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The Secret of Efficiency
Do you ever feel overworked, overloaded or overwhelmed? Is this because you have too much to do? Because your boss is too demanding? Because your work goals are too large?
Why can some people produce twice as much as others? For example, Jane not only handles three kids, but works 30 hours per week and runs a small business from her home office. Jane's house is always clean and she cooks incredible meals for her family.
Jill, on the other hand, has one daughter, produces no income, can't keep up with her housework and prefers pizza or Chinese food delivery for dinners.
Both Jane and Jill are good mothers, but why are they so different? Are you more like Jane or Jill?
If you want to be efficient and get more done in less time, you simply rid yourself of two bad habits and form one good habit.
Two Bad Habits
1. The first bad habit is to look at a piece of work you are supposed to do-a letter, program, interoffice communication, task assignment, request, whatever-and put it aside to do later.
Instead of acting, you read it, digest it, think about doing it, consider the problems involved, sigh, and put it down to do later. Nothing is accomplished. A total waste of time.
2. The second bad habit is taking a piece of work, deciding you do not want to do it and referring it to someone else, even though it is your job to do. The other person eventually sends it back to you. A total waste of your time and the other person's time.
One Good Habit
"Do it Now."
"One of the best ways to cut your work in half is not to do it twice."
"If you do every piece of work that comes your way WHEN it comes your way and not after a while, if you always take the initiative and take action, not refer it, you never get any traffic back. . ."
"In short, the way to get rid of traffic is to do it, not to refer it; anything referred has to be read by you again, digested again, and handled again; so never refer traffic, just do it so it's done."
"So if you are truly a lover of ease, the sort of person who yawns comfortably and wears holes in heels resting them on desks, if your true ambition is one long bout of spring fever, then you'll do as I suggest and handle everything that comes your way when it comes and not later; and you'll never refer anything to anybody that you yourself can do promptly."
"Do it when you see it and do it yourself." -- L. Ron Hubbard
Recommendation
You can form the "do-it-now" habit by making yourself do it now, every time you can. And the best time to get the "do-it-now" habit is, of course, RIGHT NOW!
1. Take a stack of papers or any kind of cluttered mess that you need to handle.
2. Read or examine the first item.
3. Deal with it.
If the item has no current use, file it, store it or throw it away.
If you need to take action, do it right now. Persist until the job is completely DONE.
If you dislike the work involved, it is even more important that you do it right now.
". . . take the initiative and take action . . . ."
4. Remember the rewards of the do-it-now habit.
If you do your work in half the time, how will you spend the extra time? What new activity could you do that would increase your productivity? What would be fun to do if you had some extra time on your hands?
Give it a try!
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