Now this is Chapters 4 - 8
Let's dive right in.
Chapter 4 - CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES
The potential consequences of any task or activity are the key determinants of how important a task really is to you. Evaluating the significance of a task makes it easy for you to determine your next frog.
Dr Edward Banfield of Harvard university after more than 50 years of research concluded that the long time perspective is very productive and is the most accurate predictor of social and economic mobility in America.
The long time perspective is said to be important and effective than other factors
Your attitude towards time determines your sucess
Rule: Long term thinking improves short term decision making.
Make better decisions about Time
Once an individual has a clear vision of his future it helps him to make well informed short term decisions and helps him easily set his Priorities right.
Unimportant things have no long term potential consequences so it will be better if before starting on anything we ask ourselves this one question "what are the potential consequences of doing or not doing this task", this question is also important to think on before we procrastinate on any task.
Rule: Future intent influences and often determines present actions.
The clearer your future intentions are to you
The greater that clarity will have on what you do in the moment.
Think about the Long term
Successful people are those who are willing to delay gratification and make sacrifices so that they can enjoy far greater rewards in the long term while unsuccessful people are out for the short term gratification while giving little or no thought to the long term future.
Resuming work in the morning with your to do list and undaunted determination while you work might not necessarily give you short term pleasure but it will definitely bring long term results of Promotion and integrity while as much as joking around with colleagues, enjoying the sport activities might seem enjoyable at the moment will result to demotion and underachievement in the long run.
Motivation requires motive, it require reasons, it requires clarity, it requires Priority.
Obey the Law of Forced efficiency
As much as we want more time and we feel if we could just get extra 2 hours that it will be so nice and then we'll be able to catch up with our tasks but we should also know that " There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing". So you knowing your Most important task is what brings reliable result just the same way you cannot eat every tadpole and frog in the pond but you can eat the biggest and ugliest that will satisfy you.
Rule: There will never be enough time to do everything you have to do.
Deadlines are an excuse.
The pressure of deadlines brings greater stress and it increases mistakes and brings a cause to redo the tasks. So whatever time you think a certain task will take to complete add 20% or make a game of completing it before the deadline. This helps you stay relaxed while you put in your best to doing the task
Three Questions for maximum productivity
There are 3 questions that if asked on a regular basis helps you complete your task on schedule
🌹What are my highest value activities?, This question requires a thorough think through for yourself, you can then ask your boss or co- workers. This helps you to focus your camera lens and in turn gives you a clearer vision.
🌹 What can I and only I do that if done well will make a real difference? this question came from the late Peter Druker, the management guru and as much as you have been taught to believe that there is nothing new under the sun but your fingerprint does not match with anyone's shows that you are different and there's that one thing that if discover and done by you will make the real difference.
🌹What is the most valuable use of my time right now? This is a question that deserves your honest answer and when asked from time to time can keep you abreast of your task and helps you not to be sunken in procrastination.
DO FIRST THINGS FIRST AND SECOND THINGS NOT AT ALL.
CHAPTER 5
PRACTICE CREATIVE PROCRASTINATION.
The fact as discussed in the previous chapter that you can't do everything you have to do brings procrastination back into the picture but in a healthy way.
You have to procrastinate on something but make sure to procrastinate on smaller tasks, tasks with lesser value. Get rid of the tadpoles and focus on the Frogs starting with the big ones first.
Priorities versus Posteriorities
To set Proper Priorities, you must set Posteriorities
Priority is something or a task that is of utmost importance that you do more of or sooner.
Posteriority is something that does not make much difference and you do less of and later, if at all.
Rule: You can get your time and your life under control only to the degree to which you discontinue lower- value activities.
One of the most powerful of all words in time management is the word NO.
Say it regularly as a normal part of your time management vocabulary.
Say no graciously but firmly to avoid agreeing to something against your will.
Creative Procrastination is the act of thoughtfully and deliberately deciding upon exact things you are not going to do right now, if ever.
Procrastinate on Purpose
Most people engage in unconscious procrastination. They procrastinate without thinking about it and they then procrastinate on the most important and valuable tasks that have significant long term consequences. You need to continually review your duties and responsibilities to identify time consuming activities that you can abandon with no real loss.
Set Posteriorities on time consuming activities
Most of your time consuming activities are those you can abandon with no real loss so cut down on them.
