Important to change way you think, work, and deal with never ending river of responsibilities. Can’t do everything
MAYBE READ: Peter Drucker, Alex Mackenzie, Alan Lakein, Stephen Covey (Deep Work)
Very Important- Single-Minded Focus on Important Task, Well & Completely.
Success is action + Worst thing to do, do first. “If two frogs, eat uglier first)
Discipline to begin immediately and persist until done… Don’t start with the easier task. It doesn’t pay to look at frog for a while
Launch themselves directly into major tasks and discipline themselves to work steadily and single mindedly. Execution matters
Task Completion is a Positive Feeling- You feel like a winner. That’s good. Positive addictions are good… Practice is key to this
Decision, Discipline, and Determination are all learnable
Decision to develop habit. Discipline to practice until you learn. Determination- Until habit is locked in… Think continually about rewards and benefits of action oriented, fast moving, focused person.
Visualization matters- how you see yourself determines your success. You can learn anything
Lesson 1: Determine important goals.
Clarity is important in productivity. Clear about goals and objectives. More clear, the better. Lack of motivation and procrastination is caused by confusion of what to do.
Make sure that you have the right goal. A goal or objective not in writing is a wish or fantasy
Think on paper. Clear, written goals help
1. Decide exactly what you want.
2. Don’t waste time on stupid shit
3. Set a deadline on your goal. Specific deadline makes things get done
4. Make a list of everything you need to achieve goal
5. Organize list into plan. Priority + Sequence. Lay it out visually into individual tasks
6. Take Action Immediately. Vigorous execution is key
7. Every day is a step. Build activity into a daily schedule. Call a specific number
8. Keep pushing forward- Don’t miss a day. Daily activity
Tips: Clean sheet of paper. 10 goals. As though year has passed and are now reality. Present, positive, and personal case to be accepted by subconscious mind
Select one goal that would have greatest positive impact on life. Write goal on separate sheet of paper, deadline, plan, action on plan, and do something that moves towards goal.
Lesson 2: Every Day in Advance
Thinking and planning unlocks mental powers, triggers creativity, and increases energy
The better the plan, the easier to overcome procrastination, to get started, and to keep going
Every minute planning saves 10 minutes in execution. Takes 15 minutes to plan out day, but will likely save you two hours in wasted time and diffused effort. Always make a list
Six P: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance
Subconscious mind works on list the next day, and you prepare and wake up with insights
Master list has everything you can do at some time in the future. You can sort out ideas later
Monthly list you make up at end of month for month ahead. May contain master list
Weekly List is where you plan entire week in advance.
Daily List is where you transfer items from monthly and weekly list
Systematic time planning is very helpful. Tick off items as you complete it. Visual picture of accomplishments, feels nice, motivates and energizes you.
When you have a project, make a list of every step that you need to finish project from beginning to end. Organize by priority and sequence. Lay it in front of you so that you can see it. Then go to work on one task at a time
10/90 rule. First 10 percent planning and organizing can save you as much as 90 percent. Also, don’t have to think
Goals by priority, and then with sequence. Start with end and work backward. EZ to conceptualize
Lesson 3: Apply 80/20 rule
Called the Pareto Principle. Top 20 in terms of money and influence. Bottom 80 is trivial many
20% of activities is 80% of results. 20% of customers is 80% of sales and so on
People who appear busy accomplish little. Do things of low value. Valuable are hardest and most complex often.
Resist temptation to clear up small things first. Hardest part is getting started
What you choose to do is a habit that is hard to break. Start day on low value, and you continue low value tasks.
Once you get started, you seem naturally motivated to continue. Thinking about starting and finishing an important task motivates you.
Time management is actually life management, personal management, taking control of sequence of events
Resolve today: spend more time working on areas that can make a difference in life and career. Less time on low value activities
Lesson 4: Consider Consequences
Mark of superior thinker is accurately predicting consequences of doing something.
Long-Time perspective is most accurate predictor of upward social and economic mobility
Attitude towards time has a big impact on behavior and choices. Long-term thinking improves short term decision making
Future goals impact present actions. Clearer future intentions, greater clarity in present moment
Delaying gratification matters: think more about short term pleasure and immediate gratification.
Failures do tension relieving while winners do goal achieving
Coming into work earlier, reading regularly, taking courses to improve skills, and focus on high value tasks will combine for positive impact on future
Large positive and negative consequences matter. Both are top priorities
Motivation requires motive. If it can be defined clearly, the more motivated you shall be.
