Perfecting Personal Productivity

Would you like to be able to improve your personal productivity?

Would you like to have more time to do the things that are personally
most important to you ?

Then read on....

I'd like to tell you about a "big idea" that I know will help you perfect your personal productivity.

Why can I make such a bold claim, I hear you ask?

It is because it is based on a combination of ideas that I personally use everyday in my own business.

It has had a massive impact on my own ability to "get things done". It can work for you as well.

The first part of this big idea comes from Napoleon Hill. His work mentions the idea that each person should
have  a "Definite Major Purpose" in their life.

Napoleon Hill Reading

Often life carries on despite us, and it is all to easy to observe it passing us by.

I really thought about what is my "Definite Major Purpose".

After several short conversations with myself (that just sounds wrong doesn't it)

I came up with the following:-

Graham's Definite Major Purpose is to teach people about Continuous Improvement.

So step #1 in this "Big Idea" is to take time out from the mania of life and think about Napoleon
Hill's definite major purpose, and decide what that looks like for you.

I didn't find it that easy to do, but it is definitely worth doing.

My first attempt was this:-

"To follow Partick Thistle Football Club in Europe" (for those of you who know anything about Partick Thistle
Football Club, you will know that this would have been a flawed Definite Major Purpose)

So, what are you waiting for. Start thinking about your Definite Major Purpose and write it down. Refine it until
you think. Yep, that's it !

How do we make our Definite Major Purpose a reality ?

By working on it every day. This leads me to the second part of the "big idea". I read about this idea in the 
book "Do it tomorrow" by Mark Forster. It's the best "time management" book I have ever read.
(And I've read a lot)

He has loads of practical ideas in the book but the one I like best, and the one that makes up the second
part of this "big idea" is the "Will do list"

"Will do list ?" Isn't that just another name for a "To do list"...
Tell me something I don't know about..

No,no,no,no,no,no........no,no...NO.

I like many of you have used "To do lists".

They start off fine. Very quickly they get bigger and bigger and longer and longer.

You soon can get overwhelmed trying to keep your "to do" monster at bay.

You end up trying to do everything and end up doing very little.

 "One never notices what has to be done; one can only see what remains to be done.."

Marie Curie (1867-1934)

A "to do list" is a list of actions we might do during the day.

A "will do list" is a closed list of actions that we have considered really carefully and have allocated enough
time for to complete during the day.

We should not take on any other actions during the day unless it is life threatening ! i.e. something not on our
will do list.

The "Will do list" just might become your friend and saviour.

So Step #2 of this "big idea" is to plan then create a "Will do list" every day.

Here are the steps I use to create a will do list:

1. Get yourself a blank A4 notebook yourself something that you
really like.

2. Write down your Definite Major Purpose the front page of your new book

3. On the next page write down 3 - 5 goals.

It is not my intention to spend anytime on goal setting in this article.

The goals you do decide on must support your definite major purpose.

4. Next set up a daily "Will do list" page for each day of the next week .
The format should be something like this:-

Current Initiative

The current initiative is the thing that you start first each day. It's a thing that you may not enjoy doing
but is a priority to get done for the future. e.g. Your filing system may be in backlog and is a major cause
of wasted time. If you make this your current initiative and do a bit each day you will eventually get it under
control. It's all about taking daily action to move your "current initiative " forward.

In my own case I had an issue with information overload on articles, e-mails, reports, books, audio, video etc.
that I have collected over the years on the topic of "Lean Thinking". By making this my current initiative I
managed to use the first 30 minutes of each day to review the information and get it under control. Doing
this has supported my Definite Major Purpose now know what I've got and where to put my hands on it.

Goals


Under each goal heading write down actions that will support your goal and can be completed that day. It's all
about taking action. They don't have to be earth shattering. It is all about moving you goal forward towards your
definite major purpose.

Below the line - other necessary actions


Life doesn't always work out the way you want it.
To quote Robert Burns (250th year celebrations this year in Scotland)

 "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley"

Robert Burns

Below the line you should write down any actions that you take
during the day that are unplanned. i.e. you just had to do them.

Our long term aim should be to minimise these.

In Summary - What you need to do to Perfect Personal Productivity

Resources that you should get, that will definitely help you:-

Do it Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management by Mark Forster

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill  

Hope this helps

Graham Ross

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