reputation. You build up or pull down your reputation with yourself with everything you do or fail to do. The good news is that you feel better about yourself whenever you push yourself to do your best. You increase your self-esteem whenever you go beyond the point where the average person would normally quit.
Here are two tips to increase pressure on yourself:
1. Set deadlines and sub-deadlines on every task you do. Create your own forcing system. Once you set yourself a deadline, stick to it and even try to beat it.
2. Plan out all the steps of a big project and estimate how many minutes and hours you need for each step. Then try to beat your own deadlines. Make it a game and try to win.
Number 14: Motivate yourself into action. Imagine that inside of you, there's a power switch that determines whether you're motivated or demotivated, energized or not. Wouldn't it be awesome to actually have something like that? Well, the good news is that you already have it, and it's not coffee. Your power switch is the way you interpret the events in your life and talk to yourself. Your version of events largely determines whether these events motivate or demotivate you. To keep yourself motivated, you must resolve to become a complete optimist. If you tend to be a pessimistic person, this might make you roll your eyes, but I'm not talking about becoming a person who puts on a fake smile and fake confidence all the time and tells himself positive affirmations while feeling miserable and insecure deep down inside. Instead, think of optimism as a practical tool to overcome negative thoughts and skepticism that hold you back.
Here are six tips:
1. Refuse to complain about your problems. Keep them to yourself. 80% of people don't care about your problems anyway, and the other 20% are kind of glad you've got them in the first place.
2. Look for the good in every situation. No matter what goes wrong, optimists always look for something good or beneficial, and not surprisingly, they always seem to find it.
3. Always look for the solution to every problem. Instead of blaming or complaining when things go wrong, optimists become action-oriented. They ask questions like, "What's the solution? What can we do now? What's the next step?"
4. Optimists think and talk continually about their goals. They think about what they want and how to get it. They think and talk about the future and where they're going, rather than the past and where they came from. They're always looking forward rather than backward.
5. Seek the valuable lesson in every setback or difficulty. Optimists believe that difficulties come to teach us something and take us to a better place. We often wish that everything would go smoothly in life and we wouldn't face difficulties and problems, but that kind of life would probably be miserable. You're in a better place today because of the problems that you faced yesterday. Author Naval Ravikant says, "Thank God we didn't get that first promotion or got rejected by that girl in high school, otherwise we would be married to the first girl or boy we liked and still work in McDonald's at our first job."
6. Always watch your thoughts and don't go behind chasing the negative ones. Just because you have a thought doesn't mean that it's true. Negative thoughts are much stronger than positive ones. You've seen this yourself. For example, when something positive happens, you feel good for a few minutes or maybe a few hours, and then you're back to normal. But when something negative happens, it lasts days and sometimes weeks. So, when that negative thought comes, don't let it pass. Watch your mind as a bodyguard standing at the entrance of the room and deciding who enters and who doesn't. Remember, you have a choice, and you are not a slave to your mind.
15: Develop a sense of urgency. Don't wait. The time will never be just right. Start where you stand and work with whatever tools you may have at your hand, and better tools will be found as you go along. Waiting for the right time is just another way to waste time. When I was in high school, I said to myself, "You know, I have many subjects to study now for the university entrance exam, but when I start university, I will finally exercise regularly." Guess what? I was even busier at university. I kept delaying it to find the right time, but the right time never came. If you are not doing it now, you will probably never do it because there will always be something important to do. Highly productive people take the time to think, plan, and set priorities. They then launch quickly toward their goals and work on them continuously. So, whatever important goal you are postponing right now, start working on it and create a sense of urgency by setting a deadline. When you create a time constraint, it ignites a fire within you and puts you in a flow state. The urgency fuels your focus and productivity. Each time you complete a task, you gain momentum. According to the momentum principle, although it may take tremendous amounts of energy to get started initially, it takes far less energy to keep going. It's like riding a bicycle. You need to pedal harder to get started, but once you gain speed, it requires only a little bit of effort, and things get easier.
