There are a number of reasons why you would want to increase your current level of productivity. One of the more obvious reasons that comes to mind is that it will allow you more choices in your life and business.
These choices can mean spending more time with family and friends. It can also mean getting around to starting that business you’ve always wanted or getting that promotion you have been after. It can also mean being able to finally attain a greater sense of accomplishment. (see five focusing strategies)
60 SECOND DECISION MAKING PROCESS
So now that we understand why increasing your productivity is an important task let’s make sure we are on the same page as far as understanding what we are talking about.
Wikipedia defines “Decision Making” as
“…the cognitive process of reaching a decision.”
The main point being that a process was used to reach a decision. In our case this process will mean reaching a decision in a specific amount of time. When it comes to increasing your productivity you should be aware of the obvious fact that Inertia is NOT your friend. One of the main places you will find this Inertia is when it comes to making decisions. For many people this can leave them in a state of analysis paralysis.
The solution to this is to time-box your decisions after you have gathered the required amount of information to make an informed choice. In fact we go as far as to specify that you make your decisions in 60 seconds or less!
This method or system of making effective decisions works for two specific reasons.
The first reason is that it removes one more thing for you to have to create and define. The system is already in place and specifies that given all of the information you have at your disposal you will set a stop-watch and in 60 seconds you will make a decision. This is a totally objective set of steps and will help you avoid analysis paralysis.
The second reason is that by specifying a specific amount of time you can utilize “Parkinson’s Law” in a positive manner. So what exactly am I talking about?
Wikipedia defines “Parkinson’s Law” as
“…The amount of time which one has to perform a task is the amount of time it will take to complete the task.”
So by specifying up front that it will take us exactly sixty seconds then we force ourselves to come up with the wanted result in the given time.
Once we have made the decisions we also make sure that we immediately take the first step or action that is available to us to get momentum working for us and getting us out of inertia.
CLICK HERE to discover how to painlessly increase the productivity of your online business by creating a business plan for it.
60 SECOND DECISION MAKING PROCESS STEPS
- Gather the needed information to make an informed choice.
- Set a stop watch or other mechanism to mark off 60 seconds or one minute.
- Make a decision.
- Act on decision immediately.
COMMON IMPLEMENTATION PROBLEM
Given such a specific and systematic set of steps to make a decision a lot of people will get caught up on the idea of having to act on the knowledge. Because of this we would go further and specify the fact that making a decision and acting on the decision are two separate activities.
A Solution
Letting the fear from acting on a decision stop you from making a decision doesn’t serve you or yours in any capacity. In fact this should be dealt with as an entirely separate matter. But it should not be allowed to prevent you from making a quality decision just because you have to know face the consequences of what that means.
If your fear of acting on your knowledge is standing in the way then the following exercise should allow you to move forward.
A Little Coaching
If your fear has you paralyzed then it simply means you are focusing more on what you don’t want instead of what you do want. To change this focus think about two things:
- How not acting on your knowledge will be more painful than acting on it.
- How acting on your knowledge will bring you measurable and immediate pleasure.
Getting Past Fear Exercise
A lot of time your fear will be solved by just becoming more aware of it. To that end the following questions when answered in the context of getting past your fear and becoming more productive will be the key.
- List the action that your new decision would have you take that you feel apprehensive about.
- Write down the pain you associated with this action Io till now.
- List any pleasure you receive from not taking the action.
- Describe in a paragraph what it will cost you if you don’t take this action. What will you miss out on? What will you lose?
- Write down all of the benefits you will get by taking this action. How will it enhance your life? How will it create greater joy, happiness, success, freedom or etc.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
We have covered a lot of effective productivity increasing information here. We looked at making decision in 60 seconds or less, separating the decision making process from the implementation of that decision and finally what to do if fear is keeping you immobilized. By allowing yourself to make quicker decisions you can fully expect your life to consistently get better in the areas in which you are employing this technique. This can mean better relationships, more fulfilling career aspirations, more profitable business interactions and of course a greater sense of accomplishment.
CLICK HERE to discover how to painlessly increase the productivity of your online business by creating a business plan for it.
