Brian Tracy
Manage your time and double your results
Chapter 1.
The basis of personal effectiveness
Hello, my name is Brian Tracy. Welcome to the world of personal effectiveness!
What you learn in this book can change your life. Putting into practice the ideas, methods and techniques outlined here can increase your efficiency and productivity, double your income, reduce your stress levels and make you one of the most productive people in your field of business.
All successful people are highly productive. They work longer and make better use of their time. They do much more than the average person. They earn more and advance their careers faster. They are respected and appreciated by others. They become leaders and serve as role models for others. They inevitably rise to the top ranks of their fields and achieve maximum income. You can do the same.
Any of the tried and proven strategies listed here can be mastered through practice and repetition. Each of these methods, used regularly, will gradually become part of your habitual way of thinking and acting.
Once you begin to put these techniques into practice, in your work and in your life, your self-awareness, self-esteem, and pride will immediately increase. And they will begin to bring you invaluable returns for the rest of your life.
So let's get started.
Chapter 2.
Make a decision!
All positive changes in life begin with a clear and firm decision to start something new or stop doing something, to join a game or quit a game, to drag a fish or cut a line.
Determination is one of the most important qualities of those who achieve success. It is developed through practice through repeated repetitions until it becomes as natural a state as breathing. It's sad but true: people remain poor because they haven't decided to become rich yet. Many are overweight and short of breath because they have not yet decided to become thin and healthy. People waste time because they haven't yet decided to be the best they can be in everything they do.
Decide today that you will become an expert at managing your time and your own effectiveness, no matter the cost. Make a commitment that you will practice these principles until they become second nature.
Push yourself to do what you need to do to become the best at what you do. One of the best definitions of self-discipline is: force yourself to do what you need to do, when you need to do it, even if you don't feel like it.
It's easy to do what you like. But when your soul is not in the mood to do something, and you still force yourself because it is necessary, at that moment you give a higher speed to your life and your career. What decisions do you need to make to start moving towards the top? Give an answer, take it or leave it, make a decision today and start moving. This alone can dramatically change your life.
Chapter 3.
Develop clear goals and objectives
The word clarity is undoubtedly critical to success. At least 80% of success depends on being absolutely clear about what you are trying to achieve. Unfortunately, in 80% of cases or more, failure and disappointment befall those who have a very vague idea of what they want and how to achieve it.
Oil billionaire H.L. Hunt once said that to achieve great success, you need the following. First, “decide exactly what you want.” (Most people never do this.) Second, “figure out what price you will have to pay for it, and be determined to pay it.” You can achieve almost anything you want, as long as you are willing to pay the right price. And the nature of things requires that you always pay in full and in advance.
There is an effective seven-point formula for setting and achieving goals that can be used in any situation. All successful people use this formula or variations of it and therefore achieve much more than others. You can do this too.
This is the formula.
First. Decide exactly what you want at each stage of your life. Be "definitely specific" rather than "vaguely interested." Decide how much you want to earn. What should your weight be? What kind of family do you want to create and what kind of lifestyle do you want to lead? The very process of clarifying your aspirations increases the likelihood of their realization.
Second. Write down your decisions clearly and in detail. Always think on paper. An unwritten goal is not a goal at all, but only a powerless wish. But when you formulate goals in your imagination and record them on paper, you are thereby programming your subconscious, where they are filled with their own energy.
Third. Set a deadline. A deadline is a “afterburner” for your subcortex. He forces you to take steps leading to your goal. If the goal is large, set intermediate deadlines. Don't leave anything to chance.
Fourth. Make a list of everything you need to do to achieve your goal. Add to the list as new tasks appear.
Fifth. Turn your list into a plan. Determine what needs to be done first and what second, what is more important and what is less important. After that, draw up a plan on paper with the same care with which you would create a design for your dream home.
Sixth. Proceed as planned. Do something. Do whatever you want. Get busy. Move away. Don't delay.
Action number seven is perhaps the most significant: every day, do something that brings you closer to your main goal at the moment. Make it a habit to work 365 days a year on whatever takes you forward. You'll be surprised how much you can accomplish if you follow this formula every day.
