This past month I had a chance to revisit “The 4 Hour Workweek”, the highly original and popular book by Tim Ferriss.
In one of the early chapters, Ferriss writes about the importance of reducing your “to do” list … trimming your priorities … to the top things that only you can do.
Once you determine the specific tasks that only you can do … and that you enjoy doing most … you simply outsource all the other tasks that need to be completed.
5 Defining Questions from Tim Ferriss and “The 4 Hour Work Week”
Here are 5 insightful questions Ferriss asked in his book. Ask these questions of yourself every day and ponder the answers …
1. If you had a heart attack and had to reduce your workload to only 2 hours PER DAY, what tasks would you work on?
2. If you had a second heart attack and had to reduce your workload to only 2 hours PER WEEK, what would you work on?
3. If you had a gun to your head and had to stop doing 4 out of 5 (80%) time-consuming activities in your work or life, what would you stop doing?
4. What are the top three activities that you use to fill time to feel as though you have been productive? Asked another way, what activities are you doing to postpone more important actions that need to be done?
5. For everything on your priority list, ask: “if this is the only thing I accomplished today, will I be satisfied with my day?” Put another way, “what will happen if I don’t do this, and is it worth putting off the important to do it?”
As I read those questions from “The 4 Hour Work Week”, I started asking them of myself and pondering the answers.
Honestly … I had so much personal resistance pop up. I kept answering “I can’t reduce my workload to 2 hours” and “I can’t drop 4 out of 5 things” every day.
But then I realized … that’s the point of the exercise.
To get you to recognize the areas where you work strongest and best and delegate the rest to others if at all possible.
So try it … reread the questions above and give your honest answers. The more you can take back control of your time, your life, and your activities, the better your life will be!
Until next time,
P.S.: Please add your comments below.
Note: You have to register in order to comment. That’s a good thing … I’ve found it helps reduce the number of spammy comments.