How to Be Productive Everyday

Scenario: "Dude, we'll just save the best work for last. Forreal. High-five!"

1. You have a big project due in about a week.
2. You haven't started.
3. You have many other much less important tasks to do.

You have two options:

• a) Do the most important thing first.
• b) Finish the many less important tasks first.

If you're seeking to get the most out of your day, what would you do? The former. To be one productive SOB, start doing what's most important first; that leaves you more room to kick more frickin' arse on that important shizzle.

How Our Minds Trick Us

As crazy human people, we tend to think we have 9849830958320 hours to do task A, when reality says we only have a tiny fraction of that. That is, we overestimate the time we have on certain our most important tasks. So, we start procrastinating. Then, some more procrastinating. And, some more. ...until some looming deadline gets our butts in gear. At that point, feeling threatened, we work superficially -- producing shoddy work. Instead of wowing the freak out of our customers, we give them something that just 'works' -- but that's it. Boo.

Why Important Stuff First

When you do your most important tasks first, you give yourself more time to:

1. Sufficiently complete the tasks.
2. Refine and perfect the tasks.
3. Boost more value to those tasks.

Think of the 20/80 rule; that is: 20% of your tasks serves 80% importance to you/business/customers. Completing the crucial 20% first lets you breeze through the rest, knowing -- at the least -- you've already accomplished the bulk of what's most important.

And Then When You're Done...

Do the second most important thing. Then, the third. And, the fourth. And, the yadda.

How do you determine what's most important?

Suggestions:

1. Profitability.
2. Urgency. (e.g. by deadlines)
3. [choose-what's-most-important-to-you-here]

Win.

Freakishly important stuff first.

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