Still on this book but now to Step 2 which is E: Elimination (my favorite chapter in the book)
E: Elimination is about time management, or rather about not managing time. This is achieved by applying the 'Pareto principle' or '80-20 Rule' (80% of your benefits come from 20% of your efforts) to focus only on those tasks that contribute the majority of benefit, and using Parkinson's law(work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion) to limit the amount of actual time spent working. There's a difference, Ferriss says, between efficiency and effectiveness. The book's emphasis is on effectiveness.
As an employee, always be able to increase your value and make it painful for the company to fire you than to grant raises and a remote working arrangement (or negotiate for a working environment you have control over)
Favorite lines:
Effectiveness is doing the things that get you closer to your goals. Efficiency is performing a given task (whether important or not) in the most economical manner possible.
I want to effective more than efficient.
What you do is infinitely more important than how you do it. Efficiency is still important, but it is useless unless applied to the right things.
Being selective—doing less—is the path of the productive. Focus on the important few and ignore the rest.
Lack of time is actually lack of priorities.
What am I going to do from now on?
1. Limit tasks to the important to shorten work time (80/20).
2. Shorten work time to limit tasks to the important (Parkinson's Law).
The best solution is to use both together: Identify the few critical tasks that contribute most to income and schedule them with very short and clear deadlines.
Don't ever arrive at the office or in front of your computer without a clear list of priorities.
You'll just read unassociated e-mail and scramble your brain for the day. Compile your to-do list for tomorrow no later than this evening.
You should have, at most, two primary goals or tasks per day. Do them separately from start to finish without distraction.
Next Interrupting Interruption and the Art of Refusal
Learn to be difficult when it counts. In school as in life, having a reputation for being assertive will help you receive preferential treatment without having to beg or fight for it every time.
Doing the important and ignoring the trivial is hard because so much of the world seems to conspire to force crap upon you
What am I going to do?
1. resolve to keep those around you focused and avoid all meetings, whether in person or remote, that do not have clear objectives. (Im guilty of beating around the bush with no clear objectives)
It is possible to do this tactfully, but expect that some time wasters will be offended the first few times their advances are rejected. Once it is clear that remaining on task is your policy and not subject to change, they will accept it and move on with life. Hard feelings pass. Don't suffer fools or you'll become one.
It is your job to train those around you to be effective and efficient.
Get into the habit of considering what "if. . . then" actions can be proposed in any e-mail where you ask a question. (Get the hang of it) examples given in the book
"Can you meet at 4:00 P.M.? If SO __If not, please advise three other times that work for you."
Meetings should only be held to make decisions about a pre- defined situation, not to define the problem.
Go in with a clear set of objectives and set an end time or leave early.
2. Batch activities to limit setup and provide more time for other milestones
I love routines! It gives me a sense of security and allows me to be in control but this year, lots of things have been reactive and everyday at work, it is like fighting fire.
It says "What can I routinize by batching? That is, what tasks (whether laundry, groceries, mail, payments, or sales reporting, for example) can I allot to a specific time each day, week, month, quarter, or year so that I don't squander time repeating them more often than is absolutely necessary?"
Going to list down activities that are repeated
3. Say No!
Don't make up elaborate lies or you'll get called on them. A simple answer such as, "I really can't—sorry; I've got too much on my plate right now" will do as a catch-all response.