Time will pass anyway. Question is how to use it, and where you end up
Lesson 5: Practice ABCDE Method
First law of success is concentration (Rob Greene might want a word). The more thought invested in planning and setting priorities, the more important things will be done, and faster you will get done once started
More valuable and important a task is, the more you will be motivated to overcome procrastination.
If you have more than one of each type, prioritize by “A-1, A-2” or “B1-B2” Never do a B when an A isn’t done
Place an A, B, C, D, or E on each item on list before beginning
A is VERY important. Task will have serious consequences for or not doing it.
B is a task that you should do but has mild consequences.
C is a task that is nice, but there are no consequences
D is a task you can delegate to someone else.
E is a task you can eliminate and it won’t make a difference
To make this work, just focus on A-1 task, and get going. Eat entire frog until it is finished
Practice method every day
Lesson 6: Focus on Key Results
Why would you be on the payroll? Crystal clear or otherwise it is hard to perform at best. Something you are completely responsible for
You have been hired for specific results. Most jobs have 5-7 result areas. Ex. Management: Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Delegating, Supervising, Measuring, and Reporting
Grade yourself on a scale 1-10 of things you are strong and weak at. Your weakest key result area limits all others. Math people: Least function (X, Y, Z)
What one skill, if developed excellently, would have greatest positive impact on career? YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS. All skills are learnable
Bounce this off coworkers, spouse, friends, and boss. Ask for HONEST feedback and appraisal. Doing this analysis regularly is key to continuous improvement
Lesson 7: Forced Efficiency
Never enough time for everything, but always enough for most important.
3 important questions: what are my highest value activities? What can I, and only I do, that if done well, will make a real difference? What is most valuable use of my time, right now?
What is my biggest frog at this moment? First things first, and second things not at all
Do a few minutes of focus, or let your mind rest. Insights and ideas will save you large amounts of time on the job
Lesson 8: Prepare Tons Before You Start
Have everything you need in your hand when you start. One small mental push. Clear des and workspace
Make work area comfortable, attractive, and conducive to long periods. Comfortable chair that supports back, and allows you to sit flat on floor. A work area where people enjoy spending time is easier to start and keep going in.
Carry yourself as though you are efficient. Look at your office, ask what kind of person works in an environment like this. Cleanness and neatness matter for positivity, productivity, and confidence.
Lesson 9: Do your Homework
Delay is caused by feeling of inadequacy, lack of confidence, or inability. Always try to upgrade your skills in key result areas. Get better at key tasks
Continuous learning is minimum requirement for success in any field.
Read in your field for at least an hour a day. Get up a little earlier, and read a book or magazine that has information to make you better at what you do.
Take every course that can help you. Sit up front and take notes. Becoming knowledgeable and competent in your field is indispensable
Listen to audio programs in your car. Turn diving into learning time. The more you learn and know, the more confident and motivated you feel
Consider life a “Do it to yourself” project. Become a student of your craft
Lesson 10: Play To Your Strengths
You have special talents that make you important. Identify your assets and utilize them
Take stock of your unique talents and abilities on a regular basis. What are you good at? What can you do easily, that is difficult for others?
You enjoy things you are the very best at. What is it that gets you compliments and praise?
If you had all the money in the world, what type of job would you choose?
Lesson 11: Know Thy Weaknesses
Know what is holding you back. Your job is to study and identify limiting factors and constraints
Purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer. Limiting factor or chokepoint that determines how much something can do.
80% of constraints are internal. Only 20% are external. Be honest with yourself about what inside of you is holding you back?
Take complete responsibility for it, and look for ways to cure the problems? What sets speed at which you get results?
Find the bottlenecks and you can do a lot
Lesson 12: Focus Entirely on One Thing
Having one goal is important. A single action matters. Way to eat a frog is one bite at a time
Leap, and the net will appear. One task at a time, quickly, and well
Financial independence is a little bit of money, every month, year after year
Lesson 13: Under Pressure…. Ft. Queen
No one is coming to rescue you from laziness. People who can work without supervision are called leaders (I can already do that)
Job is to form the habit of putting pressure on yourself, and not wait for someone else to come along and do it.
Make it a game to start a little earlier, work a little harder, and stay a little later. Look to do a little more than what you are paid for.
