Many of us have become accustomed to the 9 to 5 mindset where we feel obliged to work a minimum of 8 hrs a day to feel productive.
What we fail to realize is that because we have so much time allotted to complete tasks that we often work just for works sake.
This means filling the void with often useless activities that are not highly focused and do not bring us closer to our personal or financial goals.
Do you find yourself incessantly checking e-mails throughout the day, hang in’ out on the social media sites simply because you feel compelled to do so, shuffling papers around the office, and a multitude of other activities that trick you into making you feel like you’re being productive?
I know I am guilty as charged, as I think we all are, however I would like to introduce you to a concept that will shift your mindset and up your productivity 100-500% while simultaneously freeing up your time.
Check out this short video and be sure to read the rest of the post after you’ve finished viewing. This powerful practice can free up more time than you are accustomed to, giving you more time-freedom to spend with your friends, family and working on your personal development:
Parkinson’s Law states that any undertaking will exponentially expand in perceived importance and intricacy based on the time fixed for its completion.
What we can learn from this is that deadlines force one to focus on execution doing only the bare essentials necessary for completion of the task at hand.
More often than not, the more time we allot to a given project, the more complex it will become and the more resistant we will become to doing it. The proverbial saying “making a mountain out of a mole hill” comes to mind.
I recently introduced a concept called the 80 20 principle or Pareto’s Law whereby 20% of ones inputs produce 80% of the outputs. This law enables us to identify our strengths and eliminate our inefficiencies.
As tasks are limited to the important, work time is shortened; those tasks that bring us the best results and increase our bottom line.
In contrast, with Parkinson’s Law, shortened work times limit tasks to the important.
These two laws work synergistically and should be used together to maximize one’s productivity. The goal is to “cut the fat” and enable you to eliminate useless activities and focus on those tasks that contribute most to income and/or happiness.
You can do this by creating short and clear deadlines with well-defined start and end times. Ask yourself at intervals throughout the day whether you are actually being productive or just active?
This will help you avoid getting caught up minutia. The goal is to use Parkinson’s Law to accomplish more in less time. We can put an end to procrastination by creating deadlines to necessitate focused action.
What you want to avoid is falling into the trap of engaging in “crutch activities”, or those activities that postpone more productive actions, generally those that take us out of your comfort zone.
As an entrepreneur, you should always try to push yourself beyond the comfortable, which is necessary even mandatory for personal growth. By applying these principles you are actually forced into taking an objective look at what you’re doing with your time.
This forces you to recognize those tasks, which you may have built a resistance to and gives you a clear-cut vision of what needs to be worked on at a personal level to achieve success.
In order to do less and have more time, define a to-do list but equally important is to define a NOT to-do list so you do not fall back into the old patterns of mere activity which are usually just crutch activities and not really productive at all (although we often convince ourselves to believe otherwise).
Remember to use the 80 20 rule to identify those 20% of sources that result in 80% of your desired outcomes or happiness and contrarily to identify those 20% of sources that cause you 80% of your problems and unhappiness.
Create your to-do list one night in advance and set limitations to no more than two mission critical tasks per day. Also, make sure you do not sit down in front of the computer with out a list of clearly defined objectives or you WILL get sucked into unfocused activity.
Don’t invent things to do to avoid the important. Make sure whatever activity you choose to engage in will make you happy if it’s the only thing you accomplished that day.
Proper prioritization is key as well as working with no distractions. This will completely eliminate the need for multitasking.
Stay focused on the two main tasks you outlined for yourself for that day from start to finish. Limit interruptions and do not allow your attention to be divided, as it will lead to poorer concentration, weaker results and less personal gratification.
It is also important to consider the people in your life. Ask yourself which 20% bring you 80% of your enjoyment vs. which 20% cause the most amount of misery and pain.
Also, identify which friends consume your time vs. those that have a positive influence. Seek to reduce or eliminate poisonous people with a negative attitude that pull you down and suck your energy dry. These individuals don’t deserve your time and attention.
Simultaneously seek to increase your time and exposure to those that have a positive impact on your life. As you grow, it should not be considered unkind to disassociate with those relationships that no longer serve you, it’s simply a matter of practicality.
Consider that you become the median of your 5 closet friends and this applies to your bank account as well. Bottom line, if your friends aren’t making you stronger, well, you get the picture….
So there you have it people, use these principles to multiple your productivity and maximize your success. Also, don’t forget to leave me a comment down below as I would love to know your thoughts. If you found this post of value, go now and share it with your friends on Twitter, Facebook and any other social network that you like!
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Yours In Mastery,
Great post Fredric as always!
I can tell that you put a lot of thought and effort into your post's and video's. They're packed with detailed information and when applied can mold us into more efficient entrepreneurs!
I've already finished my "Two Mission Critical Task's" today.
