We all very often lack the motivation to complete an important task. Often we ourselves deliberately delay the execution of a task simply because we do not want to do it.
In 1915, Albert Einstein introduced his brilliant and revolutionary theory of relativity. During the three years preceding this, he devoted himself entirely to the creation of this theory, without being distracted by anything else.
It was a short digression into the past, and now let us turn to modern realities: today the trend of “doing less” has become quite popular. As the name implies, this area covers techniques with which you can achieve greater results with less effort.
Today I want to share some ways to improve work performance with you. I hope that they will help you achieve the best results in the shortest possible time.
Pareto law, or principle 20/80
In general terms, this principle is formulated as follows: 20% of the effort gives 80% of the result, and the remaining 80% of the effort is only 20% of the result. Law 20/80 is applicable in almost all areas of life. For example, according to this law, 20% of criminals commit 80% of crimes.
If you know how to use the Pareto law properly, it will help you not only in your professional life, but also in everyday life. This is a small convenient trick that will be able to help predict the result. For example, if you are a sociable person, then you most likely have many friends. Think about which of these people will come to your aid in a difficult situation. Probably there will be few of them, just something around those notorious 20%. You should take this into account and try to maintain communication with these 20%, instead of spending time on virtual friends.
Three important tasks
Many make up a to-do list, this allows you to make the workflow more organized. Of course, in the 21st century, we have already moved away from recording upcoming affairs on paper, for this we have smartphones and computers.
I suggest you follow one simple rule: spend five minutes every morning to write down the three most important tasks for the day. And then focus all your efforts on doing this shortlist.
This is a great alternative to the endlessly long lists of tasks that we usually love to write. Who are we fooling, because they will not be enough even a week, not to mention one day. Focus on these three main tasks, and if you manage to complete them ahead of schedule, you can get down to something else.
The philosophy of “do less”
The philosophy of “Do less” is very popular. Different authors offer different approaches. For example, Mark Lesser wrote the book “ Achieve More by Making Less, ” based on Zen Buddhism.
His “do less” manifesto begins with a rebuttal of the claim that reducing workloads makes employees lazy and negatively impacts their productivity.
Mark Lesser recommends finding a few minutes during the working day in order to meditate. This evens out your breathing, you will come to your senses, get rid of stress and be able to better concentrate on the task.
Do not forget about prioritization. Perform important tasks first, and then move on to low priority. Do not overload yourself with a large number of tasks: it is better to do less, but efficiently and with pleasure, than more, but without enthusiasm.
The myth of multitasking
The multitasking mode does not at all make us more productive, it is a myth. In fact, when we concentrate on many tasks at the same time, it negatively affects our productivity and concentration.
Regardless of how well you have learned to work in multitasking mode, your productivity will be much less than if you decided to focus from start to finish on one task.
Effectively performing several tasks simultaneously is only possible in some special cases. Say, when you do something automatically, for example, go and talk at the same time. Walking is an activity on the machine, it does not require that you focus on it. This is well illustrated by the famous parable:
If you want to complete your tasks more productively, it’s better to focus on one task, complete it from beginning to end, and only then move on to others.
Live on schedule
Ask any successful person when he or she wakes up, and most likely hear that person getting up early. This is quite simple: there are not many distractions in the morning, so we
can focus on priority matters.
Remember that there is time to relax, and there is time to work. Draw clear boundaries between the one and the other. Start by stopping doing business as soon as you feel you need to rest.