Do more by focusing on less

focus

“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” Zig Ziglar

Increase your productivity is not doing more, it’s focusing on doing what’s important because you greatest constraint is time.

There is an old proverb

“the person who chases two rabbits catches neither”

The same is true with priorities because the person who works on 10 priorities, finishes none.

Eliminate

Eliminate the non-essential, focus on your priorities because every non priority item takes time away from your priorities. Everyone you meet will try to get your divert your time to their priorities and away from yours, guard your time fiercely.

To achieve more, focus on fewer items that bring bigger rewards. The common response to doing more is by working harder and longer, but this leads to working more hours and eventual burnout.

Don’t out work your problems because you are treating the symptoms not the root cause (e.g. why do you have so much work and how can you delegate some).

Too many priorities mean nothing is a priority. If you have 10 top priorities, you will start work on 10 but finish none. Focus on the top 1 and finish it, you will then get the rewards. There are no rewards for 10 unfinished pieces of work.

Great article on Warren Buffett’s 2 list strategy and the power of elimination

Focus

• Say no to almost everything. Everything new task takes time from your priorities.
• Focus your effort on your priorities, the tasks that will bring you the biggest returns.
• When you have a plan, then act on it with speed. Gain time by doing it now.

Adapt

• Plans must change to match changes in environment, adapt.
• Failure shows the path forward to a better solution. Problems become the way forward or as Ryan Holiday stats — The Obstacle is the way
• Don’t try to outwork your problems, you end up working longer hours. Remove items and use the power of elimination to focus on the key tasks.

Don’t do more, work on items well that bring you the biggest returns.

Don’t try to do more, try to items well that bring you the biggest returns.

Read Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less it will help you identify what is essential.