Here's an exercise to help bring about change. Take a piece of paper and write down ten goals for the coming year. Write down your goals in the present tense, as if the year has already passed and you have achieved your goal. Start with the word "I". For example: “I earn so many dollars a year.” “I weigh so many kilograms.” "I drive such and such a car." The subconscious mind accepts instructions only in the present tense and only when they begin with the word “I”. After writing down ten goals, choose the main one by asking yourself the question: “Which of these goals, if already achieved, would have the greatest impact on my life?”
Draw a circle around your chosen target. Then write it down on a new piece of paper, set a deadline, prepare a list of necessary actions, turn it into a plan and start working on the plan every day until the goal is achieved. This exercise has helped so many people succeed. From now on you must adopt a strong goal orientation. Think and talk about your goals all the time. Write them down and rewrite them. Analyze them every day and constantly look for more effective ways to achieve them.
Brian Tracy
Time Management
Legal support for the publishing house is provided by the Vegas-Lex law firm.
© Brian Tracy, 2014
© Translation into Russian, publication in Russian, design. Mann, Ivanov and Ferber LLC, 2016
This book is well complemented by:
Gleb Arkhangelsky
Les Hewitt, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
David Allen
Four D's of efficiency
The first is wish. You need to feel a powerful, burning desire to learn how to manage your time and achieve maximum efficiency.
The second necessary condition is solution. You must make a clear decision that you will purposefully apply the best time management techniques until they become a habit.
Third - perseverance. You must be willing to persist despite all the difficulties and temptations until you learn to manage your time effectively. Desire will increase your persistence.
And finally, the fourth, most important condition for success is discipline. You must force yourself to make time management part of your regular business practices. Real discipline is the willingness to force yourself to “pay the bills”, to do what you have to do, regardless of the presence or absence of mood and desire. Discipline is the key to success.
Learning to manage your time is not an easy task, but the rewards for doing it are enormous. Whether a person has such a skill or not is immediately obvious. This is the outwardly noticeable quality that distinguishes people with high and low productivity. All winners in life know how to manage time correctly. Anyone who consistently fails has poor control of this valuable resource. One of the most important and at the same time simplest rules of success is: “Acquire good habits and become a slave to them.” In this book you will learn how to create good habits and let them control you.
Success is very rare
Success in life is very rare. Success in business - still b O lshaya. Fewer than one in twenty men and women who start a business achieves their full potential. Most people perform worse than they could and achieve less than they deserve for one simple reason: they do not use their time correctly.
The ability to manage time is the most important condition for success in both work and life.
I devoted more than one year to studying the art of time management: I read books, attended courses, and practiced techniques. This is how I discovered many sophisticated and sophisticated time management systems. I have mastered and thoroughly researched almost every one of them.
In this book you will find 21 key principles of effective time management that almost all highly productive people actively apply in their daily lives.
Remember: managing your time really means managing your life. Good time management and personal productivity begin with understanding the value of life, every moment of it.
Do what you can, with what you have, right where you are.
You must tell yourself: “My life is meaningful and important, and I value every minute of it and every hour of it. I will use these hours well to achieve the most I can in the time I have.”
Fortunately, time management is a business skill, and like all business skills, it can be master. The ability to manage time is similar to the ability to ride a bicycle, type on a typewriter, or play sports. It consists of a number of techniques, methods and strategies that can be learned, practiced and improved with determination and perseverance.
Psychology of time management
The quality of life largely depends on how you feel. Your emotional state is determined by self-esteem, or, as is often said, how much you like yourself.
Self-esteem is largely determined by how you manage your life and time and how fully you manage to realize your potential. The more efficiently you work, the higher your self-esteem. And vice versa, the worse you cope with things, the lower your self-esteem.
Self-esteem has a flip side, and it's called self-efficacy. This word refers to a subjective feeling of one's own competence and productivity. Simply put, how capable you feel of doing your job, solving problems, and achieving your goals.
