To get on top of all our tasks, we must get good at saying, “No.” “No” to the busy work, the low-value work, the “well, we always do that” work. This idea is dramatically (as in, you-won’t-believe-it-until-you’ve-tried-it) easier to implement after we have chosen a few really powerful, compelling things to say, “Yes!” to. […]
We must stop using our email inbox as a to do list. We cannot go on running our days from that list of dozens, nay, thousands of emails. It’s too painful and we all know it. Our email inbox makes a horrible to do list. Here’s why. First, a list of emails offers us no […]
It’s helpful to think of our need for an effectiveness system as the same need that executives, lords, and ladies (think of the popular costume drama) of old had of their secretaries, butlers, and house managers. Back in the day, the work of farm or factory workers and lower-level managers had been industrially engineered into […]
What do we do when there is too much to do? How can we get to working on the big, important things when there are so many fires to fight? At first, working harder, getting organized, and using more efficient processes helps. But soon the complexity of work outstrips our ability to just press harder. […]
We waste time and energy on lingering tasks. They distract and drain us until we finally deal with them. If we have a task that we just can’t seem to get done, then it usually falls into one of these three categories: We don’t want to do it now and we don’t want to forget […]
When people ask us to do things, we usually respond unthinkingly with “yes,” “no,” or silence. That’s because we are unsure about what else we have on our plates to do. If we are unsure and optimistic or unsure and not wanting to displease, we habitually say, “Yes.” If we are unsure and not wanting […]
We have been discussing the seven habits you can build to be more effective and efficient. Today’s habit is… Effectiveness Habit #4: Act Naturally This habit describes how you’ll actually do your tasks. With the third habit, MOD It, you transformed the written mass of tasks, ideas, and potential tasks you had previously been keeping […]
You can get more done with more ease by building seven effectiveness habits. Build them one at a time over the next several weeks and months. You need not, for the most part, build them in the order I present them. Here’s today’s habit… Effectiveness Habit #3: MOD It With Effectiveness Habit #1: Get it […]