4 Hour Work Week: Chapter 5

Here's where the real shit starts.  I skipped Chapter four because it's about figurig out what you want, and I'm pretty clear on that already. 

Chapter five is called "the end of time management", it talks about being effective, rather than just efficient.

There are three basics things thatI took from this chapter, which I applied immediately.  I managed to get 3 assignments done in a short period of time using them.

1.The Pareto Principle

The Pareto principle is this: in general, 80% of the output comes from 20% of the input.

80% of the positive results come from 20% of the actions you take.

80% of the negative results come from 20% of the actions you take.

So, if you absolutey make sure you do the first 20%, and absolutely make sure you don't do the second 20%... you have 80% more time and 80% less problems. This applies on both a macro and micro level.

On a micro level, I'll apply it to writing a paper or making a presenation.

Things I do that get me 80% of my results:

1. Writing a small simplistic outline

2. Stream of consciousness writing to hash out some ideas

3. Doing it in the library, were there are less distractions.

4. Rereading the book chapter or chapters that it's based on.

Things that I do that give me 80% of my problems

1. Spending too much time researching

2. Spending too much time coming up with an idea

3. SPending too much time trying to find evidence for a specific point.

So, I want to keep the 20% that help me, and remove the 20% that hurt me.

My new process for writing a paper:

1.Reread the chapter.

2. Go to the library.

3. Come up with an idea, if I don't have one, write stream of consciosness till one emerges.

4. Write a small simplistic outline.

5. Based on the outline come up with with specific goals which I need to meet for researching. 

6.  Starting with the first goal, start my research.

7. Write the paper, the research and outline are now already done, and the paper becomes just a matter of filling in the blanks.

This seems excessive, but it includes all the actions that get results, and eliminates those that don't.  If I later find that certain actions aren't actually helping me get results, I'll remove those (for instance, reading the chapter always seems to make everything else go faster, but it's also the most time consuming thing). 

2.Parkinson's Law

Parkinson's Law is this :A tasks perceived importance and complexity is directly proportianal to the time alloted for completion.

What this means:  Shorten a task, and it suddnely becomes simpler to do.  You're forced to focus on the bare essentails.

So, now that I've come up with the critical tasks to perform for writing a paper, I can assign a time allotment to each task... let's assume it's a five page paper.

1. Reread the Chapter (no time alotment)

2.Go to the library (no time allotment)

3. Come up with an idea (5 minutes)

4. Write a small simplistic outline (10 minutes)

5. Come up with goals for research (10 minutes)

6. Research the goals (3 minutes per goal, if I can't find one in this time period, eliminate it)

7. Write the paper (30 minutes)

3. Multitasking Doesn't Work

So stop doing it.

This is exactly what I did, for a five page paper, and it took about an hour and half... not too shabby.

I'm going to try to get more work down, and see how far I can push this.  Can I finish all my work for next week?  My deadline is 1 oclock, which means an hour for every assignment... I'll let you know how it goes.