16: Focus your attention. Where your attention goes, your life follows. Some people believe that they can engage in multitasking, going back and forth between trivial and important tasks, but that is an illusion. People can focus only on one thing at a time. When you think you're multitasking, what you're actually doing is called task shifting. You are shifting your attention back and forth. Why is this a problem? Well, after an interruption, it takes about 17 minutes for you to shift your total attention back to your task and continue working. Isn't that the biggest time waster? This is precisely why so many people today are working harder and harder but getting less and less accomplished. The solution is pretty simple and it can double your productivity:
1. Plan each day in advance and select your most important task.
2. Eliminate distractions. Leave your phone in another room, turn off the notifications, and lock the door if you have to.
3. Start on the task first thing in the morning, before you do anything else. Then work nonstop for 90 minutes with no distractions. Give yourself a 15-minute break. After that time, start again and work another 90 minutes. Finally, after this 3-hour work period, you can then reward yourself.
90 minutes is the time suggested by the author. Other authors suggest a shorter working time of 25 to 30 minutes with a 5-minute break. I recommend you test both strategies and see what works for you. For me personally, the 25 and 5 model works the best most of the time. However, for creative tasks, such as writing scripts for these videos, I use the 50 minutes work and 10 minutes rest model.
17: Slice and dice the task. Sometimes big tasks can feel overwhelming and lead to procrastination. To overcome this, you use two techniques: the salami slice and Swiss cheese methods.
With the salami slice method, break down the task into smaller steps. Map out the task in detail, dividing it into smaller parts, and writing down every step in order. Then commit to completing just one slice at a time. This approach makes it psychologically easier to start and finish a small part of the task. Once you begin and complete one slice, you'll often feel motivated to continue, eventually completing the entire job. This is like eating an elephant one bite at a time. Remember, we humans have an innate urge for completion. Finishing tasks gives us a sense of happiness and empowerment. Each completed task triggers the release of endorphins, providing us with more personal power and energy.
Another technique you can use is called the Swiss cheese method of working. You use this technique to get yourself into gear by resolving to punch a hole in the task, like a hole in a block of Swiss cheese. You work on a task for a specific time period, even as short as 5 or 10 minutes. After that, take a break or switch to another task. Similar to the salami slice method, starting and making progress on a task builds momentum, generates a sense of accomplishment, and keeps you motivated to continue until it's finished. You should try the salami slice or the Swiss cheese method on any task that seems overwhelming when you approach it for the first time.
18: Single-handle every task. This means once you begin, you keep working on the task without distraction until it's 100% complete. Starting and stopping a task can increase the time needed to complete it by as much as 500%. This is because starting a task is usually the hardest part, and when you start and stop, you have to deal with that initial resistance multiple times and lose momentum. By concentrating single-mindedly on your most important task, you can reduce the time required to complete it by 50% or more. Starting a high-priority task and persisting until it is 100% complete is the true test of your character. The more you discipline yourself to persist on a major task, the more you will respect yourself and the higher your self-esteem will be. And the higher your self-esteem, the easier it is for you to discipline yourself to persist even more. By focusing clearly on your most valuable task and concentrating single-mindedly until it is 100% complete, you actually shape your own character. You become a superior person. You feel stronger, more competent, and happier. You feel more powerful and productive. You eventually feel capable of setting and achieving any goal. You become the master of your own destiny.
19: Create large chunks of time. Nothing can add more power to your life than concentrating all of your energies on a limited set of targets. 2 hours of fully focused work on one task is better than 8 hours of work in a noisy office where you are working on multiple tasks. The key to the success of this method is to plan in advance to block a fixed amount of time on your calendar. For example, "Every day in the morning from 10:00 a.m. until 10:30 I will be brainstorming on how to improve my business" or "I will read for 15 minutes every night before I go to bed." These time blocks are appointments you are making with yourself. You would never be late for a meeting with an important person. Treat these meetings in the same way.
20: Technology is a terrible master. A journalist for Fortune Magazine once wrote that when he arrived back at the office after a two-week European vacation, he had more than 700 emails waiting for him. He realized that it would take him a week to get through them all. Before starting on important projects, for the first time in his career, he took a deep breath and punched the "delete all" button, erasing those 700 emails forever. He then got busy with the projects that were really important to him and his company. His explanation was simple: "I realized that just because somebody sends me an email, it does not mean that they own a piece of my life." Although not many people would delete their entire inbox or all the social apps, you can definitely delete and ignore more than you think. You might ask, "But don't you have to stay plugged into technology to keep current with the news?" The answer is no. If it's really important, someone will tell you. Many people unplug from the news and, surprisingly enough, they remain well-informed on the most important subjects.
