Edited by: Lawyer Asad
"The first law of success is concentration - to bend all the energies to one point, and to go directly to that point, looking neither to the right or to the left." --William Mathews
The more thought you invest in planning and setting priorities before you begin, the more important things you will do and the faster you will get them done once you get started.
The more important and valuable the task is to you, the more you will be motivated to overcome procrastination and launch yourself into the job.
A Simple and Powerful Technique
The ABC Method is a powerful priority setting technique that you can use every single day. This technique is so simple and effective that it can, all by itself, make you one of the most efficient and effective people in your field.
The power of this technique lies in its simplicity. Here's how it works:
You start with a list of everything you have to do for the coming day.
Think on paper. You then place an A, B, or C before each item on your
list before you begin the first task.
Determine Your Top Priorities
An "A" item is defined as something that is very important. This is
something that you must do. This is a task for which there can be
serious consequences if you do it or fail to do it, like visiting a key
customer or finishing a report for your boss that she needs for an
upcoming board meeting. These are the frogs of your life.
If you have more than one "A" task, you prioritize these tasks by
writing A-1, A-2, A-3, and so on in front of each item. Your A-1 task is
your biggest, ugliest frog of all.
If you suffer from procrastination in any form, then this might be the
most important message you ever read.
Do you suffer from lack of motivation, missed deadlines, missing will power, excuse making, ever changing goals, and lowering of expectations?
In these tough financial times it will be virtually impossible for you
to succeed if you don't have the ability to resist these saboteurs and
become a truly productive person.
Decide on Your Secondary Tasks
A "B" item is defined as a task that you should do. But it only has mild
consequences. These are the tadpoles of your work life. This means that someone may be unhappy or inconvenienced if you don't do it, but it is nowhere as important as an "A" task. Returning an unimportant telephone
message or reviewing your email would be a "B" task. The rule is that
you should never do a "B" task when there is an "A" task left undone.
You should never be distracted by a tadpole when there is a big frog
sitting there waiting to be eaten.
Analyze the Consequences of Doing It
A "C" task is defined as something that would be nice to do, but for
which there are no consequences at all, whether you do it or not. "C"
tasks include phoning a friend, having coffee or lunch with a coworker or completing some personal business during work hours. This sort of activity has no affect at all on your work life.
After you have applied the ABC Method to your list, you will now be
completely organized and ready to get more important things done faster.
Start on Your A-1 Task
The key to making this ABC Method work is for you to now discipline
yourself to start immediately on your "A-1" task and then stay at it
until it is complete. Use your willpower to get going and stay going on this one job, the most important single task you could possibly be doing. Eat the whole frog and don't stop until its finished completely.
Your ability to think through, analyze your work list and determine your "A-1" task is the springboard to higher levels of accomplishment, and greater self-esteem, self-respect and personal pride.
When you develop the habit of concentrating on your "A-1," most
important activity, you will start getting more done than any two or
three people around you.
Action Exercises
Review you work list right now and put an A, B, or C next to each task
or activity. Select your A-1 job or project and begin on it immediately.
Discipline yourself to do nothing else until this one job is complete.
Practice this ABC Method every day and on every work or project list,
before you begin work, for the next month. By that time, you will have
developed the habit of setting and working on your highest priority
tasks and your future will be assured!
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