Thank you for sharing.
Daryl Whicker
My recent post Is Facebook the New Google?
Hi Daryl,
Yes, I am passionate about helping others by creating well thought out content that can seriously add immense value to people lives. A simple shift in mindset can literally be the difference between success and failure.
Using these practices to increase productivity is no fantasy. These are some real life changing concepts that when implemented can literally transform the way you think about and conduct your business.
Thanks for the comment Daryl. ROCK ON!
~Fredric
Great words of wisdom Fredric – I didn't watch the video tho' – it would have taken me away from my tasks that I set myself!!
All the best from Cathy in the UK:-)
My recent post Introducing you to the technology systems and mentorship of Cathy Sugden
Hi Cathy,
Thank you for your kind words. Glad to hear you're highly focused on task completion. Appreciate you stopping by and leaving me a comment. Hope to hear from you again real soon.
~Fredric
Fredric,
Great post my friend. Boy do I ever catch myself several times a day asking "am I on track with the 2-3 things on my list?" Most of the time I can answer yes, but it saves the day when the answer is no and I have to regroup, refocus.
With the freedom that home business entrepreneurship offers, there's no reason we have to work a traditional 9-5 type home biz. We can go into our office with laser focused activities, knock them out, we've been productive and can call it a day.
All entrepreneurs need this article. Very sound advice.
Debbie
My recent post Power Point Presentations: How to Add and Edit Pictures in Power Point
Hi Debbie,
I agree with you 100%. There is no need to sit in front of the computer all day spinning wheels and being pulled from one task to another.
The to-do-list (as well as the not-to-do list) are meant to keep you focused on those "mission critical" activities that in actuality are productive.
Like you said, stay laser focused, knock them out and boom your done. The rest of the day can be used to do whatever else brings you peace and happiness!
~Fredric
Hi Fredric: The post you wrote really hit home with me! I am having such a hard time sticking to a schedule. The volume of what I want to get done and actually do get done are two, no three weeks behind.
TV and friends are not the issue. It is my own searching on line, trying to learn how to do it. When I should just be doing!
If you have the time I would appreciate your looking at my blog…I could use a honest opinion! I also noticed that you are with Global Resorts Network…I am too and frankly I've have been searching for other marketers in this opportunity, to share ideas with.
Thank you
Erika1Sanchez
Hi Erika,
So happy to hear this post added VALUE for you! Yes, getting help when necessary such as knowing what to outsource and what to do yourself is important so you do not waste valuable time.
Anything I can't knock out fairly easily with out frustration I do myself. I outsource a bit as well such as website design and technical issues. I am always looking for solutions to help me do things myself but efficiency is key.
If I'm not being efficient, I know it's time to bring in some help. Thanks for the comments!
~Fredric
Reading the 4-hour workweek right now… Life-changing, to say the least.
Great video Fredric, anyone looking to drive productivity UP and pointless activity DOWN needs to take heed!
Garrett
My recent post Blogging Takes Time
Hi Fredric,
So true– great post! What is that saying… give the task to the busiest person and he will get it done quicker than the other person who has more time on his hands.
It is so easy to get lost in the jungle of social media or get consumed by mundane tasks that really to propel you forward. It is so important as you suggest to have a clear action plan with a list of priority things that need to get done that will yield 80% of the results.
Thanks for sharing. Laura
Hi Laura,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Pareto's law along side Parkinson's law have completely changed the way I structure my business and my time.
I feel a lot more focused and I have clarity on those tasks that I consider to be the most crucial like never before. It's so important we identify our strengths and focus our energy on what works and can be considered "mission critical".
It's very liberating to break free from "work just for works sake". Cheers!
~Fredric
Wow! You wanna know what I took away the most from your video? Make a NOT to do list. That is soo powerful. It's as equally important as writing out our to do lists. And yes, I'm gonna practice writing 2 mission critical tasks for my day.
"Don't invent things to avoid the important." This is something that I can soak up in my head to transform my way of thinking.
Thanks Fredric!
-Jaclyn http://JaclynCastro.com
My recent post “How to ethically Steal THIS…”
Hi Jaclyn,
The NOT to do list is so key, it has completely changed the way I structure my time in front of the computer. The mission critical tasks are really helpful as well as they allow you to really have laser targeted focus.
I now discipline myself not to move on to other tasks until the mission critical ones are complete. The pull to do the less important tasks are strong and it's easy to get sucked back into non productive activities.
It's a good practice to get into the habit of asking ourselves if our tasks are just keeping us active vs. productive. If not, we can easily get back on track.
Thanks for the comment!
~Fredric
Great job on this blog… no wonder it is in the top 50 and with a PR3 almost none of the others have that rating and that is because you are encouraging posts and comments
Rod Cook MLM Watchdog