The more capable, competent, and productive you perceive yourself to be, the higher your self-esteem will be. And the higher it is, the more productive and capable you yourself will be. So these qualities mutually support and strengthen each other.
People who know how to manage their time feel positive and self-confident. They are not afraid to take responsibility for their lives.
Law of Control
The psychology of time management is based on one simple principle called the “law of control.” This law states that your attitude towards yourself is positive to the extent that you are in control of your life, and negative to the extent that you feel that you are not in control of your life or work.
This law manifests itself in what psychologists call internal and external locus of control. Interior Locus of control is characteristic of those people who perceive themselves as masters of their own destiny. In contrast, people with external Locus of control tends to explain their successes or failures by the action of some external forces, such as circumstances.
Brian Tracy
Manage your time and double your results
Chapter 1.
The basis of personal effectiveness
Hello, my name is Brian Tracy. Welcome to the world of personal effectiveness!
What you learn in this book can change your life. Putting into practice the ideas, methods and techniques outlined here can increase your efficiency and productivity, double your income, reduce your stress levels and make you one of the most productive people in your field of business.
All successful people are highly productive. They work longer and make better use of their time. They do much more than the average person. They earn more and advance their careers faster. They are respected and appreciated by others. They become leaders and serve as role models for others. They inevitably rise to the top ranks of their fields and achieve maximum income. You can do the same.
Any of the tried and proven strategies listed here can be mastered through practice and repetition. Each of these methods, used regularly, will gradually become part of your habitual way of thinking and acting.
Once you begin to put these techniques into practice, in your work and in your life, your self-awareness, self-esteem, and pride will immediately increase. And they will begin to bring you invaluable returns for the rest of your life.
So let's get started.
Chapter 2.
Make a decision!
All positive changes in life begin with a clear and firm decision to start something new or stop doing something, to join a game or quit a game, to drag a fish or cut a line.
Determination is one of the most important qualities of those who achieve success. It is developed through practice through repeated repetitions until it becomes as natural a state as breathing. It's sad but true: people remain poor because they haven't decided to become rich yet. Many are overweight and short of breath because they have not yet decided to become thin and healthy. People waste time because they haven't yet decided to be the best they can be in everything they do.
Decide today that you will become an expert at managing your time and your own effectiveness, no matter the cost. Make a commitment that you will practice these principles until they become second nature.
Push yourself to do what you need to do to become the best at what you do. One of the best definitions of self-discipline is: force yourself to do what you need to do, when you need to do it, even if you don't feel like it.
It's easy to do what you like. But when your soul is not in the mood to do something, and you still force yourself because it is necessary, at that moment you give a higher speed to your life and your career. What decisions do you need to make to start moving towards the top? Give an answer, take it or leave it, make a decision today and start moving. This alone can dramatically change your life.
Chapter 3.
Develop clear goals and objectives
The word clarity is undoubtedly critical to success. At least 80% of success depends on being absolutely clear about what you are trying to achieve. Unfortunately, in 80% of cases or more, failure and disappointment befall those who have a very vague idea of what they want and how to achieve it.
Oil billionaire H.L. Hunt once said that to achieve great success, you need the following. First, “decide exactly what you want.” (Most people never do this.) Second, “figure out what price you will have to pay for it, and be determined to pay it.” You can achieve almost anything you want, as long as you are willing to pay the right price. And the nature of things requires that you always pay in full and in advance.
There is an effective seven-point formula for setting and achieving goals that can be used in any situation. All successful people use this formula or variations of it and therefore achieve much more than others. You can do this too.
This is the formula.
First. Decide exactly what you want at each stage of your life. Be "definitely specific" rather than "vaguely interested." Decide how much you want to earn. What should your weight be? What kind of family do you want to create and what kind of lifestyle do you want to lead? The very process of clarifying your aspirations increases the likelihood of their realization.
Second. Write down your decisions clearly and in detail. Always think on paper. An unwritten goal is not a goal at all, but only a powerless wish. But when you formulate goals in your imagination and record them on paper, you are thereby programming your subconscious, where they are filled with their own energy.
