In our modern world, time has become our most precious resource. Achieving superhuman efficiency isn’t just about working harder, it’s about working smarter. It’s about meticulously practicing, defining clear goals, prioritizing tasks, and constantly evaluating your approach. Let’s delve into these steps to unlock your highest potential.
Consider Leverage Instead
Leverage is the strategic use of resources to maximize outcomes. There are several types of leverage, including money, media, code, and people. Money is a fundamental form of leverage; it can be used to hire talent, invest in technologies, and acquire resources, thereby amplifying your capabilities. Media serves as leverage by expanding your reach and influence. It includes various platforms such as social media, blogs, podcasts, and traditional press, all of which can broadcast your message to large audiences. Code, or software, is a modern and powerful form of leverage. It allows for automation and scaling of processes, making it possible to accomplish tasks more efficiently and effectively without proportional increases in time or effort. Lastly, people are a vital form of leverage. A well-coordinated team can accomplish far more than any individual. Each member brings unique skills and perspectives, and through collaboration, they can drive innovation and achieve shared objectives.
Deliberate Practice
The first step towards achieving superhuman efficiency is the deliberate practice of tasks critical to your success. This means breaking down each activity into its smallest components and practicing each one separately until you master it.
For instance, if you are a business executive, you might need to be good at leading meetings, conducting one-on-one calls, creating compelling content, writing succinctly, and devising strategic plans. Deliberate practice would involve you repeatedly exercising these skills even when it’s not necessary. You might even try doing more difficult versions of these tasks to push your boundaries and expedite your growth.
Reflect on each practice session, identifying areas of improvement and iterating your approach based on your observations. This cycle of practice, reflection, and adjustment forms the backbone of deliberate practice, leading you towards greater efficiency.
| 1) Define the tasks | ||
| What are you doing? | ||
| Whats the outcome? Defined clearly | ||
| What are the steps and actions to get there? | ||
| Whats a simpler way to get the result you want? | ||
| Whats a funner way to get the result? | ||
| How long does it take? | ||
| How can we do it in 25% of the time | ||
| 2) Prioritise them | ||
| Put them in order of which is more important | ||
| 3) Schedule them, 1, 2 or 3 in a day | ||
| Mon | ||
| Tues | ||
| Weds | ||
| Thurs | ||
| Fri | ||
| 4) Reevalaute when working | ||
| – What am i doing? | ||
| – What should i be doing? | ||
| – Is this the best way to do be doing it? | ||
Define and Refine Tasks
The next step involves defining and refining the tasks at hand. Every task should have a clearly defined outcome. Ask yourself, “What are the steps and actions to reach this outcome?” Then, challenge yourself to simplify the process. “Is there a simpler way to achieve the desired result?”
Don’t overlook the importance of enjoying your work. Ask, “What’s a more enjoyable way to reach the same outcome?” The more you enjoy your tasks, the less they feel like work, which increases your efficiency.
Consider how much time each task requires and then set an ambitious, yet achievable, goal to complete it in 25% less time. This encourages you to innovate, streamline, and ultimately improve your efficiency.
Prioritize Tasks
Once you have a list of clearly defined tasks, the next step is prioritization. Not all tasks are created equal. Some tasks have a higher impact on your goals than others. Rank your tasks in order of their importance. This will help you to focus on high-impact activities, leading to a more efficient use of your time.
Schedule Tasks
With your tasks prioritized, it’s time to schedule them. Distribute your tasks throughout the week, scheduling one to three major tasks per day. This prevents overwhelm and ensures you have enough time to complete each task to the best of your ability.
Reevaluate and Adjust
Efficiency is not a set-it-and-forget-it process. It requires constant reevaluation and adjustment. Regularly ask yourself, “What am I doing? What should I be doing? Is this the best way to be doing it?”
This reflection process enables you to identify inefficiencies in real-time and make necessary adjustments. You’ll find that some strategies work better than others, and what worked best yesterday may not be the most efficient approach today.
