By Bayo Ogunmupe
Here is part two of working smart as habit of champions. Start being
more productive today. Working smarter, not harder, is the key to better
results. Which is why you should not say yes too often to beggars.
According to Pareto principle, 20 percent of effort produces 80 percent
of results. However, 20 percent of the results consumes 80 percent of
the effort. Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923) was an Italian economist who
through research in Switzerland discovered the Principle named for him.
Thus, instead of working harder, we should focus primarily on the
efforts that produce the majority of the results and forgo the rest.
That way we reserve more time to focus on the most important tasks. So,
stop saying yes to tasks that yield little results.
"The difference between successful people and very successful people is
that very successful people say no to almost everything-"-Warren
Buffett, the world's greatest investor. So, what should you say yes to?
You can find out what you should say yes to by measuring the benefit it
will bring you with your time that it will consume. Where the time is
greater than the benefit, you should invest your time for things more
beneficial. Most of us say yes more often than we should. This is so for
a variety of reasons, including guilt and the desire to please others
thereby overstretching ourselves. But also because it is easier than
saying no. Nobody wants to be the bad guy.
In a 2012 study published by the Journal of Consumer Research,
researchers split 120 students in two groups. One group was trained to
use the phrase "I can't" when discussing specific choices, while the
other was trained to use "I don;t" in framing their decisions. The
students who told themselves "I can't eat X" chose to eat chocolate
candy bars 61% of the time. While those who told themselves "I don't eat
X" chose to eat chocolate candy bars 36% of the time. This simple
change in terminology significantly improved the odds that each person
would make a more healthy food choice. Next time you need to avoid
saying yes, use "I don't" in your refusal, to reinforce the helpful
behaviour of saying no to things that aren't worthy of your attention.
Another trick is to avoid activities that don't add enough value to
your life. It's called the 20- second rule. Apply this rule to
activities you shouldn't be engaging in. You can also use it for
negative habits you want to break, it adds a roadblock for you starting
that activity. For example, if you want to lessen your use of social
media, you delete the tempting apps from your phone; so that it takes
you an extra 20 seconds to find your laptop to access them. By adding an
inconvenience, you will be less likely to engage in the draining
activity or habit.
Lower the activation energy for habits you want to adopt and raise it
for habits you want to avoid. The more we can lower or even eliminate
the activation energy for our desired actions, the more we enhance our
ability to jump- start positive change. Two, stop doing everything
yourself and start letting people help you. Consumers understand what
they want and how they want it better than any marketer. Did you know
that, according to Octoly, user generated videos are viewed 10 times
more than brand generated videos on YouTube? When seeking information on
a particular brand 51 percent Americans trust user generated content
more than what's on the brand's official website. Being a great content
marketer is not about creating the best content, but building a great
community that will generate high- quality content for you.
be aware that you can always get help when you need it; you only need
to ask. Sometimes, just having friends nearby can push you toward
productivity. "There is a concept in medical treatment called the "body
double" says David Nowell PhD., a clinical neuropsychologist from the
U.S state of Massachusetts. "Distractable people get more done when
there is someone else there, if even he isn't assisting them." If you
are facing a dull or difficult task, such as cleaning your closets, get a
friend to be your body double. This is sourced from: The Surprising
Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are.
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