Your self-esteem is your reputation with yourself. You feel terrific when you push yourself to be your best, when you go beyond when an average person quits
If you had to leave town for a month tomorrow, what would you need to do beforehand?
Set deadlines and sub-deadlines on every task and activity. Create your own “forcing system”
Raise the bar on yourself, and don’t let yourself off the hook
Lesson 14: Have healthy habits
Gathering your resources, faculties, and energies matter.
Being fully rested can get 3-5 times more work as when you are tired.
Your productivity declines after 8 or 9 hours.
Most people are their best in mornings, some are better in afternoons. Some are most productive at night.
Sometimes best use of time is to go to sleep for ten hours.
Turn off television and get to bed by ten o’clock during the week.
One day off a week: absolutely refuse to read, clear correspondence, catch up, or do anything else taxing… instead work out, watch a movie, or recharge
Regular vacations help. Sleeping in on weekends helps overcome procrastination
Start day with high protein, low fat and low carb breakfast. Eat salads with fish or chicken at lunch. Avoid sugar, salt, white flour products, or desserts. Avoid soft drinks, candy, or pastries. Feed yourself as a world class athlete
Eating lean and healthy, exercising regularly, and getting rest will get better work done, with greater satisfaction
Thoughts on energy levels
What am I doing physically I should do more?
What should I do less of?
What should I start doing?
What am I doing that I should stop?
Lesson 15: Learn to coach yourself
95% of emotions are determined by how you talk to yourself on a minute to minute basis; your interpretation of events
Become a complete optimist. You must react positively to words, actions, and reactions of people and situations around you. Must refuse to let unavoidable difficulties affect you
You should talk to yourself positively to boost self-esteem. Ex. I like myself… I can do it.. I feel terrific
Look for good in situation, see valuable lesson in every setback or difficulty, look for solution to every problem
Talk continually about goals, visualize them. You feel in control, with more power. Accept complete responsibility for yourself and for everything that happens
Lesson 16: Creative Procrastination (clean house)
Decide to procrastinate, outsource, delegate, and eliminate activities that don’t help your life
Set priorities and posteriorities. Something to do less of.. You must discontinue lower value activities
Say “No” to things… not high value use of time and life. You must complete or stop something old. Getting in requires getting out
Deliberately procrastinate low value tasks
Practice zero-based thinking: What I have, I have to get rid of something equal
Lesson 17: Most Difficult First
Doing difficulty first is good. You need to do hardest thing 21 days until it becomes a habit
See yourself as a work in progress… “Just do it for today”… you’ll be amazed at how much more manageable that is
See yourself as a work in progress
Lesson 18: Slice & Dice Tasks
Lay out task in detail, and do one slice of the job at the time being. Easier psychologically.. Urge to completion
You feel happier once you start and complete. Punch a hole in the task maybe
Take 5-10 minutes and get started. Take a rest, or do something else. This develops momentum and accomplishment
Lesson 19: Big Scoops of Time
Most really important work requires large unbroken time. Carve out these blocks
Allocate a certain amount of time to do things. Plan day in advance and competently to do stuff you need to do. 30, 60, and 90 minute time segments
A time planner can be one of most powerful, productivity tools of all. It allows you to consolidate
During work, turn off telephone, eliminate all distractions, and work nonstop
You can work non-stop for flight
Think of different ways to schedule, save, and consolidate chunks of time Make every minute count. Keep focused on most important results for which you are responsible for
Lesson 20: Develop a Sense of Urgency
You can enter into a mental state called flow. It is quickly and strongly focused work. Lots of work in same time period spent socializing
You feel elated and clear- everything feels accurate and effortless. (seems like power of now)
Develop a “bias for action” or taking action rather than talking about what you do
Fast tempo goes hand in hand with success- once you overcome intertia, it takes less energy to keep going
Faster you move, more energy you have. Virtuous cycle. “DO IT NOW” “BACK TO WORK”
Lesson 21: Concentrate on SINGLEMINDED action
Keep urging yourself onward. Concentrating solely on that can reduce time required to complete it by 50% or more
Tendency to start and stop a task, and keep coming back to it can take up to 5X as long. You have to familiarize yourself, overcome inertia, and get yourself going
The more you discipline yourself for working non-stop, the more work you can get done
Self discipline is Make yourself do what you should do, regardless of how you feel
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