Begin to practice Creative procrastination today, to set Posteriorities wherever and whenever you can.
CHAPTER 6
USE THE ABCDE METHOD CONTINUALLY.
When I saw the title of this chapter, it looked strange to me but now that I've reaf it I think it's a very effective method that we all want to use
So let me get into it.
Think on Paper.
Thinking on paper cannot be overemphasized in this book because it is a very important thing to do while planning your day to day activities
After thinking on paper, the next thing to do is to place A, B, C, D, E next to each items on your list according to their importance.
This is similar to arranging the tasks alphabetically
An 'A' Item is defined as something that is very important, something that you must do. A task that will have serious positive or negative influence.
If you have more than one of the A task, you sub divide them into A1, A2 etc.
SHOULDS Vs MUSTS.
A "B" item is defined as a task that you should do, but it only has mild consequences.
A "C" item is defined as something that would be nice to do but for which there are no consequences whether it is done or not.
A "D" Item is something that you can delegate to someone else and the rule is for you to delegate it to someone, so there is enough time for your A" ITEM.
As you will agree with me that this ABCDE METHOD helps you to be organised and get important things done faster.
Take Actions Immediately
All this organisation of your schedule will not make sense if you don't take actions immediately.
CHAPTER 7. FOCUS ON KEY RESULT AREAS.
Why am I on the payroll? Is a very important question that helps you identify your Key results areas because at your work place you have been hired to deliver specific results.
A key result area is defined as something for which you are completely responsible and if you don't do it,it doesn't get done. Your failure to perform in a critical result area can lead to the end of your job.
CLARITY IS ESSENTIAL
You might not know but the starting point of high performance is identifying the key result areas of your work. Make a list of your important output responsibilities and be sure that your superiors and colleagues are in agreement.
For a sales person, getting qualified appointment is a key result areas
Sitting with your Boss might help direct you if you are confused.
GIVE YOURSELF A GRADE.
Once you have determined your key result areas, the second step is to grade yourself on a scale of one to ten. Where are you strong and where are you weak? Where are you getting excellent results and where are you underperforming?
Rule: Your weakest key result area sets the height at which you can use all your other skills and ability.
Poor performance produces Procrastination
One major reason for Procrastination in the work place is that people avoid jobs and activities in those areas where they have performed poorly in the past and instead of setting a goal and making a plan to improve, most people avoid tge area altogether which makes the situation worse.
The Great Question
Here's one of the greatest questions you will ever ask and answer: " what one skill, if I developed and did it an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on my career?
You can ask your Boss this question, ask your co workers, your friends, your family and whatever the answer is, find out and then go to work to bring up your performance in this area.
Fortunately, every business skills are learnable.
Being absolutely excellent in your key result areas helps to stop Procrastination and helps you to get things done faster.
CHAPTER 8
APPLY THE LAW OF THREE
Three core tasks that you perform contain most of the value that guy contribute to your business or organisation and your ability to focus on them most of the time is essential for you to perform at your best.
Write down a list of everything that you did over the week
After jotting this down, what is that one thing that if you could do only one thing all day long, which one task would contribute the greatest value to your company?
Check for your second most important and also for your third most important task and then concentrate on these three.
Focusing on your key tasks will help you get things done easier and faster
The most important word in the world of work is contribution. Your reward both financial and emotional will always be in direct proportion with the value of your contribution.
TIME MANAGEMENT IS A MEANS TO AN END
85% of your happiness will come from happy relationship with other people. The critical determinant of the quality of your relationships is the amount of time that you spend face to face with the people you love, and who love you in return.
The purpose of eating that Frog is to increase your face time with the people you care about.
It is the quality of time at work that counts and the quantity of time at home that matters.
WORK ALL THE TIME YOU WORK
To keep your life in balance, you should resolve to work every time you work. Every minute you spend in idle chitchat with colleagues is time taken away from the work that you must accomplish if you want to keep your job.
It is also time to be taken away from the members of your family.
Balance is not optional
Moderation in all things. You need balance between your work and your personal life.
When people come up to me and ask "how do i achieve balance between my work and my home life?"
I ask them in return "How often does a tightrope walker balance when on the high wire?" And then they reply "All the time" and I tell them that" that is the same situation with balance between work and home life".
The more time you spend face to face with the people you love, the happier you will be.
