What? Another time management book? How many do you need? Well, not that many really, and you should have this one on your must have list.I found a lot I liked in this book and my notes below list what I took from it on first reading, and I look forward to learning more on subsequent readings.
Organised into 9 sections and 42 "truths", Mark Fritz homes in on the basics of Getting Things Done: examining systems of action, systems of belief, hard facts, self improvement. Tight and concise writing make this a book that you can read quickly and re-read for deeper contemplation.
So... the book. ( amazon.co.uk | amazon.com )
And we learn that Getting Things Done does not mean 'time management' it means doing the right things. And to do that:
- know what you want
- think effectively
- discipline yourself
- don't try to do it all yourself
- grow, learn and use your experience
The 9 sections cover "The Truth About..."
- Success and focus
- Goals and Outcomes
- Beliefs and Character
- Thinking and planning
- Discipline and Habits
- Relationship and communication
- Teamwork and follow-up
- Potential and excellence
- Doing the uncommon
Define what future success means. Create compelling reasons for doing it ("why?").
Believe it to see it. Focus on that every day and visualise you having achieved success.
Focus on what you want to do and follow that through. Keep reminding yourself what you consider important. The things you need to do to achieve your aims and why you want to do it.
Create big goals, goals which when you look at them now you might think that you can't achieve them. Make decisions about when you want to achieve them and on your review process or the goals. Build a belief that you can achieve and even surpass them.
Make sure your journey proves as exciting as your envisioned goal. Make the progression something that makes you happy. Make sure you grow on your journey.
Build incremental outcomes and focus on those.
Use the "As if" technique - Act "as if" you act in the same way as the person who has already achieved your goal. What would they do next. What outcome would they work towards now.
Use your past as something to learn from "what can I learn from that memory" rather than replaying it to hold yourself back.
"Be the best that you can be. Be the person you would like to be around"
Write down your thoughts. Identify the actions you need to take. Invest time in thinking and planning. Plan ahead and think about the future.
Put into action the things you learn. For each thing you learn during your reading ask yourself "how can I put that into action", "how can I apply this to my life". Then apply it. Try it, and learn from the application.
Identify what you need to do to achieve your goals and create habits that help you achieve them. Make sure you do what you need to do. Swap destructive habits for new habits that take you towards your goal.
Do a little bit more than everyone else.
You don't really fail. You just stop taking action. Face challenges and problems by taking action. Persevere.
Adapt your approach to others. Communicate with the style that they respond to. Have the patience to listen before responding and sharing. Use listening to understand, not think about your response.
Make your sales pitch concentrate on the benefits to the other person, what problem will you solve?
Questions hold the power in a conversation and get people thinking. Stories and examples help people engage with your ideas.
You can achieve more by working with others. So act like the type of person people want to work with - keep your commitments, to yourself and others. Build trust in your team.
Reinforce the behaviours that you want to see again. Provide thanks to reinforce good behaviours. Describe boundaries for bad behaviours and explain why those behaviours create a problem. Always follow up - if you don't follow up then it signifies unimportance.
Get feedback from others to help you understand your perceived strengths and weaknesses.
Grow by putting yourself in situations where you feel a little uncomfortable so you have to stretch and improve. Compare yourself to your potential, not to other people. Work with other people who can help you grow.
Go beyond average and take pride in what you do.
If this all seems like common sense then pick the next common sense habit that will help you move forward and then the next one, and the next one, until you achieve your goals.
Related Reading
- procedor.com Mark Fritz website - sign up for the daily thoughts email or rss feed
- amazon.co.uk
- amazon.com
- TSTN the success training netowrk
- George Zalucki
- Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Podcasts (Stan Christensen, and Steve Young mentioned in book references)
- Psycho-Cybernetics blog
- As a man thinketh
- Club Rhino
- LeadershipTraQ podcasts
- Ziglar.com
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