Third. Set a deadline. A deadline is a “afterburner” for your subcortex. He forces you to take steps leading to your goal. If the goal is large, set intermediate deadlines. Don't leave anything to chance.
Fourth. Make a list of everything you need to do to achieve your goal. Add to the list as new tasks appear.
Fifth. Turn your list into a plan. Determine what needs to be done first and what second, what is more important and what is less important. After that, draw up a plan on paper with the same care with which you would create a design for your dream home.
Sixth. Proceed as planned. Do something. Do whatever you want. Get busy. Move away. Don't delay.
Action number seven is perhaps the most significant: every day, do something that brings you closer to your main goal at the moment. Make it a habit to work 365 days a year on whatever takes you forward. You'll be surprised how much you can accomplish if you follow this formula every day.
Here's an exercise to help bring about change. Take a piece of paper and write down ten goals for the coming year. Write down your goals in the present tense, as if the year has already passed and you have achieved your goal. Start with the word "I". For example: “I earn so many dollars a year.” “I weigh so many kilograms.” "I drive such and such a car." The subconscious mind accepts instructions only in the present tense and only when they begin with the word “I”. After writing down ten goals, choose the main one by asking yourself the question: “Which of these goals, if already achieved, would have the greatest impact on my life?”
Current page: 1 (book has 3 pages in total)
Brian Tracy
Manage your time and double your results
Chapter 1.
The basis of personal effectiveness
Hello, my name is Brian Tracy. Welcome to the world of personal effectiveness!
What you learn in this book can change your life. Putting into practice the ideas, methods and techniques outlined here can increase your efficiency and productivity, double your income, reduce your stress levels and make you one of the most productive people in your field of business.
All successful people are highly productive. They work longer and make better use of their time. They do much more than the average person. They earn more and advance their careers faster. They are respected and appreciated by others. They become leaders and serve as role models for others. They inevitably rise to the top ranks of their fields and achieve maximum income. You can do the same.
Any of the tried and proven strategies listed here can be mastered through practice and repetition. Each of these methods, used regularly, will gradually become part of your habitual way of thinking and acting.
Once you begin to put these techniques into practice, in your work and in your life, your self-awareness, self-esteem, and pride will immediately increase. And they will begin to bring you invaluable returns for the rest of your life.
So let's get started.
Chapter 2.
Make a decision!
All positive changes in life begin with a clear and firm decision to start something new or stop doing something, to join a game or quit a game, to drag a fish or cut a line.
Determination is one of the most important qualities of those who achieve success. It is developed through practice through repeated repetitions until it becomes as natural a state as breathing. It's sad but true: people remain poor because they haven't decided to become rich yet. Many are overweight and short of breath because they have not yet decided to become thin and healthy. People waste time because they haven't yet decided to be the best they can be in everything they do.
Decide today that you will become an expert at managing your time and your own effectiveness, no matter the cost. Make a commitment that you will practice these principles until they become second nature.
Push yourself to do what you need to do to become the best at what you do. One of the best definitions of self-discipline is: force yourself to do what you need to do, when you need to do it, even if you don't feel like it.
It's easy to do what you like. But when your soul is not in the mood to do something, and you still force yourself because it is necessary, at that moment you give a higher speed to your life and your career. What decisions do you need to make to start moving towards the top? Give an answer, take it or leave it, make a decision today and start moving. This alone can dramatically change your life.
Chapter 3.
Develop clear goals and objectives
The word “clarity” is undoubtedly essential to achieving success. At least 80% of success depends on being absolutely clear about what you are trying to achieve. Unfortunately, in 80% of cases or more, failure and disappointment befall those who have a very vague idea of what they want and how to achieve it.
Oil billionaire H.L. Hunt once said that to achieve great success, you need the following. First, “decide exactly what you want.” (Most people never do this.) Second, “figure out what price you will have to pay for it, and be determined to pay it.” You can achieve almost anything you want, as long as you are willing to pay the right price. And the nature of things requires that you always pay in full and in advance.
There is an effective seven-point formula for setting and achieving goals that can be used in any situation. All successful people use this formula or variations of it and therefore achieve much more than others. You can do this too.
