8 GREAT WAYS TO DOUBLE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY: 5 USE THE LAW OF FORCED EFFICIENCY

This law says that there is never enough time to do everything but there’s always enough time to do the most important things.  Whenever you are put under significant pressure to complete an important task; a task for which there are significant consequences, you put your head down and you get the job done by the deadline. 

Many people cannot discipline themselves to get the job done in advance.  They then say that they work best under pressure.  However, no one works best under pressure. This is just a justification for poor time management.  When you are under pressure you not only experience more stress, but you also make more mistakes.  These mistakes often require that the job be redone again at a later time.

There are four great questions that you can ask to increase your efficiency and double your productivity.  Here they are. First, begin by asking before you start work, “What is the highest value use of my time?”  

What is it that you do that contributes the greatest amount of value to your work and to your life?  What is it that you do that pays the very most or yields the highest rewards to you and your company?  Talk to your boss and to the people around you.  Ask for input.  You must be absolutely clear about the answer to this question, and work on these high value activities all the time. 

Second, ask yourself regularly, “Why am I on the payroll?”  Exactly what have you been hired to do?  Of all the things that you’ve been hired to do, what are the few accomplishments that most determine your success in your job?  Whatever the answer to this question, these are the activities that you need to focus on all day long.

The third question for maximum efficiency is this: “What can you and only you do that if done well can make a real difference?”  At any given time there is only one answer to this question.  This is the sort of task that if you don’t do it, it doesn’t get done.  But if you do it and you do it well, it can make a major difference.  Whatever it is, you should be working on it above all else.  This is where you can make your greatest contribution.

The fourth question is perhaps the best time management question of all.  It is simply this: “What is the most valuable use of my time right now?”  Always ask yourself, “What is the most valuable use of my time right now?”  And whatever your answer to that question be sure that is what you are doing most of the time.

Your ability to ask and answer these questions on a regular basis will keep you on track and performing at your best.  “What are my highest value activities?  Why am I on the payroll?  What can I and only I do that if done well can make a real difference?”  And, “What is the most valuable use of my time right now?” Discipline yourself to work only on your answers to those questions and this alone will double your productivity.