multiplying time

A wonderful approach to getting sh*t done that you just really don't want to do and just ends up sucking your time dry. (Click below for an elaboration of the list and further inspiration.)

Multiply your time by asking 4 questions about the stuff on your to-do list

“How is it that we have more tips, tricks, tools, technology, calendars and checklists than ever before, and yet we still always seem to be behind?” asks Rory Vaden, a Nashville-based leadership consultant. His answer: “It’s because everything you know about time management is wrong.”

Most of us manage our time the same ways: by writing to-do lists and prioritizing the items on those lists. We decide upon our priorities by assessing the relative urgency and importance of our tasks.

But there’s a third criteria considered by a group of people whom Vaden calls “time multipliers”: significance. Rather than asking “What’s the most important thing I can do today?”, time multipliers ask “What’s the most important thing I can do today that would make tomorrow better?”

In other words, by thinking about how we use our time today, we can free up our hours in the future.

Question #1: Can I eliminate this task?
Question #2: If I can’t eliminate this task, can I automate it?
Question #3: Can it be delegated, or can I teach someone else how to do this?
Question #4: Should I do this task now, or can I do it later?

via {TED ideas}