This is the formula.
First. Decide exactly what you want at each stage of your life. Be "definitely specific" rather than "vaguely interested." Decide how much you want to earn. What should your weight be? What kind of family do you want to create and what kind of lifestyle do you want to lead? The very process of clarifying your aspirations increases the likelihood of their realization.
Second. Write down your decisions clearly and in detail. Always think on paper. An unwritten goal is not a goal at all, but only a powerless wish. But when you formulate goals in your imagination and record them on paper, you are thereby programming your subconscious, where they are filled with their own energy.
Third. Set a deadline. A deadline is a “afterburner” for your subcortex. He forces you to take steps leading to your goal. If the goal is large, set intermediate deadlines. Don't leave anything to chance.
Fourth. Make a list of everything you need to do to achieve your goal. Add to the list as new tasks appear.
Fifth. Turn your list into a plan. Determine what needs to be done first and what second, what is more important and what is less important. After that, draw up a plan on paper with the same care with which you would create a design for your dream home.
Sixth. Proceed as planned. Do something. Do whatever you want. Get busy. Move away. Don't delay.
Action number seven is perhaps the most significant: every day, do something that brings you closer to your main goal at the moment. Make it a habit to work 365 days a year on whatever takes you forward. You'll be surprised how much you can accomplish if you follow this formula every day.
Here's an exercise to help bring about change. Take a piece of paper and write down ten goals for the coming year. Write down your goals in the present tense, as if the year has already passed and you have achieved your goal. Start with the word "I". For example: “I earn so many dollars a year.” “I weigh so many kilograms.” "I drive such and such a car." The subconscious mind accepts instructions only in the present tense and only when they begin with the word “I”. After writing down ten goals, choose the main one by asking yourself the question: “Which of these goals, if already achieved, would have the greatest impact on my life?”
Draw a circle around your chosen target. Then write it down on a new piece of paper, set a deadline, prepare a list of necessary actions, turn it into a plan and start working on the plan every day until the goal is achieved. This exercise has helped so many people succeed. From now on you must adopt a strong goal orientation. Think and talk about your goals all the time. Write them down and rewrite them. Analyze them every day and constantly look for more effective ways to achieve them.
Using this combination of formula and goal setting exercise will definitely have a positive effect.
Chapter 3.
Plan your work day in advance
If you want to double your productivity, daily planning is absolutely essential. Apply the Six R's: Proper advance planning prevents poor performance.
Proper planning is the hallmark of a professional. Those who are successful in life spend a lot of time planning. Remember the 10/90 rule, which states that 10% of the time spent planning before starting work will save 90% of the time in completing the tasks at hand.
Always think on paper. Writing actually sharpens your thinking, stimulates creativity, and allows you to focus better than if you were working from memory.
Start by making a general list of things that need to be accomplished in the long term. Then this list will become the main checklist of your life. Supplement it as new tasks arise.
At the beginning of each month, make a list of what needs to be done. Break it down into weeks and indicate exact start and completion dates for your monthly tasks. Finally, and most importantly, make a plan for the day - preferably the night before so that your subconscious can work on it while you sleep.
Always work with a list. If a new task comes up during the day, add it to your list before you start. Once you complete your next task, cross it off. This tracking adds a sense of completion and forward movement. Crossing off completed items serves as good motivation and gives you energy. The list, like a table of points, makes you feel like a winner. It shows how far you have come and what needs to be done tomorrow. At the end of the day, you can go back to the list and check off what is done. This will fill you with a sense of satisfaction and give you a clear picture of the state of affairs and tasks for tomorrow.
According to time management experts, working with a list increases productivity by 25% on the first day. Everyone who succeeds thinks on paper and works with a list.
Chapter 4.
Use the ABCD Method to Set Priorities
This is one of the most powerful ways to manage time and prioritize. The beauty of it is that it is simple and easy to use.
To double your productivity, it is absolutely necessary to identify the main task at the moment and force yourself to work on it until it is finally solved. The essence of time management is to help you determine the main thing on time.
