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The Biggest Secret of Efficiency
Do you ever feel overworked? Is this because you have too much to do? Because your boss is too demanding? Because your work goals are too ambitious? Maybe not.
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 prepares delicious, healthy 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
For example, the government sends you a tax form asking you for some financial information. You take five minutes to understand what is required and realize it's quite simple. You notice it's not due for two months, but instead of tossing it in your desk to do later, you take another five minutes to look up the financial data, fill out the form and drop it in the mail. If you wait to do it later, you have had to spend another five minutes to understand it again. Perhaps you look at the form once each week until the deadline is near before you actually do the work. You might even forget do fill out the form and then waste even more time understanding why the government is charging you a $250 late fee.
As another example, you notice your car's tire is a little low and you fill it right now. If you wait, you get a flat tire while driving to work. You are not only two hours late for work, you have to buy a new tire.
Your food explodes in the microwave? You clean it up now. Your boss asks for a report? You write it and turn it in now. Your group needs a decision from you? You make it now. Of course, you need to set priorities for long-term projects, but whenever possible, you do new tasks right now.
When you jump and do things at your first opportunity, you stay in better control of your job and your life while earning hours of extra time to use however you wish.
Form a Do-it-now Habit
The best time to get into a do-it-now habit is, of course, RIGHT NOW!
1. Take a stack of papers, task or any kind of cluttered mess that you need to handle.
2. Take the first item.
3. Deal with it, handle it, do it now.
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. If you resist this approach, remember the reward. If you get your work done in half the time, how will you spend the OTHER half of your time? Earning more money? Starting new projects? Having more fun? The choice is yours.
Give it a try.
Now!
Copyright © 2008 TipsForSuccess.org. All rights reserved. Grateful acknowledgment is made to L. Ron Hubbard Library for permission to reproduce selections from the copyrighted works of L. Ron Hubbard. To read all eight articles on ARC, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/arc.htm. For permission to copy, print or post this article, go to www.tipsforsuccess.org/reprint_info.htm or click here. To subscribe, buy books, contact us or learn more about TipsForSuccess.org, click here. |
