SELF-IMPROVEMENT — FOCUS AND PRIORITY #ILLUMINATION

Is Multitasking the Best Solution?

How to get things done, one at a time.

Many many years ago, I listened to a personal development program by Earl Nightingale called Lead the Field. It was my introduction to Self-Improvement, and I haven’t been the same since then.

In one of the lessons, Earl told a story about a man, whom we’d call a consultant today, approached the CEO of a steel mill. It was during the early 1900s, and he was making his presentation when the CEO stopped him and said, “We already know what to do. If you can show us how to do it more effectively, I’ll pay you anything you want within reason.”

The man said that it would only take him five minutes to do that. He asked the CEO to write down six things that he needed to do. Once he wrote then down, the man asked him to number them 1 to 6 according to their importance.

When the CEO finished his list, the man said, “Now, tomorrow morning, start working on the number one, keep working till you finish it before moving to number two, and so on. If you can’t get all six done, move them to the next day. If you can’t get them done this way, you couldn’t any other way either. Try it as long as you want, have your men try it, and pay for whatever you think it was worth to you.”

Earl Nightingale said that six months later, the man received a check for $25,000 with a note that said that it was the best productivity lesson the CEO had ever used. Remember, this was almost a century ago.

My three takeaway

1. Prioritize your work and life according to the level of importance they hold. We often jump from one task to the next and accomplish nothing. In the age of multitasking, it is a valuable lesson to remember.

2. Be entirely focused on the task at hand, but stay open-minded and be flexible. While the salesman had a plan, he was willing to listen to the client and offer him a solution to his problem.

3. When you’re confident in your knowledge and abilities, don’t focus on what you can get for it. Be willing to be helpful and let the customer determine the value. It may be more than what you might have asked.

Day sixteen of the 30-day challenge. My theme: Self-improvement

Have fun writing, reading, and connecting, and as always, thank you for reading.

Rasheed Hooda writes about Personal Growth and Self-Improvement on #ILLUMINATION

I am a self-proclaimed weirdo, Jack of Many Trades, Master of Some — Writing, Photography, and Public Speaking. I live a Nomadic, Freedom Lifestyle, and write about related topics — Travel, Personal Growth, and entrepreneurship. (Join the Tribe)

“You can let others tell you what it means to be successful, or you can decide it for yourself.”