Once such a priority has been established, think about the possible consequences of doing or not doing it. An important task has significant consequences both when it is completed and when it is not completed. People with high efficiency always consider possible consequences when planning and organizing work.
Using the ABCD method, before starting work, make a list of what needs to be done. Study it carefully and write the corresponding letter of the alphabet next to each item.
The letter "A" marks very important matters. They must be completed, as they entail serious consequences both in case of their implementation and non-compliance. Place the letter "A" next to each important task.
The task marked "B" also needs to be completed, but it is not as important as task "A". It also has certain consequences, but short-term and not so significant.
Task "B" is a task that would be nice to do, but there are no consequences behind it. Calling a friend, drinking coffee, reading the newspaper, chatting with a colleague are all nice things, but they have no impact on your career and success.
The rule here is the following: you should not take on task “B” until task “A” is completed. Do not start task "B" until the previous one is completed. In other words, strictly follow the order in which you do your tasks.
A task under the letter "G" is something that can be delegated to someone who can handle it just as well as you. The rule is that you delegate as much as you can to free up more time for those A's.
The letter "D" in this context means "down." These matters are so insignificant that if you cross them out completely, nothing will happen. Often, targeted elimination of unimportant tasks simplifies work and leaves more time for solving important tasks.
Having arranged your tasks according to the ABCD principle, go through the list again and prioritize the tasks marked with the letter “A”. Place A1 next to the most important one, A2 for the next most important one, etc. After this, immediately begin completing task “A1” and do not retreat until it is completed. A simple ABCD formula can double your productivity.
Chapter 5.
Separate the urgent from the important
Everything you have to do during the day can be divided into four groups: urgent and not urgent, important and unimportant.
The tasks of the first group are both urgent and important.
They need to be addressed immediately. They are before your eyes. Urgent and important matters, such as calls, meetings, negotiations with clients or force majeure situations, almost always arise against your will and form an important part of the work. Trying to put off such matters until later will only create serious problems for you. Many people spend the entire day dealing with urgent and important issues.
The second group includes matters that are important, but not urgent. They are usually associated with large long-term consequences. These include things like working on yourself, improving your skills and knowledge, exercising and playing sports, and spending time with your family. An important and not urgent question can be postponed. However, it can have a huge impact in the long run. Not urgent, but important things sooner or later become very urgent, such as coursework at the institute, or a report for the boss, or a meeting with a client with whom the contract is expiring.
The third group consists of matters that are urgent but not important. Call on the phone, talk to a colleague who drops by, discuss television programs, etc. You can do this during work hours, but it will not affect your success in any way. Many people think that they are working when they are doing something urgent and unimportant. In fact, it is a big waste of time and can ruin your career and your potential.
The last group consists of non-urgent and unimportant matters. They are completely meaningless. They are done throughout the day, although they have no meaning and no consequences. An example would be reading a newspaper, calling home with a question about the dinner menu, or going to the store. These things do nothing for your company or for you personally to achieve your goals.
To double your productivity, you should do urgent and important tasks, then important but not urgent tasks at the moment, and avoid doing things that don't matter.
Always ask yourself, "What are the long-term consequences of this task? What will happen if I don't complete it at all?" The answers to these questions should form the basis for choosing priorities.
Chapter 6.
Follow the law of forced efficiency
This law says: there is never enough time for everything, but there is enough time for the most important things. When solving a complex task, when you are under a lot of pressure, you need to pull yourself together, follow through and get the job done on time. Many people cannot bring themselves to complete a task on time and then claim that they work best under pressure. However, no one works better under pressure. This is just an attempt to justify your inability to manage time. When you're under pressure, you're not only stressed, but you also make more mistakes. Often, because of these mistakes, the work then needs to be redone.
There are four questions you need to ask yourself to improve your efficiency and double your productivity.
Ask yourself before you take on a job: “How can I make the most of my time? What am I doing that will be most beneficial to the business and to me? What will be most beneficial to me and my company?” Talk to your boss and colleagues. Find out what they think. You must answer these questions absolutely accurately and devote all your time to what will bring the greatest benefit.
