{"id":13752,"date":"2013-04-29T20:58:49","date_gmt":"2013-04-30T04:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=13752"},"modified":"2013-04-29T20:59:12","modified_gmt":"2013-04-30T04:59:12","slug":"4-rules-for-supreme-productivity-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/4-rules-for-supreme-productivity-2\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Rules for Supreme Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I’ve spent the last several months launching a startup for life coaches while also working at my day job. I’ve had to work productively and effectively to get a lot of things done in a very short amount of time.<\/p>\n

Today I’m sharing with you the top 4 guidelines that I’ve distilled in my pursuit of supreme productivity. It applies to working as well as studying. If you don’t already have a life coach, consider getting one or becoming your own.<\/p>\n

Rule #1: Optimize Your To-Do List<\/strong><\/p>\n

Do not<\/em><\/span>\u00a0keep your to-do list static.<\/p>\n

If the work that you’re doing is anything like mine, then you might need to re-prioritize your to-do list several times a day. The most important tasks that you need to accomplish might change daily or hourly.<\/p>\n

For some people, the top of your to-do list might be the same two things every day. For instance, a salesman friend of mine has the same 2 top priorities every day: prospect for new customers and follow up with prospects. The point is this:<\/p>\n

Always keep the most important things at the top of your list.<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s human nature to avoid the things that we don’t like doing. So we often do what we feel like doing first, and push off the things we don’t feel like doing for another day. This will keep you comfortable, but not productive.<\/p>\n

If you really want to be productive, you’ll have to bite the bullet and do the most important tasks first, whether you feel like it or not. This is your job — to do the tasks that will allow you to reach your goal as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n

When you finish a task or you don’t know what to do next, keep going back to your list. Be systematic. “Task A is done, what is Task B on my list? I will start Task B right now.”<\/p>\n

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Rule #2: Keep Your Ultimate Goal at the Top of Your List<\/strong><\/p>\n

Keep your clearly stated overall goal at the very top of your to-do list. Let’s say that your goal is to get a new customer. At the top of your to-do list, write:<\/p>\n

Goal: Get new customers.<\/p>\n

Every task you have is subordinate to whatever goal you’re trying to attain. Keeping your ultimate goal at the top of your to-do list will keep you focused. It will allow you to keep re-prioritizing the most important tasks so that they align with your goal.<\/p>\n

Without your goal at the top of your to-do list, it’s easy to get sloppy and have less important tasks near the top that won’t really get you much closer to your goal. Demote that task and replace it with something more effective.<\/p>\n

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Rule #3: No Distractions Allowed<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don’t set yourself up for failure. Give yourself the right environment to be successful. You don’t need people talking to you, Facebook open, or to be checking your email. If you have to, lock yourself in a room.<\/p>\n

If you really want to be productive and get things done, then block out a period of time in which you will commit yourself to doing your tasks. In this time, you will disallow any<\/em> and all distractions (except for true emergencies).<\/p>\n

For example, let’s say that you’re going to work productively for 1 hour. In that hour, there is:<\/p>\n