Midweek Special: Book Summary Series Two

Eat that frog: 21 great ways to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time

CHAPTER SIX: USE THE ABCDE METHOD CONTINUALLY

Yo! It's another series of Midweek Special and I greet you, welcome! ABCDE 🤔...we're throwing it all the way back to the creche 😂. However, the ABCDE method is a very powerful priority setting technique that you can use every single day.

The power of this technique lies in its simplicity and here's how it works:
Write a list of everything you have to do for the coming day, then place an A, B, C, D, or E next to each item on your list.

"A" item is defined as something that is very important, something that you must do. This is a task that has serious positive or negative consequences if you do or fail to do it.

"B" item is a task you should do. It has only mild consequences.

"C" item is something that would be nice to do but for which there are no consequences at all, whether you do it or not.

"D" item is something you can delegate to someone else.

"E" task is defined as something you can eliminate altogether and it won't make any real difference.

P.S If you have more than one A task, you prioritize those tasks by writing A-1, A-2...and so on.

The key to making this ABCDE method to work for you is to discipline yourself to start immediately on your A-1 task and stay on it until it is complete.

CHAPTER SEVEN: FOCUS ON KEY RESULT AREAS

If you're involved in a team or an organization or on a particular cause. Your key result area is something for which you're completely responsible, an activity that is under your control and if you don't do it, it doesn't get done. An example of key result areas in management is planning, organizing, staffing, delegating, supervising, measuring, and reporting. These are areas in which a manager must get results to succeed in his/her area of responsibility.

Identifying key result areas of your work is the starting point of high performance. Once you've determined this, then you need to grade yourself on a scale of one to ten. Where are you strong and what are your weak points?

What one skill if I developed and did in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on my career?

One major reason for procrastination is that people avoid jobs or activities in those areas where they have performed poorly in the past. Refuse to rationalize, justify, or defend your areas of weakness. Instead, identify them clearly. Set a goal and make a plan to become very good in each of those areas.

Here's one of the greatest questions you will ever ask and answer: "What one skill if I developed and did in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on my career?" Become absolutely excellent in your key result areas, for it's one of the fastest and best ways to stop procrastinating and get more things done faster.
Eat that frog!

CHAPTER EIGHT: APPLY THE LAW OF THREE

Well...we've been through a lot of 'laws', 'great questions', and 'rules' lately, and it might have been a Lil' trouble keeping track of them. Ain't it? But...whatever, we keep learning and don't despise keeping a jotting.

Let's do a simple mind game. In thirty seconds, write down your three most important goals in life right now.

• What are your three most important academic/professional development goals right now?
• What are your three biggest problems or concerns in life right now?

Strike a balance between your work and personal life because the more time you spend face to face with the people you love, the happier you will be.

When you force yourself to ask and answer each of these questions in thirty seconds or less, you will often be amazed at your answer and these answers will tell you what's really important to you.

Develop time management skills so that you can complete everything that's really important in your work and free up more time to do the things in your personal life that gives you the greatest happiness and satisfaction. Strike a balance between your work and personal life because the more time you spend face to face with the people you love, the happier you will be.

CHAPTER NINE: PREPARE THOROUGHLY BEFORE YOU BEGIN

One of the best ways you can overcome procrastination and get more things done faster is to have everything you need at hand before you begin. Set up your work area so that it is comfortable, attractive, and conducive to working for long periods.

Do the first thing, whatever it is, and don't expect perfection the first time or even the first few times.

Most productive people take the time to create a work area where they enjoy spending time. The neater your work area is before you begin, the easier it will be for you to get started and keep going.

Once you've completed your preparations, it is essential that you launch immediately toward your goals. Get started. Do the first thing, whatever it is, and don't expect perfection the first time or even the first few times.

Pick up the first item and say to yourself, "Let's get to work!", and plunge in. Once you've started, keep going until the job is finished.

CHAPTER TEN: TAKE IT ONE OIL BARREL AT A TIME

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a step", says a popular adage. To overcome procrastination, you should get your mind off the huge task in front of you and focus on the single action that you can take.

Accomplish the biggest task in your life by disciplining yourself to take it just one step at a time

A story is told of oil barrels in the Sahara Desert. Each drum is placed every one meter ahead to guide travellers driving through from getting lost in the large expanse. So, they navigate through the desert by sighting each drums one meter afar off.

Accomplish the biggest task in your life by disciplining yourself to take it just one step at a time. A great life or career is built by performing one task at a time, quickly, well, and going to the next.
Take that one step today 😉

Thanks for reading. See you next week.😎

Your comments keep me motivated. Do well to dish out a well-deserved measure.