Constantly ask yourself: "What am I being paid for? Why was I hired for this job? What do I have to do that has the greatest impact on my success?" Whatever the answer, concentrate on solving it throughout the day.
The third question is about maximum efficiency: “What can you, and only you, do that will make a significant difference to the situation if done professionally?” At any moment, there can only be one answer to this question - this is something that will not be done at all if you don’t do it. But if you do it, and do it well, then everything can change a lot. Whatever it is, you need to work on it first. This is where you can make your greatest contribution.
The fourth question is perhaps the most accurate regarding time management. It’s simple: “How can I make the most of my time now?” Whatever the answer to this question, be sure to spend most of your time on it.
The ability to ask and answer such questions in each case will allow you to stay on track and work with maximum efficiency. “What are the most important and valuable things? What am I paid for? What can I, and only I, do that will improve the situation if done right? How to use my time now with the greatest benefit?” Force yourself to work only on answering these questions, and your productivity will double.
Chapter 7.
Apply the 80/20 rule
The 80/20 rule, or Pareto principle, is one of the most important principles of time management. This rule belongs to the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who divided all actions into vital ones, of which there are a minority, and trivial ones, which are the majority. According to this rule, the vital 20% is equal in importance to the remaining 80%.
Conversely, 80% of what you do has only 20% payload. This rule applies to all aspects of business and personal life. In business, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers, 80% of your profits from 20% of your products. A whopping 80% of your sales come from 20% of your salespeople, and 80% of your income, success, and professional growth come from 20% of your actions. If you prepare a list of ten tasks for the day, two of them will be more important than all the others combined. Your success and productivity largely depend on your ability to identify your top 20% of tasks and focus on solving them. Try getting creative with the 80/20 rule.
Since you can’t do everything at once, naturally something will have to be postponed. Learn to take your time with those 80% of things that have little impact on your life and work results. Usually people put off the most important things, but this approach is not for you. Sit by the fireplace and deliberately and for a long time ignore things that are of little use, even if you do them.
Make sure that you select the 20% of the most necessary tasks, and only then get to work. You can take your time with the rest.
Chapter 8.
Work with maximum energy
The ability to constantly be in excellent physical, mental and emotional shape is the most important condition for high productivity. The most productive, successful, and highly paid people have a tremendous amount of energy and are able to maintain it for a long time.
To work at full capacity and replenish your energy supply, you need to eat right, distribute physical activity and rest. Eat light, nutritious and protein-rich foods and try to eliminate fatty foods, sugar, white bread, pasta, potatoes, candy, sugary drinks and desserts from your diet.
Exercise regularly, three to five times a week, for 30-60 minutes. It has always amazed me that marathon runners and triathletes, who sometimes train for hours a day, are typically among the highest paid and most productive people in their profession. Obviously, there is a direct connection between good physical shape and energy reserves, on the one hand, and high productivity, on the other. Be sure to get plenty of rest, especially if you work a lot. A minimum of seven to eight hours of sleep per night is required. To perform at your best, you need to rest at least one full day a week and two weeks throughout the year.
Set when you work best. Some people do it better in the morning, others in the afternoon or evening. Plan to solve the most complex and creative tasks for the most fruitful time for you. You should be at the peak of energy, especially when you are creating - writing reports or preparing proposals. Perhaps the most valuable quality in your job is your ability to think clearly and act effectively. To be at your best and most productive, you need to take care of your physical and mental well-being and do your most demanding work when you feel most energized.
Chapter 9
Solve major problems separately
One of the most effective time management levers is the ability to focus on one problem. Your productivity will increase by more than 50% once you start following this principle. Once this becomes a habit, you can actually double your productivity, even if you ignore all the other recommendations in this program.
This is done simply. Make a list of upcoming tasks. Choose the main thing on which your time will be spent with maximum benefit. After that, get to work and don't get distracted until you complete it.
Andrew Carnegie, one of the world's richest men, began his working life as a day laborer in a steel mill in Pittsburgh. He said that he owed much of his wealth and success to this simple formula and that it changed his life and the lives of his employees.