Here are two things you can do for starters:
1. Turn off your computer and smartphone for 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon.
2. Dedicate one full day each week to unplugging technology.
By the end of your digital detox, your mind will be calm and clear, and your mental batteries will be recharged.
21: Technology is a wonderful servant. There are six ways to regain control of your digital workspace and improve your productivity:
1. Clear your digital workspace. Treat it like your physical desk. Close any programs that are not needed for your current task. Block websites that distract you the most. Only keep open the communication channels that are necessary for completing your task.
2. Take charge of your smartphone. Disable all notifications, both visual and audio, on your smartphone.
3. Emergency communication. If you have responsibilities for young children, elderly parents, or disabled relatives, it may not be feasible to completely unplug from technology. In such cases, create a separate phone number, email address, or communication channel that only the caretaker of your loved one knows about. Leave that channel open for emergencies only.
4. Segment your communication channels to maintain focus. Divide your communication channels for work. Provide your boss or key clients with a specific contact method that others don't have access to.
5. Manage your calendar. Don't automatically accept digital invitations. Instead, assess if the invitation aligns with your priorities before accepting it. Schedule dedicated blocks of time for task completion in your calendar, treating them as important appointments. By having a busy calendar, others will be motivated to schedule shorter meetings with you.
6. Utilize digital to-do lists. Use digital task management software or to-do lists to take control of your time.
Conclusion: Putting it all together:
1. **Set the table:** Decide exactly what you want. Clarity is essential. Write out your goals and objectives before you begin.
2. **Plan every day in advance:** Think on paper. Every minute you spend in planning can save you 5 or 10 minutes in execution.
3. **Consider the consequences:** Your most important tasks and priorities are those that can have the most serious consequences, positive or negative, on your life or work. Focus on these above all else.
4. **Practice creative procrastination:** Since you can't do everything, you must learn to deliberately put off those tasks that are of low value so that you have enough time to do the few things that really count.
5. **Use the ABCDE method continually:** Before you begin work on a list of tasks, take a few moments to organize them by value and priority so you can be sure of working on your most important activities.
6. **Focus on key result areas:** Identify those results that you absolutely positively have to get to do your job well and work on them all day long.
7. **Apply the 80/20 rule to everything:** 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results. Always concentrate your efforts on that top 20%.
8. **Apply the law of three:** Identify the three things you do in your work that account for 90% of your contribution and focus on getting them done before anything else. You will then have more time for your family and personal life.
9. **Prepare thoroughly before you begin:** Have everything you need at hand before you start. Assemble all the papers, information, tools, work materials, and numbers you might require so that you can get started and keep going.
10. **Take it one barrel at a time:** You can accomplish the biggest and most complicated job if you just complete it one step at a time.
11. **Upgrade your key skills:** The more knowledgeable and skilled you become at your key tasks, the faster you start them and the sooner you get them done. Determine exactly what it is that you are very good at doing or could be very good at, and throw your whole heart into doing those specific things very, very well.
12. **Identify your key constraints:** Determine the bottlenecks or choke points, internal or external, that set the speed at which you achieve your most important goals and focus on alleviating them.
13. **Put the pressure on yourself:** Imagine that you have to leave town for a month and work as if you had to get your major task completed before you left.
14. **Motivate yourself into action:** Be your own cheerleader. Look for the good in every situation. Focus on the solution rather than the problem. Always be optimistic and constructive.
15. **Develop a sense of urgency:** Make a habit of moving fast on your key tasks. Become known as a person who does things quickly and well.
16. **Focus your attention:** Stop the interruptions and distractions that interfere with completing your most important tasks.
17. **Slice and dice the task:** Break large, complex tasks down into bite-sized pieces and then do just one small part of the task to get started.
18. **Single-handle every task:** Set clear priorities, start immediately on your most important task, and then work without stopping until the job is 100% complete. This is the real key to high performance and maximum personal productivity.
19. **Create large chunks of time:** Organize your days around large blocks of time so you can concentrate for extended periods on your most important tasks.
20. **Technology is a terrible master:** Take back your time from enslaving technological addictions. Learn to often turn devices off and leave them off.
21. **Technology is a wonderful servant:** Use your technological tools to confront yourself with what is most important and protect yourself from what is least important.