Remember that the keys to success are focus and concentration. The ability to focus completely on the most important issue and not be distracted by anything until it is resolved will help you achieve success faster than any other quality.
If you start a business, abandon it, and then return to it again and again, you will end up spending five times as long on it. If you take on a job and force yourself to complete it, time spent can be reduced by 80%. This is one of the great secrets of the art of time management and high productivity, and it can be mastered through repeated practice.
Focusing on one thing gives you two benefits. First, you will become one of the most valuable and highly paid specialists in your field, and very quickly. Secondly, and more importantly, every time you complete a big task, you will feel a surge of strength. The brain releases a chemical that gives a feeling of well-being. You will be satisfied and proud of yourself. You will experience a surge of energy and a desire to take on a new business.
Have you ever wondered how successful people manage to accomplish more in a day than they actually think they can? How do they do this?
The secret is not to do more things in a day, but to do the right things first.
1. ADJUST YOUR MINDSET
The first thing you have to do to become a true master of time management and maximum productivity is to believe that you are one.
Brian Tracy argues that all the time management techniques in the world won't help you if you remain convinced that you're a bad time manager.
To achieve anything, you must program your subconscious mind to believe that you are good at time management and self-organization. When people ask you if you are organized - tell them you are! You have to start believing it and not go back to the opposite.
Becoming more productive and organized is a long process of getting used to. It obliges you to be purposeful, persistent and decisive. Change can happen - but you have to want it!
2. UNDERSTAND YOUR VALUES
Now that you have been able to believe in yourself, you must understand what your values are. If you don't have priorities, how can you set them?
To set your priorities right, you must have an idea of your goals not only in relation to your career and work, but also beyond them. What are your values and goals in simple life?
Without a clear and distinct understanding of your overall values in life, you may end up pursuing a goal that does not serve your best interests. After all, even if you get things done efficiently, you won't be able to stay productive in the long run.
3. USE THE PARETO PRINCIPLE
The Pareto Principle is a concept that applies to many areas of life. Its meaning is that 20% of the work gives 80% of the result.
A prime example of this principle is financial well-being: 80% of the world's wealth is owned by less than 20% of the world's people.
Over time, you will see that this principle is especially pronounced in certain areas, so use it when setting your priorities.
Ask yourself: What is the #1 task this week that will bring you the most impact?
What is task #2?
As a rule, everything becomes immediately obvious, so you will immediately understand what needs to be done first. Start your day with this!
4. DO IT NOW!
Are you having trouble getting started? The best way to be productive is to start working immediately. Start your day with the most important tasks. And to motivate yourself, just tell yourself: “Do it now! Do it right now!” Repeat this phrase 10 to 30 times with full enthusiasm. This will help you get started.
5. AVOID MULTITASKING AND DISTRACTIONS
Constantly stopping work and then restarting its actions can require five times the amount of energy expenditure. You may become confused because you were interrupted and will have to reorganize and refocus to get ready to start working again.
If you can, avoid the distractions that lead to these stop-starts. Stay focused.
When it comes to multitasking, studies have shown it to be ineffective, even for the most technically adept individuals. You can achieve more by avoiding multitasking and focusing all your attention on work.
6. AVOID SEMI-PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES, THEY ARE WORSE OF ALL DISTRACTIONS
The worst distractions and evils for your time management are not things that are clearly unproductive. Although they play their role. However, the biggest evils are the things that you consider to be very important and productive.
Typically, these things are not important, but they seem relevant. For example, they may include replies to letters, people asking you for help, advice, or requesting a cost estimate for a project. And all this while you should be working.
These “productive enough” things keep you from doing the most important tasks.
7. DELEGATE
Delegate tasks to people who can do them better than you, so you can focus on what you do best. This is one of the best ways to use your time and energy.
If you intend to build a successful career and business, then this is very important for success and expanding your influence.
British millionaire Richard Branson says the key to success is hiring the best people to do things better than you and trusting them to do it.
Better yet, find someone who can do the job even better than you, if possible.
I hope these simple tips will help you overcome your time management problems!
